House of Blues

just me, sitting all alone in that big ol'
house."
    "You're right, Manny. You're a real sensitive
guy."
    " So I left."
    "That was it? You cut her out of your life, just
like that, because she flirted with another guy?"
    "Flirted! She was fuckin' all over him."
    " That was really the last time you saw her?"
Skip was sorely disappointed. She couldn't find one useful fact in
this story.
    " Hey. I was in love with her. Did I mention
that? You think a guy like me can't fall in love? You think love
doesn't happen for people you don't like? I walked out 'cause I was
mad, but I tried to get her back. I wasn't gonna leave it like that,
I just wanted her to see how bad she acted. I wanted her to really
unnerstand it, can you get to the bottom of that, or is that too much
for you?"
    "Go on."
    "So when I called her, she wouldn't talk to me."
    "No! After you acted like such a gentleman and
all?"
    His tiny eyes turned into dangerous slits. "You
enjoy bein' a bitch or what?"
    " She wouldn't talk to you ever again, have I got
it right? Hung up when you called?"
    " No, she didn't hang up. She told me she was
only gone for five minutes, and said why couldn't I act like a
gentleman, and I said—oh, never mind what I said, but then she did
hang up. So I let about a week go by—lettin' her stew, see? I mean,
that's what I thought. But when I called, she said she was involved
with someone else and wouldn't be seein' me again."
    "Did she say who?"
    "Well, it was him. Who else would it be?"
    "I don't know. Aaron Neville, maybe."
    He sighed. "God, I wish I had a cigarette."
    "Did you ask her?"
    "Yeah, I asked her. You could say that, I guess.
I said, it's that slick asshole, right? Maurice. And she said, 'It's
a pleasure to be around a gentleman for a change.'
    "Well, I thought she should give me the damn
pants back, so one day I went over there, and there he was. Answered
the door at her house just like he did at Anna's."
    "Anna? Who's Anna?"
    "What does it matter, dammit? You're ruinin' my
timin'."
    "Sorry. Then what happened?"
    "He pulled a gun on me."
    " And threatened you?"
    "Yeah. If I ever bothered his precious Evie
again."
    "Was that the last time you saw her?"
    " I didn't even see her that time. But trust me,
it was the last time I even thought about tryin'. I know you don't
think Larry's all that savory a character, but I never seen him point
a gun at nobody. That Maurice—now there's a piece of work."
    " Back to this Anna for a minute. I get the
feeling that's the woman the letter was addressed to. Did you meet
her?"
    "No. Didn't see a soul but Maurice. He said he'd
give her the letter"
    "You said it was Anna's house—how do you know
that?"
    A puzzled look settled on his features. "I just
assumed. I mean, because it was her letter."
    "What was her last name?"
    "It was . . . He closed his eyes. "Oh,
shit, I know it. Leonardo. No, Dante. Shit, that's not it. Something
long; some dago name you've heard before. You know, some dude that,
like, did something. Like that guy who invented the telescope. Some
name like that."
    "Galileo?"
    "Yes! No. Let me think—is it Galileo?
Garibaldi! It's fuckin' Garibaldi! He was something too, I swear to
God—he didn't invent the telescope?"
    "You sure?"
    "I swear. It's Gari—fuckin—baldi."
    "Great, Manny. I'm impressed."
    "That I knew who invented the telescope? I
graduated high school, you know. I'm not as dumb as you think."
    He looked hurt; maybe he was sensitive.
    "No, impressed you remembered who the envelope
was addressed to."
    "Well, that's why, see. Because of the
telescope. Gari-fuckin-baldi—I'll never forget it again."
    " Now here's another one. Can you remember the
address of the mansion?"
    "Hell, no. How the fuck I'm supposed to remember
something like that?"
    Skip shrugged. "Just a thought." She was
silent a moment, trying to figure out where to go next.
    Manny said, "Jesus fuckin' Christ, I need a
cigarette." He sat up and began working at his IV, tearing the
tape off his arm. "Come on, let's get out of here."
    "What?" was all she could say.
    What am I? His chauffeur?
    " I'll take you there. To the mansion."
    "Manny, it's okay. lust give me the name of the
street and tell me what it looks like."
    "No way. I'm outta here."
    " Manny. Hey. Look, you got hurt out there. You
can't just go racing around with a concussion."
    " Watch me."
    He had the needle out of his arm by now and had flung
the covers aside. He was wearing only a hospital gown that exposed
his legs, and if he