Free The Dead Have A Thousand Dreams by Richard Sanders Page B

some fucking fool, I admit that. I may have been
acting like a real nitidiot—I can get that way. And if I was, I
don’t know, pushing the boundary a bit…?
    “You were.”
    “Well then I’m sorry for
that. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t mean to keep coming back to you
for investment tips. It’s just that, you know, what you were giving
me, it was just so damn good.”
    “Well, thank you for
that.”
    “And the photos , Jesus. I
would hate to
lose access to the photos. The one I bought from you? It’s hanging
in my living room. I tell everybody, this woman is blind , can you believe
it? I’m thinking, you know, what do I know, but I think you’re a
great artist. I think you’re a very fine artist.”
    “Thank you.”
    “Okay, so, we come to
what’re we gonna do? What’re we gonna do here? Are we gonna walk
the talk? Are we gonna forgive and forget?”
    “I’m willing to do
that.”
    “Good. That’s good, cause
if we can both be open and honest, if we can both lay our cards on
the table, we can both get moving with our lives.”
    Georgiana looked puzzled.
“Cards? What cards?”
    “You know. The cards —all the cards.
The truth . I
don’t mind, I really don’t, just tell me the truth.”
    “What truth is
that?”
    “That it was
you.”
    “Wooly,” I
said.
    “That what was me?”
    “That is was you . All this shooting
at me, just admit it was you. All I’m asking.”
    “This is insane .”
    “You know what I’m talking
about, though, don’t you?”
    “I know because your
friend here came and told me. And as I very clearly told him I had
absolutely nothing to do with it.”
    Wooly got to his feet.
Nickie went to stop him but he shrugged her off.
    “I just want you to know,”
he said. “I just want you to know that I know .”
    “Know what ?” said Georgiana. “I made a
prediction.”
    “Right.”
    “And then someone started
making attempts on your life.”
    “Right.”
    “So you assume it was me.
Isn’t that just a little reductive ?”
    He moved to the desk.
Nickie and I stood up. Georgiana could sense the movement. Her face
tightened, throwing the veins on her forehead into
relief.
    “Who’d you hire to do it?”
Wooly said. “Your assistant out there, Marco? He drive a
Fusion?”
    “What do you think you’re
doing?” Georgiana said. “Are you interrogating me?”
    “Yes I’m interrogating you! What
the fuck does it sound like I’m doing?”
    He rammed his body into
the desk. Nickie and I grabbed his arms and yanked him away.
Definitely a pepper spray moment. Georgiana reached into a pocket
of her overalls and pulled out a cell.
    “Leave my house now ,” she said, “or I’m
calling the police.”
    We pulled him back from
the desk. “What the hell’re you doing?” I said.
    “I’m sorry, I’m
sorry.”
    “This is just wrong,” said
Nickie.”
    “I’m sorry. I got carried
away.”
    “Enough of this,” I said. “Just enough . This is not what we came
for.”
    I looked at Georgiana. She
dropped the phone back in her pocket.
    “Look,” said Wooly,
catching his breath, “look, I didn’t come here with unreasonable
expectations. I didn’t think we’d end up dancing the ha-cha-cha
together. But I thought at least we could get all the pretenses dropped.”
    “There’s no pretense ,” said
Georgiana. “Why do you think it was me? Anybody could be trying to take your
life.”
    “Like who ?”
    “Everybody.
Everybody hates you.”
    “Go fuck
yourself.”
    “Every body hates you.
Every thing hates
you. The trees hate you. The bushes hate you. The air hates
you!”
    “Tell this blind
skinny-ass bitch to go fuck herself! And she can keep her bog-heap
paintings!”
    “Fine, just get out of my house. I
am not trying to
kill you.
    “Oh okay, okay, you’re
right. No, you’re right—I can see that now. You’re not trying to
kill me. You’re trying to crush me, you’re trying to obliterate me. You’re trying
to eat my death
and sleep my
death.”
    He