Out of Sight

"All he's got's Frank Sinatra," Kenneth said, "some others, little Sammy Davis, all ofay jive."

"Put Frank Sinatra on," Maurice said, looking at himself in a full-length mirror.

"I can go Frank Sinatra."

"Hey, shit, the man's got Esther Phillips."

"Now you talking. Put Esther on."

"

"Confessin' the Blues."

" "See has it got "Long John Blues' on it."

Foley and Buddy, by the doorway, looked from Maurice to Kenneth.

"Yeah, number ten."

"Play it, man. Woman goes to see Long John, this seven foot-tall dentist," Maurice said, looking at himself turning this way and that in the mirror, like the suitcoat might fit him if he caught it at a certain angle, not hang on him like a sack, the tips of his fingers showing.

"Yeah, that's it, Long John telling the woman her cavity needs filling," Maurice watching himself, head bobbing slow motion, barely moving but on the beat. He caught Foley and Buddy in the mirror watching him from the doorway.

"How y'all doing? You find anything?"

Foley held up empty hands. Then turned as White Boy brushed past them into the room, White Boy holding up a wad of bills in a rubber band.

"Six hundred, found it in the kitchen."

"That's a start," Maurice said, as Alexander came off the sofa.

"It's mine. Mr. Ripley gave it to me."

Alexander made a grab for the money and White Boy held it at arm's length above his head.

"Come on-I need it for school."

White Boy said, "Oh, okay, here," offering the wad of bills; but when Alexander tried to take it, White Boy raised his arm straight up in the air again, grinning at him, holding him off with his other hand.

"You rob kids?" Buddy said.

"How about old women?"

"Anybody we can," Kenneth said, his head bobbing to Esther Phillips.

"You a robber, it's what you do, man. You rob people."

Buddy started into the room and Foley took hold of his arm to stop him.

They watched White Boy play with Alexander, waving the money at him, then raising it out of reach when he made a grab for it. They watched Midge get up to help Alexander and Kenneth right away step in front of her holding up his hands, feinting with them at her breasts. They watched White Boy drag Alexander by the hair to a closet, throw him inside and lock the door.

Buddy pulled his arm free and Foley said, "Stay out of it."

"I can't."

"Let's go see the Snoop."

They walked through to where he stood looking at himself in the mirror.

"There's no safe," Foley said.

"There's no cash or stones hidden anywhere."

Maurice studied his profile.

"You look good?"

"Glenn was dreaming."

"Fucking Glenn," Maurice said.

"Yeah, well, you take what you can get. You want a suit? You want a sport coat? The ones on the floor there, you can have any of those, I can't use 'em.

You want shoes? The man has, must be twenty pair of shoes in the closet. Too big for me." He looked past their reflections and yelled,

"White Boy! They's some cardboard boxes in the truck? Dump out the shit's in 'em and bring the boxes up here.

We'll take the wine and the booze… Hey, and look in the kitchen, the freezer. See what looks good to you."

They saw White Boy in the mirror start out and then stop and look back.

"How about somebody helping me?" Maurice said, "Y'all want to give him a hand?"

"We're leaving," Foley said.

"We all are, pretty soon now." Maurice turned and yelled at White Boy,

"Get Kenneth!"

"He ain't here."

"Well, where's he at?"

"He took the redhead down the hall," White Boy said.

And Foley thought, Here it comes.

Township and sheriff's radio cars stood along Vaughan Road, dull metal shapes in the dark, the sky overcast, unmarked cars against the snowbank, by the wall in front of the residence and blocking both ends of the circular drive. The detective from Robbery said, "Let me find out what's going on," and got out of the car. On the way here he had asked about the GCI prison break and that was pretty much what they'd talked about. The Robbery detective said he'd never heard of Jack Foley.

Karen was out of the car when he came back from the group standing by one of the sheriff's cars. He told her they were waiting for Inspector Cruz, he hadn't arrived yet. They walked to the nearer end of the circular drive and the Robbery detective pointed out the truck parked at the front entrance. He said they'd contacted the company and found out a truck was missing from their property and must have been stolen that evening.

Karen said, "It looks like the front door's open."

"It is," the detective said.

"A guy came out just a minute ago.

Got some boxes from the truck, went inside with them and kicked the door shut, but it didn't close all the way." Karen stared at the front entrance. The detective said, "Raymond should be here soon." He said,

"You want to smoke? It's okay here by the wall." Karen shook her head. He had trouble with his lighter, getting it to flame. He lit his cigarette finally, looked up and said, "Hey, where you going?"

Karen walked up the drive to the front entrance, right hand in her coat pocket gripping the Sig Sauer.38.