Chapter 2

From a small window high on the wall a thin strip of light broke across the concrete floor of Pepper's room. Last night's container lay on its side, its fumes waved in the light through the open end. In a loud, heavy sleep Pepper was stretched over the covers on his cot, his arm folded under his chest, his shoes on his feet, his belt at his waist, a stream of drool coming from his mouth over the edge of the cot. He breathed heavy and slow.

Shoes scraped down the stairs to his door, a large beating hand announced the guest.

"Pepper!"

He moved his head, his mouth open. The beating was louder.

"Pepper!"

Rolling onto his side Pepper let out a hoarse moan, he cursed quietly. He slowly sat up on his cot, propping himself with one arm, gingerly moving the other. He closed his fist and moaned again. "God damn."

"Pepper open this goddamn thing."

Pepper stood and began walking towards the door, his arm crooked at an angle. Outside the man kicked the door, Pepper unlatched the lock. The door swung open, the room filled with light.

"At last, at last. Good morning, Pepper Gray."

Pepper stood still, his face constricted around his closed eyes. "My goddamn arm is asleep."

As the man entered the room went dark again, his body nearly filling the door frame as he passed through. He had a worn straw hat on his head, the short sleeves and buttons of his filthy linen shirt were stretched to their limit. He shuffled in quickly to the corner of the room.

"I want you to give me your key, Pepper." He bent down to pick up a few rolls of toilet paper. "Just for the day, I don't want to hear any different, just for the day, now. I'm going to duplicate the damn thing so you can go on sleeping and I don't have to stand around waiting for you and your arm to wake up." He grabbed a spray bottle of Briten Up and walked over to Pepper. "The key, now Pepper."

"All right," he said, reaching for his keys. He took it from the loop and handed it out. "Here you go."

The man had the spray bottle in one hand, the rolls of toiler paper under the other arm. "Just put it in my shirt pocket." He did. "Okay well I'll see you later then," he said.

The room was dark as exited, Pepper shut the door and the room was dark again. Pepper sat on his cot, removed his shoes and found a complete change of clothes in a plastic bag under his folding bed. He checked his watch, it was almost eight o'clock.

Pepper left his room, walked up his stairs and around to the front of the house. He slowly opened the screen door, the heavy main door already open. It was quiet inside, he passed through the entry way and to the bathroom. He grabbed a bottle of yellow mouthwash and turned to leave.

"Pepper," a woman's voice came from the parlor. He turned around. She stood in the doorway in a pair on panties and a red frayed and faded robe. Her ribs were nearly visible through a thin layer of skin, her eyes purple in their wells.

"Why, hello, Dee. And good morning."

"Where are you off to?"

"Work, as usual."

"Still over at Bennett's?"

"If today is the same as every one for the last sixteen years, then yes, I'm at Bennett's," he said smiling. "Seen Mister Bridgestone, this morning?"

"I haven't had the pleasure. Seeing him all the time you'd think I'd get to skip a morning once and while."

"You could always sleep until noon."

"You could always fall over a bridge into heavy traffic."

"At least it'd make today different from the rest." He put the mouthwash into his back pocket. "See you, Dee."

"Bye."

Pepper left the house for work.

The garage door was open when arrived. Inside Benny was already draining the oil from a Chevrolet.

"Morning, Benny," Pepper called.

"Hi," Benny said, tightening his bandana. "What the hell you doing?"

Pepper was squatting over the floor, the bottle of mouthwash in one hand, the cap in the other. His cheeks inflated, deflated, he spit into the floor drain and then gasped. "I don't want to offend nobody." Before standing he picked up a washer from the floor.

"If you kept your mouth shut then no one would hear you or smell you," Benny said. He turned back to his work.

Pepper walked to the back of the shop, put the bottle in his locker and headed for the break room. He stood in front of the vending machine, considered Captain Mack's Fried Cheesers, inserted the washer and pressed A-9 for a package of pink Puffy Sno-Puffs.

Back on the shop floor Pepper had his breakfast. "Russ called," Benny said. "He ain't coming in today."

"And why the hell not?"

"Said he's got a 'pointment with the octocologist."

"You mean the octologist."

"Whichever. His ear is all fucked up he said. Must be, too, he kept having me say the same shit over and over again."

"Oh well." Pepper shoved his second Sno-Puff into his mouth. "Guess it'll be a slow day. Works out, really. Russ isn't around to make us keep doing stuff, and we make more money by charging extra labor for doing absolutely nothing."

"My kind of day," agreed Benny. "This oil's just about changed, already."

"I guess we could work on that truck that was dieseling."

"Pepper!"

"Oh, yeah. I meant to say I'll be sitting in the break room."

"Yeah, okay."

Benny and Pepper headed back to the break room, put their boots on the table and stared at the ceiling.

"So, Pepper. I always wanted to ask you something."

"What's that, mang."

"What's it like living where you live?"

"Ah, the basement ain't so bad."

"No, I mean in a whore house."

"Well. First of all it's a brothel. Mr. Bridgestone runs a fine establishment."

"All right."

"Second of all, it's the storage room of a brothel, it's not a basement. And number two, it's the best thing on Earth, mang! Just this morning the first face I saw was Dee's, she's this real hot lady, a real fox, the number one girl, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, okay. What was she wearing?"

"A robe, underwear."

"And?"

"And nothing, mang. Just saw her there with her chest just hanging out. Flapping like the American flag in the wind."

"Goddamn, goddman!"

"Goodamn right, mang."

The service bell rang in the garage.

"Shit," said Pepper, standing up. "I'll go check it out."

"Okay," said Benny, draping his bandana across his eyes.

A man in a gray suit was waiting in the garage. "Hello, there."

"Hi," Pepper said approaching. "What can we do for you?"

"Well, I think my clutch is overheating. I smell this burning rubber when I've run the car."

"Hmm, could be, could be. Where do you have it parked?"

"Oh, right outside," he said, motioning behind him. "Can we take a look?"

"Of course."

Waiting in the lot was a black Jaguar. "Dear lord! This thing's giving you trouble?"

"Yeah, I can't believe it, either."

"I'll be sonofabitched, this thing looks brand new."

"It is. Here, why don't we get in, you drive, tell me what you think."

"Why didn't you take it to the dealer?"

The man pointed the keys at the car, a beep disarmed the car and he handed the keychain to Pepper.

"All right, let's see," he said, excited. He started the engine, adjusted the mirrors and seat. They took out of the lot.

"Seems to be shifting just fine. Sounds fine, no rubbing,"

"Well,"

"And there's no odor, I don't quite-"

"Listen, let's just cut to the chase here."

Pepper down shifted the engine, and stopped the car at a light. He looked at the passenger.

"How would you like to make four hundred dollars?"