Free Red Suits You by Nicholas Kaufman Page B

there?" said a woman's voice. "It's Kendall."

    I didn't say anything, hoping she'd go away.

    "Come on! Drink with me! I'm lonely," she said.

    As much as I needed rest, I knew I wouldn't get enough either way. And Kendall's loneliness resonated with me. I knew the feeling better than most. So I climbed out of bed and let her inside my room.

    "I'm awake now," I said.

    She wore only a long white t-shirt that acted as a dress. It was tight, and defined her curvy body. I tried not to stare. She held a bottle of whiskey.

    "Good morning sunshine!" she said as she gave me a big hug. "Let's have a drink!"

    She came in and hopped on the bed. I checked the clock and it was four in morning. I'd been sleeping on and off for five hours or so. That was enough for me, so I started making coffee.

    "What the hell are you doing?" asked Kendall.

    "Making a drink," I said.

    "Coffee? No way. You've got to be kidding," she said, slurring her words a bit.

    "I have a long day ahead of me," I said.

    Kendall stood up and approached me slowly. "Well you better make it an irish coffee then!" she said.

    To please her I splashed a bit into my cup.

    "Happy?" I asked.

    Kendall nodded and looked down at my cup, which was right next to the map I'd scribbled on earlier. She squinted a bit as she tried to focus on it.

    "What the hell is all this?" she asked. She snatched the map. "I know this area."

    "Do you? Maybe you can help me out," I said. I figured if she gave me anything useful, she'd probably forget by morning. "Do you know anything about the Fifth Street Dogs?"

    "What, you got beef with them?" she asked.

    "Something like that," I said. "What do you know?"

    "All I know is all that matters. Don't fuck with them," she said.

    "Yeah, I heard that already," I said. "Anything else?"

    "Nope," she said. "I went to one of their parties about a year ago. The whole tough guy schtick wasn't for me, so I bounced."

    She sat down on the end of the bed and put the bottle on the ground. The coffee pot beeped. I poured some into my cup and took a big gulp.

    "Do you remember where it was?" I asked.

    Her eyes said yes. She confirmed it with a nod.

    "We can't go there at night though. It's too dangerous. What's your beef with them anyways?" she said.

    She looked a little less drunk and a little more conscious than before. For some reason I felt like I could trust her. Not enough to tell her the truth, but enough to give her a taste of it.

    "They took something from me," I said. "Something I know I can't get back, but they have to be confronted."

    I could see it in her eyes; she knew I wasn't playing any games now.

    "Do you know a guy called Seb?" I asked.

    "I've heard the name. Don't know him though," she said.

    I sat next to her on the bed and squeezed her thigh. "Go get some sleep," I said. "You can show me where the party was in the morning. I have a few things to do before then anyways."

    Kendall looked down at my hand and back up at me, and nodded. She stood up slowly and walked back to her room. I didn't want to get her involved, but I needed anything I could get. I didn't care about playing it safe, and I had nothing left to lose.

First Little Piggy
    I went to the flea market at the crack of dawn when it opened. I needed a weapon. Something untraceable. It was nearly impossible to find what you needed in a place like that. The useful items were all peppered in with the garbage. They needed isles like a supermarket. Deadly weapons in isle six.

    Eventually I saw a table of pocket knives, among other weapons which no man would ever really need. There were hatchets, axes, and even swords. Because people need swords, apparently.

    A knife wasn't really what I was looking for, but I figured having one couldn't hurt.

    "Can I look at that switchblade?" I asked.

    "Which one?" the salesman replied.

    "The red one," I said.

    The man picked up the knife and handed it to me.

    "How's that feel?" he asked.

    I gripped the handle and ran my