Forty-Five

When Stuart finished making his call on Billy's phone, he was close to giddy.

"This is great!" he said to Lucy, who was sitting on the end of the motel room bed. "Fifty grand! Fifty grand they're gonna give me for it." He was shaking his head with wonder. "I started higher, and we bargained a little, and I'd have settled for twenty. But fifty? That's fantastic."

"You're crazy," Lucy said.

"No, no, this is brilliant," Stuart said. He suddenly became serious, pulled over a chair to the foot of the bed, turned it around, and sat on it backward, facing Lucy. "I need to talk to you about something."

She waited.

"I know you've always kind of thought of me as an asshole."

"I never said that."

"It's okay, I get it, you don't have to admit anything. But there's more to me than what you've seen. I've got dreams, too. All sorts of potential. Billy didn't see it and you didn't see it, but it's there. I can do big things. And this, what's happening now, this is my big chance to get started. To show everybody that Stuart Betz isn't some dipshit do-nothing. Hear what I'm saying?"

"I guess," Lucy whispered.

"You and I have something in common. Guess what it is?"

"I can't."

"We were both treated like shit by Billy. He ever share any of his riches with you?" He didn't need an answer. He could read her face. "Exactly. Kept it all to himself, spent it all on his stupid fucking car. Same with me, and I was his friend. He was selfish. It was all about him. You get what I'm saying?"

"I suppose," Lucy said.

"But I'm not like that. When I give them the goods and get my money, I'm sharing it. I'm sharing it with you, Lucy."

"I don't want any of that money."

"No, listen." He took a deep breath, getting ready to bare his soul, checked his watch, then said, "The thing is, Lucy, I've always really liked you."

The look on her face did not suggest this was welcome news.

"Don't freak out. I'm not going to get all stalker-like on you. I'm just saying I always liked you, and admired you. The kind of work you do, helping people in the hospital, and—"

"I work in a cafeteria. I make Jell-O."

"Yeah, but that's helping. People have to eat, right? And I always admired how you stood by Billy even when he was treating you like shit. That says something about your character. Now that he's gone, you need someone to look after you."

"Look after me?"

He nodded. "I mean, why are you here? Why were you wandering around all night? Because you were scared, right? You're scared of the cops. You're scared of those people who killed Billy. But you can't go to the police because you were selling stuff from the shipment. You knew what Billy was up to. That would kind of make you an accomplice, right?"

"I'm no accomplice."

"Well, I guess that would be for a lawyer to argue, and my law degree is still in the mail. But you're kind of in limbo, right?"

She listened.

"So you'll have to go on the run, at least for a while, till things cool down. And that's not easy. Because you've got no money, and you can't go to an ATM or use your Visa. But, see, that's where I'm going to help you out. When I get that fifty grand from those assholes, we're golden. That money, that's for both of us, you understand? I'm not going to pull a Billy on you and keep it all to myself. I'm going to share it with you. And when we get it, we're going to get out of town and hide out someplace nice. You with me?"

Lucy hadn't said anything for a long time. Finally, she said, "You're totally batshit."

"No, no, I've got it all worked out." He looked at his watch again.

"They'll kill you. Just like they killed Billy."

He shook his head vigorously and smiled. "I got a plan for that." He went over to the motel desk, opened the drawer, and brought out a gun.

"Oh Jesus," Lucy said. When she was over the initial shock, she said, "Is that Billy's?"

Stuart nodded. "It was on the floor. I grabbed it." He smiled. "Pretty smart, huh?"

"What if that's the gun they killed him with? And the cops find you with it? How do you think that's gonna go?"

Stuart's smile vanished. "I hadn't thought— No, it doesn't matter, because once we have the money and we're out of here, I'll get rid of it. Won't need it anymore. I just need it for when we do the swap. Need this to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"They'll shoot you the second they see you," she said.

"That's where you're wrong. I'm not going to be the one doing the handover."

Lucy's eyes narrowed. "No way," she said. "I'm not going face-to-face with the fuckers who killed Billy."

"Don't worry," Stuart said, looking at his watch yet again. "It's not going to be like that. You don't have to do anything but stay here and hold down the fort and wait for me to come back. When I do, everything's going to be okay."

"I don't want any part of this."

Stuart couldn't hide the hurt on his face. "Okay," he said, a sudden brusqueness in his voice. He set the gun on top of the desk. "There's the door."

"What?"

"Just go. You don't want my help, you don't want to be a part of this, then go. I'm sure you'll be fine. I'll keep the fifty grand all to myself. Just keep your eye out, that's all. The police are looking for you, and those drug dealers are looking for you. But, sure, handle it on your own."

Lucy looked at the door, back to Stuart, and back to the door.

"You decide," he said, and tapped his watch. "I gotta go see somebody."