Irish pt. LV
The pork chops are really good. Pete Moss made some spicy teriyaki glaze to coat them with and Ramona fixed a big salad with lots of avocado and crumbly cheese.
It's dark by the time YoYo and I make our way down to the lobby and out of the building.
We walk over to Park and Market and catch a blue line trolley over to America Plaza and cross Kettner Boulevard to Santa Fe Depot and catch a green line trolley up to Old Town. We get off at Old Town and walk over to where we parked the RV.
Joe Bap is not in our old van where he has been living.
Lately Larry has been grooming Joe to be a real professional Scrabble shark.
Larry takes Joe around to play pick-up games with random people. Joe has to be careful not to tip off anyone about his immense talents. At the same time Joe has to build his rep as an ace Scrabblero.
The game has to appear to be close, to see-saw back and forth, cause that's what gets the bettors betting, and that's where Larry makes his money.
YoYo is working a crossword and I'm arguing with someone on Reddit, on my phone, when Larry finally pulls up.
Larry and Desiree and Joe Bap get out of Larry's Cadillac and see the light on in our RV and come over.
They knock on the door and we let them in.
"Hey guys, how's it going?" says Larry.
"It's going," I say.
"So how was your day."
"We were over in North Park with Ramona and Pete Moss," says YoYo.
"How is that adorable couple doing," says Larry.
"Pretty good, considering someone is apparently trying to bump off Pete Moss," I say, staring at Larry.
"Why are you looking at me?" says Larry.
"You don't know anything about it?" says YoYo.
"Why would I want to bump off Pete Moss?" says Larry.
"Cause you think he's a distraction for Ramona?" I say.
"Oh, cut the crap, Larry," says Desiree.
Larry makes one of those 'I don't know what you're talking about' gestures, hands spread out and his face a mask of wounded innocence.
"Yeah, Larry put out a hit on Pete Moss. I told him it was a bad idea," says Desiree.
"OK, maybe I did, so what. It's just business. Ramona has made me a shitload of money over the last few years. I gotta protect my investment."
I look at YoYo. She's about to jump up and strangle Larry with her bare hands.
"What?" says Larry. "I didn't tell them to actually kill him. Just scare him a bit. So he'll get away from Ramona. So she can get back to playing Scrabble for money, like she's supposed to."
"Larry, honey, maybe you should just let it go. You have Joe now," says Desiree.
Joe beams, although I can tell he's not exactly sure what we're talking about.
"But it's always been my dream to have a stable of top ranked players," whines Larry. "I want to have an office and a secretary answering my e-mail. Not just be some hustler with a Cadillac and a smart phone!"
"Whatever Larry." says YoYo. "Ramona is crazy about Pete. She's going back to writing. She's probably not going to be working for you anymore. You have to call off the hit,"
Larry processes that.
"She's not lying, Larry. Trust me, I've never seen a woman fall for a guy like Ramona has for Pete Moss," says Desiree. "And now she's gonna start writing again? I took a creative writing class once. Writing a book is a full time job."
Larry looks around from face to face.
"OK. Intuitively I understand what you guys are saying." he says. "But I can't just let go of a cash machine like Ramona, like, just like that!"
"Sure. We get that," I say. "But you have to call off the hit."
"I guess so," says Larry. "But I can't."
"Whaddaya mean?!" shouts YoYo.
"Once you greenlight a hit you can't just say, Oops sorry, never mind," says Larry. "That's not the kind of people you're dealing with. You put up half the money upfront and then you pay the rest when the job is done. They won't stop til they get the rest of their money."
"You fucking piece of shit!" shouts YoYo.