Matthew
Ryan Fischer
Danny had a deal that could be done. Fast and easy.
Danny was looking to make a
deal. Like yesterday. He wasn’t
even asking for the right price. Any
price would do. On the sly. For cheap.
Hush hush. Keep it on the
DL. Ask around and it might be too
late. He wasn’t gonna hold this deal for
long. Snooze and you lose. Think long, think wrong. Danny had a deal that could be done.
Danny was looking for a quick deal with the quickest turnaround he could
get. He was willing to take a hit, if it
meant he could get out of town. Pronto. Danny let it be known that tonight was the
night to make a deal. There would be no
second chances.
Word went out that someone had robbed Eddie Hauser. People didn’t rob Eddie Hauser. Just what had been stolen, nobody knew. The street didn’t discuss that sort of
thing. But people who knew a thing or
two knew that when word went out that Eddie Hauser had been robbed then trouble
was soon to follow.
Nobody was calling Danny. No
messages. No visitors. He knew something was wrong. Nobody had to tell him that. Danny was no fool.
When Eddie’s associates came to Danny’s place they didn’t find him or
anything that may have formerly belonged to Mr. Hauser. No one noticed Danny across the street three
windows down watching the activities.
Danny knew of Eddie Hauser and knew what his associates being there
meant, but for the life of him, he didn’t have a clue as to why they came calling
on him.
The street is why they had come calling.
The street knew Danny had a deal to be made and that Hauser had been
robbed. Two plus two usually equals
four. Unless it doesn’t. Danny could be a fool, but he was no
fool. He knew better than to rob a
Hauser. He also knew that once the
street started talking there would be no changing the whispers. And once one of the Hauser’s decided a
decision, there were no reconsiderations.
Danny might as well have done what he didn’t really do. The reality was if he didn’t get out of town
safe and sound and quick, then he wasn’t going to get out of town at all. A Hauser crossed was a fatal proposition.
Sheila ran the dive bar on the first floor of the Macavey Building. Sheila and Danny had had one of those nights
a time or two. She and Danny had had one
of those nights a few too many times.
More times than she cared to remember or admit.
Sheila wasn’t in love with Danny, but she sure didn’t want to see him end
up in the morgue or worse. She wasn’t
happy to see him in the back room of her bar, but she wasn’t surprised. And she wasn’t all that disappointed.
“It wasn’t me…”
“Good luck proving it.”
“Just my dumb luck. I’m looking to
make a deal on the one night that anyone out there looking to make a deal would
end up dead.”
Sheila didn’t know how to argue that point so she nodded and agreed.
Sheila didn’t want to help, but she knew she would. She also knew that if they were caught then
this might be the last time either one of them would have a chance to have one
of those types of nights, so she made sure that they really had one of those
types of nights.
Later when the lights were all out across town and Hauser’s associates
seemed to be no where to be seen, Sheila and Danny left through the back door
to the back alley where Sheila’s car was waiting. She handed him her keys. Someone would be at the bus stations and
train stations. Someone would be at the
airport. A stranger’s car was the best
way to go unnoticed.
“I don’t have any money. I... I
was thinking I was going to make a deal tonight, but then...”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “But you were going
to make a deal. Make a deal with
me. For the car and a little bit of
cash.”
“A little bit?”
“That’s the best you’ll get.”
Danny made the deal. Sheila opened
the case.
“Jesus Christ, Danny.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
She knew that the things Danny had done had nothing to do with a family
of shysters and loan sharks. She also
knew Danny was a fool or an idiot or both.
Danny held up the car keys and motioned towards the car.
“I hate to rush things, but I’m under a little time pressure here. What do you say?”
“I... I think there are easier ways to ask a girl that don’t involve
getting yourself nearly killed.”
Danny smiled and then they both laughed.
She slipped the ring on her finger and kissed him, and then took her car
keys back.
“I’m driving.”
They got in the car and headed into the night.
“How the hell did you ever afford a rock like this anyway?”
“Well… that’s an interesting story.”
“Does it involve Eddie Hauser?”
Danny didn’t answer. He just smiled
a great big ever loving smile.
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