Anthology. Robert Deshaies

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СКАЧАТЬ the kitchen in her cute apron and hair tie. She had the smile of an angel, and it calmed me down…for even just a little.

      “What will it be, hon?”

      “Oh…sorry. I’ll take a coffee and a burger, please. No cheese.”

      “Great, will that be all?”

      “I believe so. Say, what brings a pretty girl like you all the way out here?”

      “Fella, I…I don’t mean to be rude, but let’s just stick to the customer-employee thing.”

      “Oh, sorry.”

      “I’ll have your order right up.”

      “Thanks.”

      Well, that was embarrassing. Nothing was going right today. I slouched back into the squeaky plastic bar seats. As I rolled into the most comfortable position I could think of, my eyes darted to the opposite side of the diner. The strange fellow was no longer there, just a coffee cup.

      “Norman.”

      I looked to my right, and behind the counter was the man I saw when I walked in. How did I not see him move? I wondered if he worked here.

      “Do I know you?”

      “No, kid, I don’t believe you do.”

      “So do you work here or something’?”

      “I reckon I don’t.”

      “Behind the counter, then just for the hell of it?”

      “If it pleases me, then yes.”

      “Would the waitress approve?”

      “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about her. It seems to be just you and me, Norman.”

      Okay, the hair on the back of my neck was raising directly toward the heavens. Here I was fresh off a bank robbery, on the run from state police, with three dead friends in the car, and I was seated inside a diner talking to a man who knew my name, yet I’d never met him before. The waitress! I could ask her to come on out.

      “Hello! Waitress! Can I make a change to my order?”

      “Son, she’s out back on her smoke break. She won’t hear you. May I take a seat with you?”

      “Depends, tell me how you know my name.”

      As he moved from behind the counter, I could now see his entire frame. He was massive.

      “I know quite a few names, Norman. Are you asking how I know yours specifically?”

      “Yes.”

      He took a seat directly across the table, staring—that was what he was doing—in absolute silence. His eyes…I’d never seen anything like them before. They were soulless things. I couldn’t decide whether I should be afraid or intrigued.

      “Well, Norman, I know why you’re here.”

      “A-and why’s that, mister?”

      “Jacket. Mr. Jacket. Why you ask, son? Well, I know you’re on the run…”

      Fuck. How could he know? I… There must be a spot of blood somewhere on me. I had a guilty face riddled all over my expression, and now I was sweating. He was just going to keep drilling me.

      “Are you okay, Norman? You seem to be uncomfortable. Am I making you uncomfortable?”

      “N-n-no, sir, it’s just…”

      Then it clicked in my head. Just lie. He doesn’t know.

      “Well, I’ve been on the run for a while, you see. My ma and pa, they kicked me out for roughing around in the household. Ya know, with a girl they didn’t take a liking to. She and I split up a few hundred miles back after an argument, and now it’s just me.”

      “That’s a lie.”

      He knows. He knows. He knows.

      “Say, Norman, how about I go out for a cigarette. When I come back, I hope you can tell me the truth.”

      The tall man hovered over the table as he stood up. He grabbed a pristine pack of unlabeled cigarettes from his jacket pocket and lit one up. In his eyes, a flicker of a shining star struck my soul to the core. I was paralyzed in my seat. I was helpless to him walking away for a smoke break. As I saw him walk out the diner door, I heard two simultaneous rings.

      “Sorry, hon. I took a quick break out back. The coffee and burger will be right up.”

      I almost forgot why I was here. All right, Norman, keep your head on a swivel. Eat the grub, then get the fuck out of here before any more questioning. Thank God, I saw her coming out from the kitchen with a plate and a cup.

      “Care for any room in your cup?”

      “No. Black, please.”

      She set down the order, and instantly I began eating. I forgot how hungry I was. My stomach was practically running inside out at this point.

      “Well, I guess one of us is starving.”

      I looked up, and she still had that cute, little grin on her face. She was the sole person to make this day any more comforting.

      “May I ask you something?”

      “Sure, hon.”

      “That man who was sitting in that booth back there, what time did he come in?”

      She looked at me, perplexed of my question.

      “Ah, I’m sorry, but you’ve been the only customer I’ve had in a few hours. No one has been here since you got here.”

      “No, no, no, that’s not right. A substantial tall gentleman in a large white trench coat, he was sitting right there in that booth when I walked in. For God’s sake, there’s even a coffee cup where he was sitting.”

      “I’m sorry, but that’s my cup.”

      We stared at each other, searching each other’s expression for an answer. Neither of us reached an understanding.

      “It sounds like you have a lot on your mind. I’ll leave you to your food. Ring the bell if you need anything. I’ll be in the back.”

      I needed to go outside. I needed to see if the gentleman was there.

      “Do you have a cigarette? I…I could really use one right now.”

      “Sure, hon.”

      She reached into her apron and pulled out her American Spirit and handed me the minted little cylinder.

      “Thanks.”

      I left everything on the table, and she offered a light. I took СКАЧАТЬ