Free A Bullet Apiece by John Joseph Ryan Page A

Then he got in the cab and drove off. Jimmy was—” She looked at Jimmy for confirmation, or maybe permission, then simply said, “I couldn’t tell.”
    â€œGo on and say it, Kira,” Jimmy muttered.
    Kira hesitated a moment longer. “Scared. He was scared. I’ve never seen that look on his face. I came over to him at once. Tell him, Jimmy. Tell him what the cabbie said.”
    Jimmy cleared his throat. The act did nothing for the gravel rattling around in it.
    â€œIt was a cop, Ed. Out of uniform, but a cop. A beat-cop, from Dogtown. He came running out of the alley when the cabbie showed up.”
    â€œIs he sure?” I spat out.
    â€œCabbies know faces. And cabbies are friendly with the beat-cops. He said his headlights caught the guy right as he came out of the alley. The guy froze, and then covered his face and ran.”
    My head raced with questions. “Kira, did you see or hear anything while you waited inside?”
    â€œNo. Between phoning for the cab and its arrival, I was wiping tables, running water.”
    â€œJimmy?”
    â€œNothin’. Hell, I was upstairs, about to go to bed.”
    I kept my eyes level with his and tried to ignore the glowing bathrobe. “Was anyone else around?”
    Kira responded. “Nobody that I could see. But I only looked outside briefly, when I heard George in the alley.”
    â€œWho was the last person to leave tonight, Kira? Besides The Beef, obviously.”
    She thought a moment, seeming to recall the faces of every middle-aged drunkard from the night. For a split second I saw my reflection in the bar mirror. Seeing my bruised and beat-up face, I winced and looked away. Then, Kira lit up.
    â€œI know. Simon. The one George calls—called—Simple Simon.”
    I flashed back to seeing Simon’s uneasy countenance under The Beef’s powerful arm earlier in the night. His lips had been trembling.
    â€œYou know where he lives?”
    â€œYeah.” It was Jimmy’s turn to try to regain control. “He lives in Dogtown, too!” he exclaimed as though on the path to discovery.
    â€œWhat street?” I asked.
    â€œAh, he lives on West Park. No. Wait. The other one. Parallel to it. Nashville. Yeah, that’s it. Nashville. First block in from McCausland.”
    â€œKira, did Simon leave right before George?”
    â€œNo. He left perhaps half an hour before him.”
    â€œAll right. I’m gonna need to find him and this cabbie. Jimmy?”
    â€œYeah?”
    â€œYou hiring me here?”
    â€œWhat do you think?”
    Tough guy. In a yellow robe, no less.
    â€œI think you are. I’m fifty dollars a day, plus expenses. I’ll start today. Today being now.”
    â€œOkay. Where do I sign?” Jimmy asked. These are the moments I felt like a life insurance salesman.
    â€œWe’ll do the paperwork later in the day … today.” I wanted to make sure I didn’t get stiffed.
    No one said anything then. Kira had sunk back into her own thoughts, folding her arms again. Jimmy planted both his hands on the bar top, his natural propriety rooting him, despite the ridiculous get-up. I puffed on my cigarette, thinking about all Kira had said. That’s when Jimmy raised his hand and slapped his forehead.
    â€œWhat?” I asked, anxious to know what epiphany had come to him.“Goddamn. George. The Beef. The body! What the hell am I supposed to do with the body?”
    Kira’s eyes fluttered, but she held still. I glanced from her to Jimmy. None of us had considered what to do with the body—till now. What have we become, if such a thing as body disposal goes to the back burner? I focused on Jimmy.
    â€œGot a spare freezer?” I asked evenly. Jimmy looked at me to see if I was kidding. He turned to Kira, and a slow, deliberate smile spread across her face. She nodded slightly at me. I sucked on the tail-end of my cigarette and gave her the