Roland figured he was lying to make himself look better. “Is that right? I saw the guy myself running like hell.”
“I tell you, if he ain’t dead, he ain’t feeling so good.”
Roland wanted to stand up, reach across his desk, and wipe off El Paso’s smirk with his fist. He said, “I talked to the cops. Not one mention of blood. If there had been blood in the median, they would’ve found it.”
“I drew blood, all right.” As quickly as a striking snake, El Paso produced a switchblade and flicked it open. “See this?” He thrust the knife toward Roland. “Blood on the blade. I don’t miss.”
Roland hadn’t flinched. He didn’t think the kid would stick him, but his sass made Roland want to kill him. On the other hand, the kid had balls that Roland grudgingly admired. El Paso reminded him of his younger self.
Keeping his expression blank, revealing none of what was going through his mind, he said, “Put that away and don’t ever pull a knife on me again.” El Paso closed the knife and slid it back inside his clothing.
“That blood on your blade you’re bragging about is probably the old man’s. The one you jumped at the end of the alley.Cops found him, questioned him. You scared the bejesus out of him. He swore that he couldn’t describe you, but they didn’t think he would have even if he could’ve.”
“I only nicked him on his chin. The other wasn’t a nick.”
“If that’s true, you had better hope the buggerisdead. He saw you, up close and personal like. So I don’t think anything short of the police finding his stiff corpse will satisfy Oz. He hates loose ends. He hates them more than anything.” He waved his hand toward the door. “Now, get out of here. I’ve got a call to make.”
“To him? Oz?”
Roland picked up his phone and extended it. “Unless you want to tell him your side.”
El Paso shook his head.
“I didn’t think so.”
“What do you want me to do?” he asked sulkily.
“Do? To make amends, you mean? Don’t do a goddamn thing until I give you the go-ahead. Lay low, keep out of sight. Until I tell you otherwise, that’s what you can do. Are you listening?”
“I got it, I got it.”
Roland hitched his chin toward the door.
El Paso stood there for a few seconds, then turned and left, not looking nearly as contrite as he should.
Roland shot the last of his scotch, then called Oz.
Allen pushed his sleep mask up to his forehead and grabbed his phone. “What?”
“A news flash that can’t wait.”
“The trucks from Chihuahua got intercepted at the border?”
“It’s not quite that bad.”
Allen sat up, reached for his can of Mountain Dew on the nightstand, and took a swallow. “I sense it’s not that good, either.”
“I told you about our homeless problem.”
“You said that new kid was going to take care of it.”
“It got a little out of hand.”
Allen listened as Roland related the events of the night. “Jesus Christ,” he said when Roland finished. “Was anyone in the restaurant tonight who wouldn’t want to be seen?”
Roland named a player for the New Orleans Saints. “He was having dinner with his girlfriend. He wouldn’t want his wife to find out. I escorted them out through the kitchen. I went around to everybody we do business with and personally assured them that the police presence had nothing to do with either the restaurant or our enterprise.”
“Do any of them know this kid, El Paso?”
