An Absence of Light

She waited in the darkness of a tree’s canopy at the edge of the parking lot, and when the front door to the club opened she started walking. Kalatis watched with interest.

Having opened her purse again, she was looking in it as though searching for something, as she approached him in the dimly lighted car park. He saw her first, of course, and just as she looked up and closed her purse, he said something to her and she stopped. She turned, and oh, yes, recognized him.

Kalatis watched their body language and followed the gist of their conversation. Toland straightened up a little, tightened his stomach a bit What in the world are you doing here?

She explained she was supposed to meet X here, but the arrangements had been made quite early in the evening. and then she had got delayed and could not reach him by telephone, and a cab had just dropped her by on the off chance that he might still be here.

No, he wasn’t here, Toland said. She tilted her head with good-natured disappointment. He asked a question, and she shook her head and explained something. He asked another question and gestured to his car only a few feet away. She tilted her head again, thinking a moment as she looked toward his car, and then nodded in appreciation.

She took him to the parking lot of a condominium not far from the club where her car was already parked anonymously among the others. She told him where to park, the precise spot. By now she was teasing him shamelessly, and he would have driven off the bank of the bayou into the water if she had allowed his hand another inch inside her panties. Instead of going up to her place, she suggested, why didn’t they…

Kalatis had choreographed the event, but it would not have worked so well if his principal dancer had not been so talented. When Kalatis pulled into the parking lot behind them with his lights off, Toland was oblivious to everything but the increasingly revealing glimpses of the unfamiliar flesh in the seat next to him.

Parking among other cars a good distance away, Kalatis rolled down his windows, took out his binoculars, and balanced them on the steering wheel. He focused them on Toland’s car, the interior of which was illuminated by the streetlamp behind it, presenting the two figures inside in sharp silhouettes. He gave them a few moments, until she had removed her blouse. He would have let her go further, but he was afraid she wouldn’t remove her bra, that she would end it before he wanted. He still would have to pay her, but he wouldn’t get the satisfaction he wanted. So, he adhered to the plan and picked up his telephone and dialed.

It rang four times before Kalatis saw her push Toland away. He could only imagine what was being said.

“Yeah…” Toland’s voice was tense, irritable.

“Robert, this is Panos Kalatis.”

Pause.

“Kalatis?” Pause. “What are you doing calling my car phone at this hour?”

“Somehow I knew you would be there to answer it.”

“What do you want?”

“It’s payback time, my friend.”

“What?”

“I know what you’ve been doing, Toland.” Kalatis kept his voice reasonable, relaxed. “You are not nearly good enough at this to try to steal from me. You’re such a stupid pig, Robert.”

Pause.

“I think there’s a misunderstanding here…” Toland began. His voice had changed.

“I believe you’re right,” Kalatis said, “so let me explain it to you.” He watched Toland’s profile closely through the binoculars. “The woman sitting next to you… she’s going to kill you for me. And I’m going to listen to it on this telephone and watch it through my binoculars. Robert, you are really so stupid…”

Kalatis didn’t actually hear the two gunshots, not as gunshots, just as phuut! phuut! at the same time as part of the window behind Toland’s head flew out into the parking lot sounding like crushed ice as it scattered across the pavement. The remaining parts of the window were glazed in rusty smears.

Kalatis counted to twelve before the passenger door opened, and she got out and closed it behind her. She walked through the few cars with business-like deliberation until she stopped at one, unlocked it, and got in. He counted to eight before the headlights came on, and she drove away.

Just for the hell of it Kalatis dialed Toland’s number again. He felt better, much better. He listened to the busy signal with satisfaction.

Chapter 8

Graver turned off the porch light, threw the dead bolt on the door, and walked back into the living room. He went over to his desk and sat down, picked up the notepad and looked at his doodles. Jesus, what a situation. What a goddamned night.