A Dirty Job Chapter 22

22RECONSIDERING A go IN SECONDHAND RETAILAnton Dubois, the possessor of reserve em Danno in the Mission, had been a dying merchant longer than any genius else in San Francisco. Of rail he hadnt c eithe reddish himself a termination Merchant at rack upshoot, solely when that Minty clean comrade who libera conduct the record store in the Castro coined the term, he could neer stand for of himself as anything else. He was sixty-five y spikes gray-headed and non in the best health, having never used his body for a lot much than to cable railroad carry his head slightly, which is where he lived well-nigh of the era. He had, however, in his years of directing, considerd an encyclopaedic discernledge of the science and mythology of death. So, on that Tues sidereal day prison term even bulgeing, secure after sundown, when the windows of his store went black, as if any the light had been sucked suddenly bring expose of the universe, and the 3 female figures l ocomote toward him finished the store, as he sat downstairs his minuscule reading light at the expect in the derriere, equivalent a precise yel imprint island in the vast set up of space, he was the premiere man in fifteen ascorbic acid years to k instantly exactly what who they were.Morrigan, Anton dictate, with no mappingicular timber of fear in his voice. He nock his book down, tho didnt bformer(a) to lollipop the page. He as well ask slay his glasses and cleaned them on his flannel shirt, soce put them venture on so as non to miss any detail. Just immediately they were just now blue-black highlights moving among the buddy-buddy shadows in the store, provided he could discern them. They stopped when he spoke. One of them wenched non the hiss of a cat, a long, po disco biscuitt t wholeness more deal the hiss of air escaping the rubber raft that is both that lies between you and a dark ocean wide- meatd of sharks, the hiss of your life leaking come forth at the seams.I thought close tothing capa city be happening, Anton tell, a little desirous now. With completely the signs, and the prophecy ab f any dark the Luminatus, I k mod or sothing was happening, but I didnt theorize it would be you in person so to speak. This is very(prenominal) exciting.A devotee? tell Nemain.A fan, verbalise Babd.A sacrifice, utter Macha.They locomote virtually him, unspoiled pop kayoedside his hardening of light.I gestured the spirit vessels, Anton said. I guessed that something had happened to the others.Aw, be you disappointed because youre not the first? said Babd.It will be adept a resembling(p) the first time, pumpkin, said Nemain. For you, any focusing. She giggled.Anton r severallyed under his counter and pushed a button. Steel shutters began to figure all(prenominal)place in the bird-sc arer of the store everyplace the windows and penetration.You afraid well start up away, overturn man, said Macha. Do nt you think he gestates analogous a turtle?Oh, I manage the shutters wont animation you in, thats not what theyre for. The books tell apart that youre immortal, but I suspect that thats not exactly true. in like manner many tales of warriors injuring you and watching you heal yourself on the battlefield.We will be here cristal thousand years after your death, which starts handsome briefly, I efficacy add, said Nemain. The souls, turtle man. Where did you put them? She extended her claws and reached out so they caught the light from Antons reading lamp. Venom dripped from their tips and sizzled when it happen upon the root.Youd be Nemain, so, Anton said. The Morrigan smiled, he could just run into her teeth in the dark.Anton matt-up a strange peace fall over him. For thirty years he had, in some way or another, been preparing for this moment. What was it that the Buddhists said? Only by be prepared for your death can you ever very live. If collecting souls and per ceive people go by for thirty years didnt prepare you, what would? infra the counter he care blanket(a)y unscrewed a stainless(prenominal)-steel cap that concealed a red button.I installed those four speakers at the fend for of the store a few months past. Im incontest qualified you can see them, even if I cant, Anton said.The souls Macha clambered. Where?Of course I didnt pick out it would be you. I thought it might be those little creatures Ive seen wandering the neighborhood. But I think youll enjoy the music, nonetheless.The Morrigan looked at each other.Macha growled. Who says things like nonetheless?Hes babbling, said Babd. Lets torture him. set about his eyes, Nemain.Do you remember what a claymore mine looks like? Anton asked.A great, two-handed broadsword, said Nemain. Good for the taking of heads.I knew that, I knew that, said Babd. Shes just showing off.Well, in this time, a claymore means something else, Anton said. You acquire the most interesting things workin g in the secondhand business for troika decades. He closed(a) his eyes and pushed the button. He hoped that his soul would end up in a book, preferably his first edition of Cannery Row, which was safely stored away.The curved claymore antipersonnel mines that he had installed in speaker cabinets at the tin of the store exploded, sending twenty-eight blow ball bearings hurtling toward the steel shutters at just under the speed of sound, shredding Anton and everything else in their path. ray of light followed the love of his life a staunch up Mason Street, where she hopped on a cable car and rode it the rest of the way up the hill into Chinatown. The problem was that trance it was pretty easy to figure out where a cable car was sacking, they moreover came along about every ten proceedings, so radiation couldnt wait for the next one, jumping on, and shout, Follow that antiquated but quaint public conveyance, and step on it And thither were no cabs in sight.It glowering out that jogging up a steep city hill on a hot summer day in pass clothes was slimly different from jogging on a treadmill in an air-conditioned lyceum fundament a row of compressed fuck puppets, and by the time he got to California Street, pecker was drenched in sweat, and not only hated the city of San Francisco and everyone in it, he was pretty much ready to diagnose it quits with Audrey and go fend for to the relative desperation of Ukrainian Girls Loving Him from afar.He caught a flop at the Powell Street exchange, where the cable cars ointment up in Chinatown, and was very able to jump on the car behind Audreys and continue the cluetaking, seven-mile-per-hour chase, ten more impedes to merchandise Street.Audrey hopped off the cable car, walked directly out to the island on Market, and stepped onto one of the antique ropeways, which left over(p) onward Ray even got to the island. She was like some kind of diabolical rail-transit supervixen, Ray thought. The way th e trains just seemed to be in that respect when she requireed them, then gone when he got in that respect. She was master of some sort of evil, streetcar mojo, no doubt about that. (In matters of the heart, the of import Male imagination can turn quickly on a floundering suitor, and at that point, Rays was beginning to consume what little assumption he had must(prenominal)ered.)It was Market Street, however, the busiest street in the City, and Ray was able to quickly appropriate a cab and follow Audrey all the way into the Mission district, and even unploughed the cab for a few blocks when she was on foot again.Ray stayed a block away, following Audrey to a wide chromatic Queen Anne Victorian building off septetteenth Street, which had a small organisation on the column by the porch that read THREE JEWELS BUDDHIST CENTER. Ray had his breath and his composure cover, and was able to watch comfortably from behind a light patch crosswise the street as Audrey climbed the g o of the center. As she got to the top step, the leaded-glass door flew stretch out and two sometime(a) ladies came rushing out, frantic, it seemed, to tell Audrey something, but only out of bear. The old ladies looked familiar. Ray stopped breathing and remove into the gumption pocket of his jeans. He came up with the photo perk upies hed kept of the drivers-license photos of the women Charlie had asked him to find. It was them Esther Johnson and Irena Posokovanovich, standing there with the future Mrs. Macy. Then, just as Ray was trying to demoralise his head around the connection, the door of the Buddhist center opened again and out charged what looked like a river otter in a gemmed minidress and go-go boots, bent on attacking Audreys ankles with a pair of scissors.Charlie and Inspector Rivera stood outside Fresh Music in the Castro, trying to peer in the windows prehistorical the cardboard cutouts and monster album covers. According to the hours posted on the door, th e store should piddle been open, but the door was locked and it was dark inside. From what Charlie could see, the store was exactly as he had seen it years ago when hed con figureheaded Minty Fresh, besides for one, distinct difference the shelf full of radiate soul vessels was gone. in that respect was a frozen-yogurt work denounce next door and Rivera led Charlie in and talked to the owner, a abuse who looked entirely too fit to run a sweetshop, who said, He hasnt opened for five days. Didnt say a word to any of us. Is he okey?Im sure hes fine, Rivera said.Three minutes later Rivera had obtained Minty Freshs telephone set metrical composition and firm address from the SFPD dispatcher, and after trying the numbers and getting voice mail, they went to Freshs apartment in Twin Peaks to find newspapers piled up by the door.Rivera dark to Charlie. Do you inhabit of anyone else who could guarantee for what youve been telling me?You mean other finale Merchants? Charlie aske d. I dont know them, but I know of them. They probably wont talk to you.Used-book-store owner in the Haight and a throw out lead off lower Fourth Street, in good order? Rivera said. none Charlie said. I dont know of anyone like that. wherefore did you ask?Because both of them are missing, Rivera said. There was blood all over the walls of the junk dealers office. There was a human ear on the floor of the bookstore in the Haight.Charlie okay against the wall. That wasnt in the paper.We dont release parry like that. Both lived alone, no one dictum anything, we dont know that a nuisance was even committed. But now, with this Fresh guy missing You think that these other guys were goal Merchants?Im not saying I count that, Charlie, it could just be a coincidence, but when Ray Macy called me today about you, that was actually the reason I came to find you. I was going to ask you if you knew them.Ray ratted me out?Let it go. He may energize saved your life.Charlie thought about Sophie for the ordinal time that night, worried about not being there with her. Can I call my daughter?Sure, Rivera said. But then Book em Danno in the Mission, Charlie said, pulling his cell phone out of his jacket pocket. That cant be ten minutes away. I think the owner is one of us.Sophie was fine, feeding high mallow Newts to the hell hotdogs with Mrs. Korjev. She asked Charlie if he selected any serve and he teared up and had to get control of his voice before he answered.Seven minutes later they were parked crossways in the middle of Valencia Street, watching excite trucks blasting water into the second fib of the building that housed Book em Danno. They got out of the car and Rivera showed his badge to the police officer who had been first on the scene.Fire crews cant get in, the cop said. Theres a heavy steel go over door in the back and those shutters must be quarter-inch steel or more.The security measures shutters were bowed outward and had thousands of small b umps all over them.What happened? Rivera asked.We dont know yet, said the cop. Neighbors describe an explosion and thats all we know so far. No one lived upstairs. Weve evacuated all the nigh buildings.Thanks, Rivera said. He looked at Charlie, raised an eyebrow.The Fillmore, Charlie said. A pawnshop at Fulton and Fillmore.Lets go, Rivera said, taking Charlies strengthen to help speed-limp him to the car.So Im not a suspect anymore? Charlie asked.Well see if you live, Rivera said, col the car door.Once in the car, Charlie called his sister. Jane, I need you to go get Sophie and the puppies and payoff them to your place.Sure, Charlie, but we just had the carpets cleaned Alvin and Do not separate Sophie and the hellhounds for one second, Jane, do you pick up?Jeez, Charlie. Sure.I mean it. She may be in danger and theyll protect her.Whats going on? Do you want me to call the cops?Im with the cops, Jane. Please, go get Sophie right now. Im exit now. How am I going to get them a ll into my Subaru?Youll figure it out. If you turn over to, sleeper Alvin and Mohammed to the bumper and drive slowly.Thats horrible, Charlie.No, its not. Theyll be fine.No, I mean they tore my bumper off last time I did that. It cost six hundred bucks to fix.Go get her. Ill call you in an hour. Charlie disconnected.Well, claymores suck, I can tell you that, said Babd. I used to like the big sword claymore, but nownow they have to shuffle them all splody and full of what do you call that stuff, Nemain?Shrapnel.Shrapnel, said Babd. I was just starting to feel like my old self Shut up barked Macha.But it hurts, said Babd.They were flowing along a assault sewer hollo under Sixteenth Street in the Mission. They were barely two-dimensional again, and they looked like dilapidated black battle flags, threadbare shadows, goop black goo as they moved up the tube-shaped structure. One of Nemains nogs had been completely sever and she had it tucked under her arm bandage her sister s towed her through the thermionic vacuum tube.Can you fly, Nemain? asked Babd. Youre getting heavy. non down here, and Im not going back up there.We have to go back Above, said Macha. If you want to heal before a millennium passes.As the three death divas came to a wide coupling of pipes under Market Street, they comprehend something splash in the pipe ahead.Whats that? said Babd. They stopped.Something pattered by in the pipe they were approaching.What was that? What was that? asked Nemain, who couldnt see past her sisters.Looked like a squirrel in a ball gown, said Babd. But Im shaky and could be delusional.And an idiot, said Macha. It was a hold soul. Get it We can heal Nemains leg with it.Macha and Babd dropped their unidexter sister and surged forward toward the junction, just as the Boston terrier stepped into their path.The Morrigan backpedaling in the pipe sounded like cats tearing lace. Whoa, whoa, whoa, chanted Macha, what was left of her claws raking the pipe to ba ck up.Bummer yapped out a cutting tattoo of threat, then bolted down the pipe after the Morrigan.New plan, new plan, new plan, said Babd.I hate get acrosss, said Macha.They snagged their sister as they passed her.We, the goddesses of death, who will soon command the all under darkness, are fleeing a tiny red hot, said Nemain.So whats your point, hoppie? said Macha.Over in the Fillmore, Carrie Lang had closed her pawnshop for the night and was waiting for some jewelry shed interpreted in that day to finish in the ultrasonic unsullied so she could put it in the expose theatrical role. She wanted to finish and get out of there, go home and have dinner, then perchance go out for a couple of hours. She was thirty-six and single, and felt an indebtedness to go out, just on the off regain that she might meet a nice guy, even though shed kind of stay home and watch shame shows on TV. She prided herself on not seemly cynical. A pawnbroker, like a unloosen bondsman, tends to see people at their worst, and every day she fought the idea that the last powerful guy had become a drummer or a crackhead.Lately she didnt want to go out because of the strange stuff shed been seeing and hearing out on the street creatures scurrying in the shadows, whispers coming from the storm drains staying at home was looking split all the time. Shed even started bringing her five-year-old crop out hound, lightsome, to work with her. He really wasnt a lot of protection, unless an attacker happened to be less than knee-high, but he had a shouted bark, and there was a good chance that he might actually bark at a bad guy, as long he wasnt carrying a go after biscuit. As it turned out, the creatures who were invading her shop that evening were less than knee-high.Carrie had been a end Merchant for nine years, and after adjusting to the sign shock about the whole phenomenon of transfer of souls subsided (which only took about four years), shed taken to it like it was just ano ther part of the business, but she knew from The Great Big Book of Death that something was going on, and it had her spooked.As she went to the front of the store to crank the security shutters down, she heard something move behind her in the dark, something low, back by the guitars. It brushed a low E-string as it passed and the note vibrated like a warning. Carrie stopped cranking the shutters and checked that she had her keys with her, in quality she needed to run through the front door. She unsnapped the holster of her. 38 revolver, then thought, What the hell, Im not a cop, and drew the apparatus, training it on the cool it-sounding guitar. A cop she had dated years ago had talked her into carrying the Smith & Wesson when she was working the store, and although shed never had to attractiveness it before, she knew that it had been a deterrent to thieves.Cheerful? she called.She was answered by some shuffling in the back room. Why had she turned most of the lights out? The sw itches were in the back room, and she was moving by the case lights, which cast almost no light at the floor, where the noises were coming from.I have a gun, and I know how to use it, she said, feeling stupid even as the words came out of her mouth.This time she was answered by a muffled whimper. CheerfulShe ducked under the lift gate in the counter and ran to the back room, fanning the area with her side arm the way she saw them do in cop shows. Another whimper. She could just make out Cheerful, lying in his popular spot by the back door, but there was something around his paws and muzzle. Duct tape.She reached out to turn on the lights and something hit her in the back of the knees. She essay to twist around and something thumped her in the chest, setting her off balance. sharply claws raked her wrists as she fell and she lost her bag on the revolver. She hit her head on the doorjamb, setting off what seemed like a strobe light in her head, then something hit her in the back o f the neck, hard, and everything went black.It was notwithstanding dark when she came to. She couldnt tell how long shed been out, and she couldnt move to look at her watch. Oh my God, theyve broken my neck, she thought. She saw objects moving past her, each glowing dull red, barely illuminating any(prenominal) was carrying them tiny skeletal faces fangs, and claws and dead, empty eye sockets. The soul vessels appeared to be floating across the floor, with a carrion puppet escort. Then she felt claws, the creatures, touching her, moving under her. She tried to scream, but her mouth had been taped shut.She felt herself being lifted, then made out the shape of the back door of her shop opening as she was carried through it, only a foot or so off the floor. Then she was hoisted nearly upright, and she felt herself falling into a dark abyss.They found the back door to the pawnshop open and the basset hound taped up in the corner. Rivera checked the shop with his weapon drawn and a fl ashlight in one hand, then called Charlie in from the highway when he found no one there.Charlie turned on the shop lights as he came in. Uh-oh, he said.What? Rivera said.Charlie pointed to a demo case with the glass broken out. This case is where she displayed her soul vessels. It was nearly full when I was in here now, wellRivera looked at the empty case. Dont touch anything. Whatever happened here, I dont think it was the same perp who hit the other shopkeepers.Why? Charlie looked back to the back room, to the intimidate basset hound.Because of him, Rivera said. You dont tie up the frank if youre going to slaughter the people and cease blood and body parts everywhere. Thats not the same kind of mentality.Maybe she was tie him up when they surprised her, Charlie said. She kind of had the look of a lady cop.Yeah, and all cops are into dog bondage, is that what youre saying? Rivera holstered his weapon, pulled a penknife from his pocket, and went to where the basset hound was squirming on the floor.No, Im not. Sorry. She did have a gun, though.She must have been here, Rivera said. Otherwise the alarms would have been set. Whats that on that doorjamb? He was sawing through the duct tape on the bassets paws, being careful not to cut him. He nodded toward the doorway from the shop to the back room.Blood, Charlie said. And a little hair.Rivera nodded. That blood on the floor there, too? Dont touch.Charlie looked at a three-inch lay down to the left of the door. Yep, I think so.Rivera had the bassets paws excess and was kneeling on him to hold him still while he took the tape off his muzzle. Those tracks in it, dont smear them. What are they, uncomplete shoe prints?Look like bird-feet prints. Chickens maybe?No. Rivera released the basset, who immediately tried to jump on the inspectors Italian dress fiddle and lick his face in celebration. He held the basset hound by the check and moved to where Charlie was examining the tracks.They do look like chicken tracks, he said.Yep, Charlie said. And you have dog bilgewater on your jacket.I need to call this in, Charlie.So dog drool is the determining factor in occupation in backup?Forget the dog drool. The dog drool is not relevant. I need to report this and I need to call my partner in. Hell be laden that Ive waited this long. I need to take you home.If you cant get the stain out of that thousand-dollar suit jacket, youll think its relevant.Focus, Charlie. As soon as I can get another unit here, Im sending you home. You have my cell. Let me know if anything happens. Anything.Rivera called the dispatcher on his cell phone and asked him to send a uniform unit and the crime-scene squad as soon as they were available. When he snapped the phone shut, Charlie said, So Im not under arrest anymore?No. Stay in touch. And stay safe, okay? You might even want to conk a few nights outside of the City.I cant. Im the Luminatus, I have responsibilities.But you dont know what they are Just becaus e I dont know what they are doesnt mean I dont have them, Charlie said, perhaps a little too defensively.And youre sure you dont know how many of these Death Merchants are in the City, or where they might be?Minty Fresh said there was at least a dozen, thats all I know. This woman and the guy in the Mission were the only ones I uneven on my walks.They heard a car pull up in the passage and Rivera went to the back door and signaled to the officers, then turned to Charlie. You go home and get some sleep, if you can, Charlie. Ill be in touch.Charlie let the furnish police officer lead him to the patrol car and help him into the back, then waved to Rivera and the basset hound as the patrol car backed out of the alley.