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.Steve ended up walking around his neighborhood, which was not the safest activity, but his size and black mood seemed to keep the urchins at a distance.He found another bar, and then another, and soon the night had turned into a swirl of neon lights and dirty floors.It was well past two in the morning when he stumbled around the corner and sighted his building.He was singing loudly to himself, badly slurring the words to “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”He staggered across the street, barely noticing the woman in the short tight skirt leaning on the wall.Her face was done up in clownish makeup, and there was something off about the way her voice sounded.“Hey, sugar,” she said, making him wince at the sound of the familiar pet name.“Looks like you’re headed home alone.I could keep you company.”“No offense, sweetie—” Steve could barely focus his bleary eyes on the husky woman; she was nearly his height, and seemed unusually broad of shoulder “—but I’m real sick of your gender right now.”“Then good news, sugar,” she said, stepping forward to run her hand across his shirt front.“I’m a little bit of both.”Steve focused on the hand touching him, noticed the large veins, the black dots that indicated new hair growth, and burst into laughter.“Sorry.” He slapped her hand away a bit hard due to his inebriated state.“I’m not into chicks with dicks.But you have a nice night!”She stood in his path when he tried to walk around.“What you think you’re doing hitting me, motherfucker?” she asked, giving him a shove.“Keep your hands off me, whore!”“Whore? You calling me a whore?” Suddenly her hand lashed out, a fist smashing into Steve’s nose.Blood poured out of the orifice, spilling down his shirt.“What the fuck?” Steve was aghast, watching the crimson fluid pour into his open palm.The transvestite took another swing, which Steve ducked under.He tackled her and knocked her to the sidewalk.They rolled about, biting and kicking and gouging viciously.Neither took notice of the car load of young hipsters who stopped to film the altercation with their cell phone cameras.Steve found himself hard pressed, due to his drunkenness and the fact that the transvestite was nearly as large and powerful as himself.He managed to end up on top of her, however, raining down hammer fists as she tried to cover up with her arms.Abruptly, a pool of radiance fell over him.He glanced up, squinting at the bright light that made seeing anything else impossible.“NYPD!” he heard over a loudspeaker.“Get off of the woman and put your hands behind your head.”“Oh shit,” he said, even as he moved to comply.Chapter 23PHIL GRINNED SHEEPISHLY at Steve as the big man walked out of the police station, holding a plastic bag full of ice against the swollen knot on the side of his head.The big man stared sullenly at him, wordlessly walking past him to climb into the taxi.Phil bit his lower lip, wanting to say something but not sure what.He climbed into the seat next to Steve, noting with heaviness in his chest how his friend seemed to move like he was mired in molasses.His blue eyes, normally fierce and hawkish, were dull and listless as they stared out the windshield.The fight had messed up his face somewhat, but nothing that seemed permanent.“Did they give you a shot for TB?” Phil asked at length.Steve turned to glare at him as if he were a piece of shit and then stared forward once more.“Well, that hooker might have had TB, so…”Steve grunted away his concerns, eyes focused only on the road ahead.“I tried calling the hospital,” said Phil, “but Autumn’s already checked out.”“She left with her dad.”“Her dad? What, to spend some time with him, I guess?”“No, to stay with him, for the foreseeable future.”“Are you serious? That’s…that’s ridiculous! Why would she do that?”“Because she never loved me, Phil.She was using me, just like Susie said she was.”Phil flinched, not just at the blunt words but the pain in Steve’s voice.“Maybe she was just coming down off her meds, or something.Have you talked to her?”“She was the first person I called when I got arrested.She had already checked out of the hospital.When I tried her cell, the number went to voice mail the first few times.Then it stopped ringing altogether.I think she blocked me.Had to dig out a five from my wallet and pay for all the extra phone calls, to boot.Cops only pay for one.”“Dude,” said Phil, feeling both miserable and angry.How could Autumn do that? To his eyes, to everyone’s eyes, they had seemed disgustingly happy together.Remembering that he was still a novice in the dating world, he chalked up his confusion to inexperience.“Do you want me to talk to her, maybe bring Ellie—”“No!” Steve turned a sharp eyed glare on Phil.“I don’t want you involved.”“Well, you should drive up to her dad’s place, then.It’s not that hard to find once you have the actual address [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]