Fall Guy

growth of stubble. I thought about Nick's unshaven face and how different that looked, the real thing versus the fashion statement. „Look at me,“ Parker said. And I did. Slowly, from head to toe. „I've been wearing the same things for days.“
    But of course that wasn't true. His chambray work shirt, another affectation unless you count hustling as a blue-collar profession, was immaculate. His jeans were just this side of pressed. Even his shoes, scuffed boots, seemed chosen to complete the picture rather than what he'd been stuck with. His hair was picking up the light from the lamppost. He could have done an Herbal Essence ad with hair that thick and shiny. Whatever it was he needed so badly from Tim's apartment, it wasn't a change of clothes.
    „You shouldn't have come here. You should have called,“ I said.
    Parker smiled and nodded. „I did. You were never home.“
    „You should have left your number.“
    He looked away and sighed. Then he took a step closer. I felt Dashiell, close to my left leg, inch forward and angle himself so that his head was between Parker and me. Had Parker wanted to come any closer, he would have had to push Dashiell out of his way.
    „Look, I didn't know what else to do. I thought if I came here, I might be able to make you understand. I mean, I was living there, it was my home, and when the cops came and said I had to get out, they didn't let me take anything. Not one filing. I was hoping ...“
    I shook my head. „I'm sorry. I'm very busy settling Detective O'Fallon's affairs and you didn't leave me a number, so I couldn't call you back,“ remembering the cell phone number in O'Fallon's book as I said it. „I just got into the apartment myself and I need to gather things for O'Fallon's attorney. You'll have to wait another day or two.“
    „That's Tim's, isn't it?“ Pointing to the briefcase.
    I looked down at the briefcase and back at Parker.
    „Yes. Why do you ask?“
    „I didn't know you'd be taking anything out.“
    „You mean before you got your things?“
    He nodded, clearly upset, moving from one foot to the other. I wondered how long he'd been standing there and if I'd adopted Brody's attitude before ever talking to Parker myself. He didn't look scary now, just pitiful. Tim had taken him in, hadn't he? Was he now my responsibility, too?
    „I can pack up your clothes, if that's what you need. Yours is the closet to the left, isn't it? The one with the shrine?“
    „Look, I...“
    I glanced across the street. „I can drop them off at the Sixth,“ I said. „You can pick them up there, from Detective Brody.“
    He began to shake his head again. Not the clothes. Not the shrine. Then what?
    I looked across the street again, thinking about those newspaper articles, thinking about talking to Brody about them, old stone face, as if that were going to do me any good.
    But Parker might talk, especially if he thought there was something in it for him.
    „How about a trade?“ I said.
    „What do you mean?“
    „You said you thought I'd want to talk to you. The truth is, I do. I need information. You tell me anything you can about O'Fallon, I'll make sure you get into the apartment sooner. Deal?“
    „Sure, okay,“ he said, those intense eyes watching me. „When?“
    „Right now.“
    „We're going to Tim's now? Great.“
    But the more he wanted in, the more I wanted to keep him out, at least until I'd had the chance to check everything out on my own. „Let's take one step at a time,“ I said. „I haven't eaten all day. You don't want to bargain with a hungry woman.“
    „We're going in?“ he asked, indicating the gate with a nod of his head. The man was shameless.
    „Not hardly. We're going to grab a burger.“
    Parker shrugged. He'd waited this long, he could wait another forty-five minutes, an hour if I ate slowly.
    I was going to ask if he was hungry, too, but then I didn't. He looked as if he'd been starving all his life. I just didn't know for what.
    I wasn't getting the picture Brody had tried to give me, nor the one Jin Mei had painted of Parker Bowling aka Dick Parker, Richard Lee Bowling and Parker Lee. I needed to sketch one of my own. Most of all, I needed to see what O'-Fallon had seen in this man. I needed to understand why he had taken him in. Even if I had to cut what Parker told me in half, and then in half again, I'd still learn something about O'Fallon's life and that's what I wanted to do now, more than anything.
    I headed back to