Free The Sin Bin by Tony Black Page B

on his back. Dark blood
covered the floor like a slaughter house.
    In the hall, Marie ran to me.
    'Come, on,' I said.
    'But?'
    'Not now, get in the car.'
    I grabbed her arm and led her through
the front door. Sunlight burst like an explosion all over the burnt-yellow
lawn. I felt my guts begin to heave, felt for sure I'd hurl but somehow I kept
it all in.
    My hands trembled, I couldn't get a
grip of the keys, but Marie leaned over and helped me locate the ignition. God,
I didn't deserve her, did I?
    I got the car started, and then
suddenly, the Schnauzer came running, stopping still on the lawn. He turned his
head to the side, made that dog look, one that says a million things and nothing
at all.
    I pulled out on to the street.
    'You good?' said Marie.
    'Yeah, fine.'
    I took one last look in the rearview
mirror, caught sight of the Schnauzer again.
    I could have swore the damn dog waved
at me.
    I gunned the engine.
     

Eat Shit
    'He said that to you? ... I don't, you wouldn't
shit me on this, Eddie?'
    Miami Mike carried two Buds back from the bar, he swayed
a little — nights with old Eddie from the block could turn pretty tasty.
    'He said it, I tell you now, God as my judge ... it's
what he said, Mike.'
    Mike slammed down the Buds; white froth flowed down the
sides and onto the table top.
    'Whoa, calm the fuck down, man ...'
    The beer spill pooled on the chequered paper tablecloth,
a red candle in a dancing-girl statuette, her hooters glowing from within,
trembled in prelude to a fall.
    'This kinda shit, it's way outta line,' said Mike. ''Run
this by me again, from the top, don't leave anything out ... and I mean
anything.'
    Eddie picked up his Bud, ran a hand over the bottleneck
and slugged deep. His lips twitched. Nerves on edge and out there for all to
see.
    'Well, you asked ...'
    ****
    'She's at it again, the fucking Party Queen,' said
Gloria.
    Eddie struggled to the edge of the bed and wiped the
sleep from his still-tired eyes. 'You're kidding me.'
    'You can't hear her?'
    'Honey, I took a bucket of Moggies, how else you think I
sleep here.'
    Eddie slapped palms on his face, shook his head; it
seemed like the neighbourhood joined in, 'Oh yeah, now I'm hearing ...'
    Gloria stood at the window and looked out with a face
ominous as thunder. She tugged at the heavy drapes and light flooded into the
bedroom.
    As he smarted, Eddie noticed the Lucky in her fingers;
she'd started smoking again. It was the stress. He knew it was all wrong. They
were being held to ransom in their own home.
    'I can't take much more of this,' said Gloria, 'this is
some kinda retirement!'
    Eddie rose, went to her side. He tried to take the Lucky
from her; Gloria snatched her hand away.
    'What are you going to do about this? We can't live like
this anymore, Eddie ... we can't!'
    Gloria yanked open the window and roared: 'Turn that
fucking music down you crazy fucking bitch! Turn it the hell down or I'll come
over there and wrap that fucking boom-box round your scrawny motherfucking
neck!'
    ****
    'So that was the start of it, huh?' said Mike.
    'Yeah, like I say ... since we moved from back East, all
we had was like, y'know ... parties from the get go.'
    Mike leaned in, stroking the base of his Bud like it was
a lapdog, 'She's round the clock with this?'
    'Hey, buddy ... let me tell you, when we was growing up
back in the old brownstone, we had it peaceful compared.'
    Mike looked thoughtful. Eddie scoured his mind for the
word to describe him; he thought it might be contemplative.
    'What're you thinking, Mike?'
    He rose, tipped back the rest of his Bud. 'Thinking it's
your turn to get the Buds in, pal.'
    Eddie made the run to the bar. On his return he was
careful not to spill any beer like Mike had done last time.
    'Well, I'm all ears.'
    Mike played with the edges of his moustache, greying
now, but the jaw was still firm. He was carrying none of the meat Eddie was.
'Then what happened?'
    'The bitch's daddy came round, he's some big-ass lawyer,
slapped