Free The Skin Show by Kristopher Rufty

can do about that. He’s screwed.”
    She
seemed legitimately upset about it. Andy wondered what it was about Danny that
made every woman he came in contact with immediately fall under his spell. He
could tell that even the strict and steeled Karen Holbrook was a sucker for
him.
    “Anyway,”
she said, “we need to get you out of here.”
    “I’m
waiting on my bank to clear the transfer. I left my wallet in my car.”
    “Where’s
your car?”
    “At
Danny’s.”
    Nodding,
Karen started to leave. “I’ll go get it.”
    “Don’t
worry about it. I’m sure it’ll clear soon.”
    “Banks
take their sweet-ass time in matters like this, pardon my French. I’ve seen it
a thousand times.”
    Pinky
nodded. “Might not be until sometime tomorrow, Andy. If she’s willing to go get
it, I say let her. We take debit cards.” He laughed.
    It
wouldn’t hurt to let her fetch the wallet. Just knowing he might be able to get
his car away from Eagle’s Nest tonight put him a little at ease. “Okay. It’s
unlocked. Hopefully it’s still there.”
    “Good
to know I won’t have to use a rock to bash the window in.”
    Andy
cringed inside. “Please don’t.”
    Karen
laughed. “Relax.”
    “Yeah
right,” he muttered.
    “I’ll
be back shortly,” she said, walking out of the holding area. Reaching for the
door, it opened before her hand touched the latch. She jumped back, startled,
as another officer entered. He was younger than Andy, probably right out of
school. He seemed embarrassed for giving Karen a scare.
    “Suh-sorry,”
the officer mumbled.
    “It’s
okay,” she said.
    Pinky’s
face scrunched in aggravation. He released a closemouthed sigh. “May I help you,
Officer Dunbar?”
    “Um…sorry
to interrupt,” he said. “But, Mr. Raab’s bail was paid.”
    Andy
sighed with relief. “Thank God. Did the bank finally send the money over?”
    “Um…no.
I actually canceled the request for you.”
    “Then
who paid his bail?” asked Karen.
    Couldn’t
have been Nicole. No way she could afford the fee.
    “Louis
Ambrose,” said Officer Dunbar.
    Andy
frowned. Lou Manchu? What the hell made him do that?
    “Shit
yeah,” said Larry. “We leaving too?”
    “Um,
no. He declined to pay yours and Mr. Zerner’s.”
    “You’re
fucking with us,” said Wayne.
    “No
sir.”
    Wayne
and Larry looked at each other, sharing the same expression: a combination of
hurt and confusion.
    Shaking
his head, Larry pressed the side of his face against the bars to see the
officer better. “That doesn’t make any damn sense. I called him! He said he’d
take care of it!”
    Dunbar
shrugged a shoulder. “Sorry. He only paid for Mr. Raab, said something about a
misunderstanding…”
    “This
is bullshit,” mumbled Larry. He pushed himself off the bars, turned around, and
walked to the other side of the cell. It was harder to see him that far back.
Shadows concealed most of him.
    Wayne
lowered his head, but offered no dispute.
     Pinky
stepped over to Andy’s cell. “Well, Andy, looks like you’re getting out of here
after all.” He removed a giant ring of keys from his belt. All of them were
nearly the length of cigars and different tarnished shades. He began flipping
through them.
    Karen
looked back at Andy. “Why would Lou Manchu pay your bail?”
    Andy
shrugged. “No idea.”
    She
folded her arms over the humps of her breasts. “I don’t like this. Either
you’re not telling me the whole truth, or something is very wrong here.”
    Pinky
inserted the correct key into the door and twisted. The lock shot back with a hollow
bang. The door rolled back, rattling as it moved over the track. He waved his
hand for Andy to exit.
    Stepping
out next to Pinky, he tried to pretend Karen’s condemning stare didn’t bother
him. “I wish I could say I was keeping secrets, but sadly I’m not. And, I wish
I wasn’t so damn confused by everything. The last several hours have been a
little…hectic.”
    Karen’s
stern demeanor