Jack Beale 00 - Killer Run

just as Max was unlocking the door. Officially the restaurant wasn’t open until noon, but Max always tried to have the door unlocked thirty minutes early. When he turned the corner into the bar he didn’t see her, but he did see the steaming cup of coffee she had left on the bar for him. He smiled and sat down.
    “Aren’t you frozen?” She came up from behind and startled him. She was carrying a rack of glasses but she paused to smile at him.
    “Not really. I was really lugging those chairs around back. Actually, I was pretty hot.”
    “I know,” she said in a teasing way.
    He pretended to ignore the innuendo and said, “Tom stopped by. He said that Malloy was coming up later in the day.”
    She stopped and looked at him. “Did he say why?”
    “Didn’t. But I’m sure it isn’t just social.”
    Before the conversation could go any further, the bells on the front door clingled and they heard voices in the hallway. Familiar voices. Max looked at Jack and groaned.
    “I’m just not ready for this.”
    “Oh, it’ll be fine. They’re harmless.” He stood to leave.
    “So why are you bolting?” she demanded. Before he could answer, Leo, Ralph, and Paulie walked into the bar.
    While Jack said a quick hello and goodbye, Max automatically placed three light beers on the bar.
    “Hey, Max,” said Leo.
    “Damn, it’s cold out there,” added Paulie.
    Ralph simply took a big sip of his beer.
    They knew the drill. Max was still setting up, so Leo waved at her for the television remote. She passed it to him and he hit the button. First they viewed the weather―at least, until the local forecast was finished. Then one of the sports channels caught their attention until they lost interest, which took even less time. Finally, Leo found one of the nature channels airing a show about how to fish by using your arms as bait.
    “Max, you gotta’ see this,” he said.
    She looked up at the screen just in time to see a skinny guy in a torn t-shirt, with few teeth in his smile, burst to the surface of a coffee-colored river, with a large fish that looked like it had swallowed his arm. Leo, Ralph, and Paulie were as excited as the guy being eaten by the fish, and they began cheering.
    Max made a face and said, “That’s disgusting.” Then she turned and walked away.
    The day was as quiet as Max had expected it to be. In late November, if the weather was good, you could count on the weekends being busy. The weekdays were another story. Occasionally, if the weather was nice they’d be busy. Yet on other equally nice days, there would be no business whatsoever. This Monday was one of the latter, made even more difficult since the guys were there. Silently she cursed Jack for having made his escape.
    By late afternoon she had reached her Leo-Ralph-Paulie saturation point and retreated to the kitchen. She picked up the phone and called Jack.
    “They are driving me nuts.”
    “Come on now, think how bored you’d be without them.”
    “That’s not the point. When are you coming over?”
    “I just finished a short time ago and I’m getting changed.”
    “Really?”
    He could tell from the hope in her voice that she assumed he was on his way over to rescue her. He paused before speaking again.
    “I’m sorry. I meant, I’m getting changed to go for a run. There’s just time before dark.”
    Now there was a really long pause. Finally, Max responded, “You’re going for a run while I’m stuck here with them.”
    Sheepishly, Jack said, “I’ll run fast.” Before he could say anything further, the line went dead.
    Hanging up the phone, Max growled. To prolong her time in the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of coffee. Out in the hallway, the bell on the front door clingled.
    Leo, Ralph, and Paulie heard it, and like Pavlov’s dogs, all three turned their heads at the same time. They peered expectantly at Alfred as he turned the corner and looked into the bar.
    “ Shit, ” he thought to himself. He didn’t see Max and he remembered how nosy they had been the first time he met them. Then he squelched his anxiety by reminding himself that they had also provided him with valuable information. He forced a smile and walked in.
    Ralph and Paulie turned back to their beers and the fishing show, but Leo continued to look at him.
    “Hey,” said Leo.
    Alfred nodded and without another glance walked through the bar toward the men’s room.
    Leo’s gaze followed him for a moment but then he turned his attention