But mymainreason for going to the Rusty Anchor was to talk to Gil Moran.
After my little chat with Ray and Mike at the barbershop, I was buzzing with conspiracy theories.Obviously, I couldn’t just march up to Gil and ask him if he’d been doing something illegal.But I could sit next to him and strike up a conversation.I was good at talking to people, and if he was drinking, maybe I’d get some useful information out of him.It was certainly worth a try.
When I entered the Rusty Anchor, I was jazzed to see that Gil was indeed at the bar.I’d have to be very careful in how I approached things with him.I didn’t want him to catch on to why I was talking to him.I wanted to ease into a conversation with him.
Despite looking beaten down, Gil was a good-looking guy.He had a Paul Newman vibe; late forties, with a lean, muscular build, short blond hair, and sky blue eyes.I could see why Tess was attracted to him, even though he was older than her.
He was sitting on the same stool he always seemed to occupy when Tess was working, near the service end of the bar.He had a whiskey in front of him and the look of a man who’d been there a while.His shoulders were hunched and his eyes were fixed, as if he wasn’t really seeing anything.
Tess was behind the bar, moving between customers with her usual warmth.She smiled when she saw me.“Hey, Spencer.The usual?”
“Please.”I took the stool two down from Gil, leaving an empty seat between us.Close enough for conversation, far enough that it didn’t look like I’d come here specifically to talk to him.Which, of course, I had.
Tess pulled my draft and set it in front of me.“How were the avocados?”she asked, smiling.
“Delicious.”I laughed.“I’m so glad I ran into you that day.”
She flipped her hair.“If you need any more expert produce advice, just ask.”
I smiled.“I might hold you to that.”
Gil glanced over when he noticed her talking to someone.He looked relieved when he saw it was me.I wasn’t sure why, until it occurred to me that if he was sleeping with her, he’d prefer she joke around with a gay guy rather than some straight dude who’d be hitting on her.
Our eyes met, and I nodded politely, but I didn’t try to talk to him.I sipped my beer and watched the college basketball game on the TV above the bar for a minute.I didn’t care about college basketball, but it gave me something to look at while I waited for an opening to talk to Gil.
In the end, Gil reached out to me first.He leaned over and touched my arm.“Hey, you’re that reporter, right?Spencer Cross?”
I met his curious gaze.“That’s right.”I extended my hand, and he shook it.His grip was firm, but his hand was cold.
“I’m Gil Moran.I’ve seen you around before.”He winced.“You were the one who found Eddie…” He trailed off, looking dejected.“I read the piece you wrote about Eddie.It was great.You really captured what he was like.”His smile was sad, and he slurred a little as he said, “He was such a great guy.Such a fucking great guy.”
“Yes, from what I’ve heard, he really was.”To be honest, despite my suspicions about Gil, I felt bad for him.Just talking about Eddie had him on the verge of tears.
He tipped his almost empty whiskey glass, staring at the amber liquid.“I keep thinking I’m going to see him walk through that door.Stupid, I know.”He gave a jagged laugh.“But every night I come in here, hoping it’s all just a bad dream.And maybe Eddie will be here, sitting in his usual spot.”
I don’t know what I’d expected Gil to be like, but it wasn’t this.His grief was palpable.I’d interviewed hundreds of people over the years, some of them grieving, some of them performing.It wasn’t always easy to tell the difference, and I couldn’t tell which one Gil was.Sometimes murderers actually did regret what they’d done, so the grief was real.
“How are you holding up?”I asked, even though it was obvious he was a wreck.
He laughed gruffly.“You want the truth or the version I tell people?”
I smiled.“It’s got to be a difficult time for you.”I studied his booze-flushed face.“You didn’t just lose a friend, but you haven’t been able to fish either, right?”
He dropped his head.“Nope.”
“That’s got to be rough.”
He let out a long breath.“Honestly?I don’t know what’s going to happen.The future is a big, fat unknown.”
Tess stopped near us.“Need another, Gil?”she asked.
He glanced up.“Sure.”He winked at her, and she smiled, her cheeks pinking a little.
When she noticed me noticing, she laughed.“Gil’s a flirt.I never take him seriously.”
“Smart girl.”Gil drained his glass and set it down unsteadily.“Besides, she’s married.Only a fool gets involved with a married woman.”
Tess’s cheek twitched.“Yep.”She walked away, and Gil watched her go.
