Close Out (17 page)

Kai took a deep breath and let it out
slowly. He could feel butterflies in his stomach. He would have preferred taking off on a twenty-five-footer at Mavericks to setting foot in that place again. Or maybe it wasn't setting foot in the shop that bothered him. Maybe it was having to ask the Alien Frog Beast for his sketches back.

He crossed the street, pushed open the door, and went in. Unlike the last time he'd been in the shop, the shelves and racks weren't bursting with merchandise. The knockoff sweatshirts on the shelves were piled only two or three high, and the garments displayed on the racks had empty hangers between them. Kai knew the signs. The end of August was here, and his father had no intention of restocking. Instead he planned to sell everything he could, and then take off leaving as many unpaid bills as possible.

Inside, his father was at his customary perch at the counter near the cash register, reading the newspaper and smoking a cigarette. When Kai came in, the Alien Frog Beast looked up and adjusted his square-framed glasses. “Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.”

“How's it going?” Kai asked.

“Pretty good, actually,” his father said. “Looks like we still did okay this summer, no thanks to that son of a bitch Buzzy Frank.”

“Oh, right, the guy who actually made you pay your rent for once,” Kai said, realizing too late that he'd made a mistake.

Pat's face hardened. “What do you want?”

“The color sketches I did for the logo you never used,” Kai said.

“Why?”

“Someone wants to see them,” said Kai.

“What for? They can't use that logo,” Pat said.

“They just want to see what I can do.”

Pat gazed at him for a moment silently and drummed his fingers against the glass counter. “I threw 'em out.”

“Give me a break,” Kai said. “You never throw anything out.”

“Why should I give them to you?” his father asked.

“Maybe because I'm your son, and believe it or not, most fathers try to help their sons.”

“What did you ever do for me?” the Alien Frog Beast asked.

“I worked for you for two years,” Kai said.

“So?” his father said. “I put a roof over your head and fed you.”

“Look,” Kai said. “I never asked you for anything. I helped you with your scams. I'm sure I helped you make a lot of money that you've got stashed in safe-deposit boxes all over. All I'm asking for is a couple of sketches that you never wanted in the first place.”

Pat glanced toward the back of the store. Kai wondered if he was making sure Sean wasn't listening. Then he motioned Kai closer. “Listen, that loser brother of yours isn't worth squat. At least you knew what to do without me having to tell you every damn little thing. Tell you what. You come back to work for me, and I'll make it worth your while. I'll give you a cut of the profits. Only you can't tell Sean, understand?”

Kai didn't understand. “Profits from this place?”

His father shook his head. “No, the next place. I'm thinking about New Orleans. Great city. Great tourist trap. I think we could do some good business there this winter.”

“No, thanks,” said Kai.

“I'm talking about real money,” his father said.

“You're talking about another scam,” Kai said. “I told you that's not my life anymore.”

The Alien Frog Beast stiffened. “Oh, yeah, you're a hotshot surfer now. You're too good for that.”

“Look, I don't want to remind you how many times you told me that you never wanted me in the first place,” Kai said. “Truth is, I didn't exactly want you, either. But we got thrown together and you helped me out and I helped you out. I don't want to argue over who got a better deal, okay? And I also don't want to call up the credit card company and tell them how you run ten blanks off every foreign card that comes into this place. Because I have a feeling that might really put a dent in your profits. So just let me have the sketches, and then I'll get out of here and you'll never have to worry about feeding me or putting a roof over my head again.”

Pat jerked his thumb toward the back room. “Your sketches are probably in there. Take 'em and get lost. You're right. I never wanted you in the first place and as far as I'm concerned, I hope I never see you again.”

Kai went into the back. His half brother, Sean, was hunched over the computer, playing a game. He looked up at Kai and blinked in astonishment. “Hey!”

“How're you doing?” Kai clasped his hand.

“I don't know. Okay, I guess. How about you?”

“Getting by,” Kai said.

“You come back?” There was a trace of hopefulness in the question.

“Just to get some sketches.” The room looked like a garbage dump, the floor covered with candy wrappers and empty take-out bags, the other flat surfaces piled with unused transfers, odd unsold garments, box cutters, and tape. Kai went over to the desk and started to go through the piles of unopened letters and unpaid bills. The sketches had to be around there somewhere.

Sean's shoulders slumped. “You're not staying?”

“Sorry, dude.”

Kai's half brother made a face and leaned close to him. “You sure you don't want to change your mind? He's been such a bastard since you left. I mean, he's
always
been a bastard, but it's gotten way worse. Yells at me all the time. Always telling me I'm useless. I can't stand it anymore.”

“You want to come with me?” Kai asked.

Sean's eyes widened with surprise and uncertainty. “Where?”

“I don't know,” Kai said. “Maybe we'll just stay here. We could find a cheap place to live and get jobs.”

Sean's forehead bunched up. “Gee, I don't know. Just you and me by ourselves?”

“Sean, seriously, how old are you?”

“Uh, twenty-two.”

“Isn't it time?” Kai asked. “I mean, you don't have to take his crap anymore.”

Sean bit his lip. “I don't know.”

“Think about it, okay?” Kai kept searching until he found the sketches under a pile of transfers.

“So that's it?” Sean asked. “You're just gonna go?”

“Like I said, you're welcome to come with me,” Kai said. “I know some nice people in town. I think we'd be okay.”

Sean looked at the door that led to the front of the store, then back at Kai. “I … I don't know.”

“You don't have to decide now,” Kai said. “If you go down to the beach there's a jetty. A lot of people surf there. If I'm not there, just ask around. Someone'll know where to find me.”

Sean nodded mutely. Kai felt bad. His half brother wasn't evil like the Alien Frog Beast. He was just a guy who'd been beaten down so badly that he no longer knew who he was or what he was capable of. Kai patted him on the shoulder. “Think about it, Sean. I think we could be okay. I really do.”

“Y
ou're kidding me,” Bean grumbled. “I mean, you've
really
got to be joking.”

It was just after sunset, and they were sitting in the hearse on the street outside Tuck's Hardware. In the back of the hearse were six of the boards they'd taken back from Goldilocks.

“Bean, do you realize you've been saying that ever since I met you?” Kai said. “I mean, by now you've got to know the answer.”

“Yeah.” Bean nodded. “I guess I
know
the answer. It's
believing
the answer that I'm having a hard time with.”

“This is not a big deal,” Kai said. “All we have to do is take the boards up to Jade's apartment.”

“Oh, is that all?” Bean asked sarcastically.

“You don't have to stick around for the rest of it,” Kai said.

“Know what?” Bean said. “For once I'm going to take you up on that. As soon as we get these boards upstairs, I'm out of here.”

“No problem,” Kai said. He hesitated, then added. “There is just one other thing.”

“I knew it!” Bean shook his head wearily.

“When we're done, we're gonna have to bring the boards back down.”

“And?” Bean said suspiciously.

“Get the other ones and bring 'em back to Curtis.”

“And?” Bean said.

“That's all,” Kai said.

“Swear?” Bean asked.

“Swear,” said Kai.

One by one they carried the boards up the dimly lit stairs and into Jade's apartment.

“Why are we putting them in the bedroom?” Bean asked.

“It'll add to the element of surprise,” Kai answered.

“I bet,” Bean said. “You know, I'm starting to think you enjoy stuff like this. I mean, bringing bad guys to justice and all that.”

“Maybe I'm making up for past sins,” Kai said.

“Oh, yeah?” Bean perked up. “Tell me. I'm all ears.”

“Another time, okay?” Kai said.

“Where is Jade, anyway?” Bean asked when they'd finished getting the boards into the bedroom.

“She's preparing the turkey for the oven,” Kai said.

“You just better hope that turkey doesn't explode,” Bean said. “I'd hate to see you with gravy all over your face. No, forget that. What I'd really hate is to find you on my cadaver table in the embalming room tomorrow morning.”

“Time will tell,” Kai said. “But either way, thanks for the help.”

No sooner did Bean leave than Everett arrived with his camcorder.

“Thanks for coming, dude,” Kai said.

“No sweat,” said the dreadlocked black kid. “There is nothing lower than a surfboard thief, and nothing I'd like more than to help nail one.”

Kai led him into Jade's bedroom. Everett grinned when he saw Curtis's long boards spread out and propped up against the walls.
“This is funny. So where do you want the camera?”

“Someplace where he won't see it,” said Kai. “We just need to get a clear shot of him in the doorway with good sound. You sure there's gonna be enough light?”

“No problem as long as we keep the lights on.” Everett looked around the room and pointed at a tall bureau in the corner. On top of the bureau was a collection of plastic and metallic lipstick tubes and makeup kits. “I'll put it there and duck behind the bureau.”

Everett had just finished setting up the digital camcorder when Kai heard the door open downstairs. “It's them,” he said.

Kai left the bedroom door open about an inch so he could hear what was happening in the other room. Everett crouched down behind the bureau. Kai reclined in a chair. He heard the front door to the apartment open.

“Hey, nice place,” said Dave McAllister, the chairman of Sun Haven Surf's board room. His words sounded sloppy. Kai had suggested to Jade that she encourage him to have a few drinks before they came back to her place.

“Thanks,” said Jade. “So, can I get you something?”

“You know what I want,” Big Dave said.

Real smooth,
Kai thought with a silent groan. He was going to owe Jade big-time after this.

“Okay, okay,” Jade said. Kai could picture her trying to fight him off. “Not here. Let's go into the bedroom.”

“Yeah!” Big Dave practically shouted with glee.

The bedroom door swung open. Jade came in and immediately stepped to the side, so that her visitor would have a clear view of Kai in the chair. A split second later Dave appeared in the doorway. When he saw Kai and the surfboards his mouth fell open, and his eyes practically popped out of his head. Kai sure hoped Everett was getting all this on the camcorder.

“Hey, Dave, how're you doing?” Kai asked with a friendly smile.

“Wha—What is this? What are these boards doing here?” Dave sputtered. His eyes fell on Kai. “What the hell are
you
doing here?”

“Recognize these boards?” Kai asked.

“I … uh…. No, never saw them before in my life.”

“That's not what Albert Hines says,” Kai said. “He says you broke into Curtis Ames's shed and stole these boards and then sold them all to him.”

Big Dave turned pale. “He told you that?”

“Come on, Dave,” Kai said. “How else could I have gotten the boards?”

“Oh, shit.” Dave turned pale.

“Personally, I don't get it,” Kai said. “You don't seem like the kind of guy who goes around stealing another man's quiver.”

“I—I didn't want to,” Dave stammered, his shoulders sloping down. “Buzzy made me.”

“Buzzy?” Kai pretended to be surprised. “Why would Buzzy do that?”

“To fuck with Curtis's head because he wants the old guy out of here something fierce,” Dave said. “He said I should just get rid of them, but I couldn't do it.”

“'Cause you wanted the money,” Kai said.

“No, man, I just couldn't destroy these boards. They're too fricken beautiful. I mean, I sold them to Albert for a song. I didn't even want the money. I just couldn't trash 'em, and I didn't know what else to do.” Dave looked like he was going to cry. “Aw, crap, man, what am I gonna do now? If Buzzy finds out I
didn't get rid of these boards he's gonna can my sorry ass.”

“I don't think so,” Kai said.

Dave raised his head, surprised. “Why not?”

“Because it was Buzzy who told you to break into Curtis's shed and take them in the first place, right?”

“Yeah. So what?”

“So if Buzzy gives you any trouble, you can tell everyone it was his idea,” Kai said.

“Oh, sure, like they'd believe me,” Dave scoffed. “Fricken Buzzy Frank is Mr. Sun Haven himself. No one's gonna believe me over him. Not in a million years.”

“You might be surprised.”

Dave seemed to get hold of himself. His eyebrows dropped. “How'd you say you got these boards?”

“I said I got them from Albert,” Kai said.