“You mean tooyoung.”
“That too.”
Valerie crossed her legs and said, “I’m twenty. I’ve been here over a year.”
“Where you from?”
“Bernal Heights.”
“I mean originally.”
“Bernal Heights.”
“No kidding. Where’d you go to high school?”
I’d explained to Alain that in San Francisco, the high schoolsomeone went to told people where you lived. That’s how everyone local identified one another. Valerie and I chatted for a moment about our high schools. I decided to leave out my graduation date.
As we were talking, I noticed a big guy in a brown suede cowboy hat. He moved from group to group in front of the hotel, almost like the maître d’ at a restaurant. I asked Valerie about him.
She said, “That’s Tex. He sort of keeps an eye on everything around here. I mean, when the cops aren’t around, he’s all we have.”
“He’s got good beach muscles.”
Alain said, “Beach muscles?”
“Arms and chest.” I watched the man make his rounds. He looked to be doing his best to be friendly. I turned to Valerie and said, “Do you work for him?”
“Sort of. He gets me gigs and I give him a cut. The product sellers give him a cut too. He keeps everyone safe.”
“Sounds more like he’s making everyone pay protection.”
Alain added, “That is the worst kind of predator. He’s just a bully.”
Valerie bit her lip. “Yeah, I guess he can be a little rough sometimes.”
As if Tex could hear us, he looked directly at Valerie just then, and started marching our way.
CHAPTER78
I STAYED SEATEDon the wall as the burly man in the cowboy hat approached. His boots clicked on the concrete.
I’ll admit, Tex made me nervous. I tried to act casual, but the closer he got, the bigger he seemed. He came to a stop a few feet in front of us and stood with his hands on his hips.
“Hey, Valerie. You working or chatting with tourists?”
Valerie looked down and mumbled, “Sorry, Tex. Just taking a quick break.”
I’d heard interactions like this a hundred times in my career. It never failed to make my blood boil. I knew exactly who this guy was and his role in the neighborhood.
Alain said, “Please forgive her, Tex. It was entirely my fault. I just wished to speak to a local for a few minutes.”
Tex did a double take at Alain’s accent. He didn’t comment on it. “You can speak to anyone you want. But time is money. And we don’t waste money here. Lay down a hundred bucks and you can have fifteen minutes of conversation. You feel me?”
Alain appeared confused by the idiom. He looked at me for clarification.
I’d had about all I could take. I stood up to face the pimp. Yes, he was big, but I was sure he didn’t expect me to do anything crazy. That was his mistake.
He looked at me and laughed. “What are you going to do? This isn’t a Mommy and Me class.”
