Ryder
I could hear the shouting and things crashing as soon as I turned off my bike. I locked it (never forget to do that) and ran to the door.
“I’m not goddamn kidding, Chaulpa. Shit is missing and I’m not gonna stop until I find it.”
I heard a huge crash and some glass shatter. “Padre, stop! There’s nothing missing! I took inventory myself.” Chalupa sounded desperate.
“Padre.” I used my most commanding voice. “What is going on?”
The man that looked back at me was not the man I knew. His hair was wild and out of control and his dark eyes showed panic. The shop was completely trashed, with tool cabinets dumped out and shattered glass everywhere. At least the customers’ cars seemed to be untouched.
I went over to him and grabbed his arm, gently but firmly. “Padre. Let’s go into your office and talk it through.”
“You think I’m going to trust you?” he said.
“Padre. Ryder just wants to talk.” Chalupa stood there running his hands through his hair.
At that moment, Swole walked in, and behind her was Moves. Our private security team. “Padre. Listen to them. You need to stop.”
“The fuck I do. This is MY shop and I’ll be damned if people are stealing from me.” Padre lunged for another tool box and Swole and Moves rushed to grab him and pin him back.
It wasn’t until Yoda came in the back door that Padre stopped struggling. “Paul,” he said, using Padre’s given name. “Let’s go for a walk.”
He nodded to me to come and to Swole and Moves to let him go. Yoda walked to the door and said, “Come on. The fresh air will do you good.”
* * *
The day waswarm and sunny, and if you didn’t know what had just gone down it would seem like another perfect day in Southern California.
I stayed a few paces behind; close enough that I could hear what was being said, but far enough that they could talk just the two of them. We walked down Berry avenue in the direction away from the Blue Dog.
“What’s going on, Paul?”
“My people are stealing from me, Ming.” His voice sounded gravelly and upset.
‘How do you know?”
“Things aren’t where I left them. I go to look for a tool and it’s not there.”
“Have you talked to the guys about it?” His tone was compassionate.
“I did, but they just lie about it. I won’t tolerate this kind of thing, Yoda. You know that.”
“Of course. Can I ask why they would steal from you? You’ve been nothing but loyal to everyone at Ortega and Outlaw Souls.”
“I know. That’s the thing. I just can’t believe it.”
“Is it possible you’re mistaken?”
He stopped and looked at Yoda, totally unaware that I was there. I stopped, too.
“It is possible. I’ve noticed some…changes.”
“What kind of changes?”
“In me. In my mind and my memory and stuff. I get so mad. Just explosive rage over stupid shit. I turned my television upside down when some guy won on Wheel of Fortune when he shouldn’t have.”
“Have you been to a doctor?” Yoda started walking again, slowly, and Padre and I did too.
