Nobody's Fool

explaining afterward that he’d been listening to the conversation. “He wants linguine and clams. I throw away two goddamn dozen cherrystones a week so he can have linguine the once a month he comes in.”
    â€œDid it ever occur to you that I might want something else once?” Sully shouted at the kitchen door. “Just because I let you sell me half a dozen spoiled clams five years ago doesn’t mean I have to keep ordering linguine forever.”
    â€œWasn’t for you, I’d never have to order a single goddamn clam, you ingrate,” Vince bellowed. “Order whatever you want. Less work for me. I was going to have to pick through the trash for the clams anyhow.”
    â€œThen that’s what I’ll have,” Sully said. “If it’ll cause you extra work, I’ll eat poison.”
    â€œThe life of Don Sullivan in a nutshell. Don’t run off when you finish,” Ruth said, looking serious again.
    â€œEverything all right?”
    â€œNot really.” Ruth nodded in the direction of the closed kitchen door, which meant that whatever this was about, she didn’t want to discuss it in the field of Vince’s radar. Which worried Sully, since there wasn’t much Ruth wouldn’t discuss in front of Vince.
    Sully’d eaten about half his linguine when Wirf came in, stood in the center of the room, pivoted on his prosthetic limb, and was about to leave when he spotted Sully off by himself in the dark, closed section of the restaurant. “What the hell are you doing back here?” he wanted to know as he slid uncertainly onto the bench, red-eyed. Wirf was about half in the bag, from the look of him.
    â€œTrying to eat my dinner in peace for once,” Sully said.
    Wirf nodded sympathetically, secure in his apparent belief that Sully’s observation in no way pertained to himself. He took off his gloves and scarf, put them next to the rubber plant on the ledge. “I saw you peek in at TheHorse, but then you disappeared. I bet I been up and down this street half a dozen times trying to figure where you went.”
    Sully twirled a forkful of linguine. “You should have given up, Wirf.”
    â€œI was afraid you might be thinking black thoughts, after yesterday,” Wirf said. He was watching like an expectant dog as Sully raised the pasta to his mouth. Wirf, his brain permanently fogged by alcohol, forgot all sorts of things. Often he forgot to eat. Food seldom appealed to him except when he saw it actually being consumed. Then longing entered his expression, as if he’d suddenly recollected a lost love.
    â€œHelp me eat some of this,” Sully told him. The booth was set up for two and Ruth hadn’t bothered to clear away the other silver, so all Wirf needed was a plate. Since Sully had finished his salad, he pushed the bowl toward Wirf, who emptied the dregs of the oil and vinegar into the nearby rubber plant. With fork and spoon he transferred exactly half the remaining linguine into the bowl. “You ate all the clams?” he said, peering at the stack Sully’d made of the empty shells.
    â€œI wasn’t expecting you,
Wirf,
” Sully said.
    â€œAll I wanted was one,” Wirf said. “I hate the slimy bastards, but I keep thinking I’ll be surprised someday and like them.”
    â€œI’m glad there aren’t any left then. I like them every time I eat them,” Sully said, pushing the breadbasket toward Wirf.
    â€œDon’t be stingy,” Wirf said, pointing his fork at Sully. “Don’t go through life stingy.”
    â€œOkay,” Sully said.
    â€œA clam’s a small thing,” Wirf explained. “But there’s a principle.”
    â€œI could order you some clams,” Sully offered. He had no intention of doing that, but Wirf was easy to shame with gestures.
    â€œThis goddamn kitchen is closed!” Vince bellowed.
    â€œOld radar ears,” Wirf said. “The government should put him on top of a mountain and make him listen to sounds from deep space.”
    â€œThat would be the place for him, all right,” Sully agreed.
    Nothing from the kitchen. In a minute Ruth came by and set a clam in front of Wirf. It was uncooked and clamped tight.
    â€œHow can you put up with this untrustworthy son of a bitch?” Wirf asked her.
    â€œEasy,” Ruth said. “I never see him.”
    â€œSo,” Wirf said when she was gone,