Free Ron Goulart - John Easy 03 - The Same Lie Twice by Ron Goulart Page B

patterns on the fat woman’s great white face, Easy said, “Okay, here’s another fifty.”
    “May Astaroth look kindly on you,” laughed Gladys Waugh, engulfing the five $10 bills in her great hand. “Give my best to Joanna when you see her, Mr. Easy.”
    The Mustang was still yawning open out in the weeds. The black Ram was not there.
    Sitting in his VW Easy wrote, “Expenses: Bribe to Gladys Waugh—$150,” on a file card. Then he started the car and headed south for Mexico.

XV
    E ASY WAS SITTING ON the California side of the border. The air-conditioning system blew a chill wind through the small plastic restaurant, fluttering the paper napkin beneath the silverware and even causing the red plastic placemat to now and then make a clacking flap. From two lopsided loudspeakers perched on the beams of the pseudoarbor above the booths came distant-sounding bullfight music.
    The frail Mexican waiter, in a faintly blue white suit, said, “We’re all out of quesadillas, señor. How about arroz con higaditos de polio? That’s rice with …”
    Easy shook his head. “I’ll take the chile rellenos.”
    “I can go look and see if we have any left,” said the sad frail man. “If you take the chicken livers, though, I can give you a special price.”
    “Nope,” said Easy.
    “I’ll go see what the kitchen says.”
    While the frail white-suited man walked sadly away and through the kitchen doorway, which was shielded by a curtain of bright plastic beads, Easy got up and crossed to the wall phone. Green plastic grape leaves twined down from the pseudoarbor and fluttered against the side of the black instrument. Easy dropped in a dime, then made a credit-card call to Los Angeles.
    “Hello,” answered Jill.
    “Hi,” said Easy. From here he could see a small portion of hot late afternoon street through the high narrow window of the restaurant. “I’m about to leave the country and lead a simple idyllic life. So I thought I ought to let you know.”
    “Oh, so?” said Jill. “Where are you?”
    “Calexico.”
    “Is Joanna there?”
    “She should be down in Mexico,” answered Easy. “About five hundred miles from where I am now.”
    “Where exactly? Jim’ll want to know.”
    The thin waiter appeared at Easy’s side, shaking his head sadly, saying softly, “No more rellenos, señor.”
    “Bring me a beer and I’ll think of something else.” To Jill he said, “I don’t want Benning to know anything specific yet. After I find his wife I can tell him where she was. I think too many people are looking for her.”
    The girl said, “About that car last night, John.”
    “The one that followed Benning over to your house. What about it?”
    “It was a dark Camaro, didn’t you say?”
    “Yeah, have you seen it again?”
    “I think maybe so,” said Jill. “Early this afternoon when I came back from shopping down in Beverly Hills. I’m pretty certain it went by after I pulled into the drive. It went on by and stopped down the block quite awhile before it left.”
    “Has it been back since?”
    “I don’t think so, but then I haven’t kept an eye to the peephole.”
    “Okay, look,” Easy told her, “call Nan at my office and tell her to get one of the guys we use sometimes. I want him to watch you until I get back.”
    “I’m not that fragile,” said Jill. “I don’t need a guard just because I maybe saw a car that drove by here before. I didn’t mean to unsettle you.”
    “Do it,” said Easy.
    After a few seconds Jill, said, “All right. I’ll phone Nan. I really don’t think I’m involved in this too much. Do you?”
    Easy said, “Anything else happening?”
    “Jim’s called a few times. I get the impression he thinks my high opinion of you has a carnal basis. You sure you don’t want me to let him know you’re close to finding Joanna?”
    “I’m sure. Don’t.”
    “I saw Hagopian in Martindale’s. He was buying a copy of a book on how to improve your tennis. He said to tell