Out of Sight

"But you didn't visit him in prison."

"He didn't want me to."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. He was different after he was sentenced, looking at thirty years."

"But you spoke to him on the phone."

"He'd call every once in a while."

"He called the day he escaped," Karen said.

Adele stared at her.

"He did? I don't remember. What else did he say about me?"

Karen had to think of something.

"He said he wished the two of you could start over, live a normal life."

"Bless his heart. I'll say one thing for Jack, he was never ugly or mean, or drank too much. His idea of a normal life, though, was robbing banks. It's all he's ever done."

"Did you know that when you married him?"

"He said he was a card player, how he made his money. I could live with that. Or he'd come home with a bundle and say he was out to the track, Santa Anita, and I suppose sometimes he was, he liked to gamble.

I never knew he robbed banks till he got caught with that car that wouldn't start-if you can imagine something like that happening, comes out of the bank and the car won't start. I did go see him at Lompoc-I guess you know he did time there-to tell him I was filing for divorce.

He said"-Adele shrugged-"okay. Jack's so easygoing. He was fun, but never what you'd call a real husband."

"He met Buddy at Lompoc," Karen said.

"Yeah, and Glenn, the creep." She squinted at Karen through cigarette smoke.

"Why isn't there anything about him in the paper?"

"They don't know where he is," Karen said, "and I guess they don't want to have to admit it." She said, "It looks like Glenn took off by himself."

"The weasel. You know what I wish? You could put him away and forget about Jack. He doesn't deserve thirty years."

"I'd give anything to find Glenn," Karen said.

"I had him in custody once; he sure loves to talk."

"Yeah, about himself, what a cool guy he is. He said he's lined up a job and was gonna use Jack and Buddy. Fat fucking chance."

"What kind of job?"

"He didn't say." Adele paused to smoke.

"The only reason I met him, he was a friend of Jack's at one time, and that's all I'm saying."

"And I guess you met Buddy."

"You can guess all you want, I can't help you. I have to finish dressing anyway, I'm seeing a man about a job. He claims he's a magician, only he's Latin and I have my doubts about him. You know I worked for a magician?"

"Emil the Amazing?"

"Yeah, the prick. This guy that called, he goes, "How do you do that sawing of the woman in half trick?" I go, "Are you kidding?" I should've said it's not a trick it's an illusion. He said he was testing me to see if I was experienced."

"What I can't figure out," Karen said, "is how the two halves of the box can be separated while you're in it, and you see your head in one and your feet in the other, moving."

"It's magic," Adele said.

"Or the one, the girl gets in the cage," Karen said, "it's covered, the cover comes off-" "You spin the cage around first," Adele said.

"You spin the cage around, the cover comes off and the girl's gone and there's a tiger inside."

"Emil does it with a lion."

"Get out of here."

"A male we'd rent for the evening. An old one, but still had a lot of teeth."

"How do you do it?"

Adele shook her head.

"I can't tell you, it would be unethical."

"I'm just curious," Karen said, "I won't tell anybody."

Adele said, "Have you ever heard or read about how illusions are done?

No, because it's a secret. It's the way they're done, that's what it's all about. How isn't that interesting."

"Did you ever tell Jack?"

Adele took time to draw on her cigarette.

"Once in a while he'd ask. I might've told him about some of the easy ones."

"How do you do the switch with the lion?"

"If I tell you, you'll be disappointed. It's always simpler than it looks."

"Come on, just that one. I won't ask you about anything else."

"No more about Jack or those guys?"

"I'll leave you alone," Karen said.

"You promise you won't tell anyone?"

"I swear. Cross my heart," Karen said, facing Adele sitting at the end of the table. Karen saw her about to speak and saw her jump at the sound of three quick raps on the door, three and three more and a voice then from outside, in the hole.

"Adele? I want to speak with you, please."

Sounding far away.

Karen watched Adele turn her head.

"Who is it?"

"I'm the man call you about work."

"I said I'd meet you."

"Look, I'm here. Open the door."

"I'm not dressed."

He said, "Listen to me." And in a lower voice, "I'm a good frien' of Jack Foley."

Karen got to her feet, bringing her bag to the edge of the table. She saw Adele staring at her and said, "Ask him his name."

Adele turned her head again, the rest of her rigid, upright in the chair, her cigarette held in front of her between two fingers.

"Who are you?"

There was a pause.

"Jose Chirino."

Karen brought her Beretta out of the bag.

"Or maybe you hear Jack Foley call me Chino. I'm the same person."

Karen moved along the table to Adele. She said, barely above a whisper, "Tell him to wait in the hall, you have to get dressed. Say it loud, raise your voice."