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  BLUE BELLE

  Andrew Vachss

  FOR ABE, WHO I NEVER MET

  BUT HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN.

  AND FOR NATHAN, WHO I KNEW.

  TWO PIECES OF THE ROOT.

  WATCHING ME FROM SOMEPLACE

  ABOVE THE JUNKYARD.

  1

  Spring comes hard down here.

  The switchman was in the lotus position - serenely posed on an army blanket he had neatly folded into quarters before he assembled his tools and took up his post for the day. A black man with glowing bronze skin, hair falling straight and glossy down either side of his head like a helmet, framing a face that was mostly skull.

  He held a thick pad of graph paper open on his lap, carefully filling a page with finely shaded symbols - a covert calligraphy all his own. He didn't bother to hide his work from passing citizens. His half-smile said it all - the simple slugs thought him insane; they could never understand the difference between the messenger and the message.

  A pale-blue quilt covered his shoulders. He placed three identical blue china bowls on the blanket around him. To his right, the bowl sported a generous supply of fine-point felt-tip pens in different colors. The bowl on his left held a heavy Zippo cigarette lighter and some loose cigarettes - various brands. Directly in front was a bowl with some coins, encouraging the passing citizens to make a contribution to his mystical cause.

  He had long tapering fingers, clean and smooth, the nails manicured and covered with clear polish. I got a good look at his hands yesterday when I stopped to look over his shoulder and watch him work. He filled a quarter of the page with symbols, never using the same one twice, working in five separate colors, not acknowledging my presence. I helped myself to one of his cigarettes, lit it with his lighter. He never moved. I tossed some coins into his china bowl and moved on, smoking his cigarette. It tasted like it was about my age.

  I didn't need the polished nails to tell me he was the switchman. The neighborhood is full of halfway houses for discharged mental patient - they disgorge their cargo into the streets each morning, but this guy wasn't part of that herd. He wasn't talking to himself and he hadn't tried to tell me his story. And he didn't look afraid.

  The little piece of winter chill still hanging around in April didn't seem to bother him. He worked the same post every day - starting around eleven in the morning and staying on the job until about three. The switchman had a choice spot, always setting up his shop at the edge of a tiny triangle of dirt on West Broadway, between Reade and Chambers. The slab of dirt had a couple of broken backless benches and a runty tree that had been bonsai’ed by years of attention from pigeons, dogs, squirrels and winos. An alley without walls. Down in this part of the city, they call it a park.

  At eleven, he would still be in shadow, but the sun would make its move from the East River over to the Hudson past noon, and things would warm up. The switch-man never took the quilt from his shoulders.

  His patch of dirt was a border town: Wall Street was expanding its way up from the tip of Manhattan, on a collision course with the loft-dwelling yuppies from SoHo. Every square inch of space was worth something to somebody - and more to somebody else a few months later. The small factories were all being converted into coops. Even the river was disappearing as land-greed took builders farther and farther offshore; Battery Park City was spreading its branches into the void left when they tore down the overpass for the West Side Highway. Riverfront joints surrendered to nouvelle-cuisine bistros. The electronics stores that would sell you what you needed to build your own ham radio or tap your neighbor's phone gave way to sushi bars. Antique shops and storefront-sized art galleries shouldered in next to places that would sell you some vitamins or rent you a videotape.

  People have always lived down here. The neighborhood used to be a goddamned art colony – it produced more pottery than the whole Navajo nation. The hippies and the artists thought the winos added just the right touch of realism to their lives. But the new occupants are the kind who get preorgasmic when you whisper investment banking, and they didn't much care for local color. Locksmiths were riding the crest of a growth industry.

  The Superior Hotel entrance was around the corner on Chambers Street, with rooms extending all along West Broadway. Mine was on the top floor, facing out over the park. Seventy-five bucks a week bought me a swaybacked single bed on an iron frame, a ratty old easy chair worn down to the cotton padding on the arms, and a metal closet standing against the wall. The room was painted in some neutral-colored stuff that was about half disinfectant. A heavy length of vinyl-wrapped chain stood against the wall, anchored at one end to U-bolts driven into the floor. The other end stood open, padlocked to nothing, waiting patiently. I hadn't gone for the optional TV at only two bucks a day.

  Someone who had never lived in one might say the room looked like a prison cell. It didn't come close.

  Almost one in the afternoon. Into my third hour of watching, I shifted position in the chair, scanning the street with the wide-angle binoculars, watching the human traffic flow around the switchman. A young woman strolled by with her boyfriend. Her hair was dyed four different colors, standing up in stiff spikes, stabbing the air every time she moved her head. Her hand was in the back pocket of her boyfriend's jeans. He looked straight ahead, not saying a word. A biker rolled up to a tobacco-colored Mercedes parked at the corner. The car's window slid down and the biker put his head and hands inside. He wasn't there long. The Mercedes and the biker went their separate ways. A young woman about the same age as the one with the spiked hair tapped her business-length heel impatiently on the curb, holding a leather briefcase that doubled as a purse, wearing a pinstriped skirt and jacket over a white blouse with a dark-red bow for a tie. Winos stretched out in the sun, sprawled across the benches - passengers on a cruise ship in permanent drydock. A diesel dyke cruised into view, her arm braced around the neck of a slender, longhaired girl, her bicep flexed to display a bold tattoo. I was too far away to read it, but I knew what it said: hard to the core.

  Still no sign of the target. I had followed him for three weeks straight, charting every step of his lunchtime route. The calligrapher on the blanket had to be the switchman - it was the only stop the target always made. I rotated my head gently on the column of my neck, working out the stiffness, keeping my eyes on the street. Invisible inside the shadows of my room, I lit another cigarette, cupping the wooden match to hide the flare, and went back to waiting. It's what I do best.

  CONTENTS

  2

  I was working in a dead-end hotel, but I'd gotten the job in the back seat of a limousine. The customer was a Wall Street lawyer. He dressed the part to perfection, but he didn't have enough mileage on his clock to make it seem like sitting in a hundred-thousand-dollar taxi was an everyday thing for him.

  It took quite a while for you to get back to me, Mr. Burke, he said, trying for a tone that would tell me he wasn't a man used to waiting for what he wanted. I reached out for you yesterday morning.

  I didn't say anything. I'm not in the phone book. You have to have a phone of your own to qualify for that. The lawyer had called one of the pay phones in the back of Mama Wong's restaurant. Mama always answers the same way: Mr. Burke not here, okay? You leave message, okay? If the caller says anything else, asks more question - whatever - Mama just runs through the same cycle. She says it enough times, the caller gets the message: If it's not okay with you, it's too fucking bad.

  The lawyer tried another ice-breaker. My firm has a problem, Mr. Burke, and I was told you might be the ideal individual to assist us.

  I shrugged my shoulders slightly, telling him to get on with it. He wasn't in a hurry -that's the problem with paying guys by the hour.

  Is there any particula
r reason why we had to meet out here? he wanted to know, gesturing toward the Hudson River with an impatient sweep of his hand. He had a nice watch. Pretty cuff links.

  Who gave you my number? I asked, stepping on his question.

  The lawyer swallowed his annoyance, reminding himself he wasn't speaking with an equal. Time to put me in my place. Do I have to say anything more than 'Mr. C.'? he asked, smiling.

  Yes, I said.

  He looked honestly puzzled. Since he was a lawyer, only part of that could be accurate. I thought that would be enough. I was given to understand that a recommendation from Mr. C. would be all that you would require.

  Give the understanding back, pal. And tell me who gave you my number.

  I told you.

  You saying Mr. C. spoke to you? I asked him, watching his face.

  The number came from him, he said, answering questions the way a lawyer does.

  Have a nice day, I said, reaching behind me for the door handle.

  Wait a minute! he snapped, putting his hand on my sleeve.

  You don't want to do that, I told him.

  He jerked his hand away, sliding into his speech. I can explain whatever is necessary, Mr. Burke. Please don't be impatient. He shifted position on the soft gray leather seat, pushed a button, and watched proudly as the padded wall between us and the driver opened to reveal a well-stocked bar. Can I get you a drinj?

  No, I told him, taking a single cigarette from my jacket. I put it in my mouth, reached the same hand back inside for a match. I kept the other hand in my pocket, where it had been since I climbed in the limo. The gesture was wasted on him.

  Would you mind opening the window if you're going to smoke? . . . I’m allergic.

  I pushed the switch and the window whispered down, letting in the traffic noise from the West Side Highway. We were parked in the pocket between Vestry Street and where the highway forks near 14th. Cars went by, but not people. The limo had picked me up on Wall Street; I told the lawyer where I wanted to go, and he told the driver.

  I lit the cigarette, inhaled deeply, watching the lawyer.

  Those things will kill you, he said. A concerned citizen.

  No, they won't, I promised.

  He shrugged, using the gesture to say that some people are beyond educating. He was right, but not about me. He tried one more time. Mr. C. is a client of our firm. In the course of discussing . . . uh . . . other matters, he indicated that you might be better suited to our immediate purposes than a more . . . traditional private investigator. He glanced at my face, waiting for a reaction. When he realized he'd have a long time to wait, he shifted gears and rolled ahead. Mr. C. gave us certain . . . uh . . . assurances concerning your sense of discretion, Mr. Burke. His tone of voice made it into a question.

  I drew on my cigarette. The breeze from the open window at my back pushed the smoke toward his allergic face.

  The lawyer slid a leather portfolio onto his lap, deftly opened it into a mini-desk, tapped a yellow legal pad with the tip of a gold ballpoint to get my attention. Why don't I write a figure down, Mr. Burke. You take a quick look, tell me if you're interested. Without waiting for an answer, he slowly wrote 10,000 in large numbers. Reverently, like he was engraving a stone tablet. He raised his eyebrows in another question.

  For what? I asked him.

  Our firm has a . . . uh . . . confidentiality problem, Mr. Burke. We occupy a rather unique position, interfacing, as we say, between the business, financial, and legal arenas. Necessarily, information crosses our desk, so to speak. Information that has a short but exceedingly valuable life. Are you following me?

  I nodded, but the lawyer wasn't going to take my word for it. You're certain?

  Yeah, I replied, bored with this. Yuppies didn't invent insider trading - information is always worth something to somebody. I was scamming along the tightrope between prison and the emergency ward while this guy was still kissing ass to get into law school.

  The lawyer stroked his chin. Another gesture. Telling me he was making a decision. The decision never had been his to make, and we both knew it.

  Somebody in our firm has been . . . profiting from information. Information that has come to us in our fiduciary capacity. Are you following me?

  I just nodded, waiting.

  We know who this person is. And we've retained the very best professionals to look into the matter for us. Specialists in industrial espionage. People who are capable of checking things we wouldn't want to use a subpoena for. Still with me?

  Sure.

  We know who it is, like I said. But we have been unable to establish a case against him. We don't know how he moves the information. And we don't know to whom he passes it.

  You checked his bank accounts, opened his mail, tapped his phones . . . all that, right?

  Now it was the lawyer's turn to nod, moving his head a reluctant two inches.

  Telegrams, visitors to the office, carrier pigeons . . . ?

  He nodded again, unsmiling.

  How much time would he have between getting the information and making use of it?

  Ah, you do understand, Mr. Burke. That's exactly the problem. We deal with extremely sensitive issues. Nothing on paper. In a normal insider-trading situation, a profiteer would have a minimum of several days to make his move. But in our situation, he would have to act within a few hours - no longer than close of business on the same day the information comes in.

  And you've had him under surveillance every day for a while?

  He nodded.

  Drawing a blank?

  He nodded again.

  You call in the federales ?

  That wouldn't be our chosen scenario for this situation. The firm itself has its own interests, as well as the obligation to protect our clients. Perhaps you don't understand some of the complexities of our profession. . .

  I gave him the closest thing to a smile I ever give citizens. I'd never heard the laundry business called a profession before.

  Why doh't you just fire him?

  We can't do that. He's a very well connected young man. Besides, our clients will demand some actual proof of his guilt before taking any action. They were very insistent on that, for some reason.

  Sure. The clients wanted to make damn sure the problem was going to get solved for good. The only time humans like that are interested in the truth is when a mistake will cost them money.

  What do you want from me?

  We want you to find out how this individual gets the information out. And we want proof. Something we can show our clients.

  And the only time he could possibly pass this along is during business hours?

  Yes. Without question. After that . . . it wouldn't be of value to him or anyone else.

  I lit another cigarette, thinking it through. It sounded like they had the wrong guy. Maybe the clients were setting them up. Maybe this lawyer was the one doing the stealing. It wasn't my problem. Money was. Always is.

  The only time I could watch him would be when he leaves the building, right?

  Yes. Inside the building, he's completely covered.

  A grand a day. Until I find out how he does it or you call me off. Another ten if I get the proof for you.

  Mr. Burke, with all due respect, that's triple the rate charged by the finest security firms. And you'll only be working a couple of hours each day.

  In cash. In front. Nothing bigger than fifties. No consecutive serial numbers. No new bills, I told him. You know how it's done.

  The lawyer looked at me, watching my face for the first time since I'd climbed into the limo. What makes you worth so much?

  Ask Mr. C., I suggested.

  He dropped his eyes. We won't need you every day. Just those days when something comes in. We'll call as soon as . . .

  No.

  I don't understand.

  I need to work this guy every day, okay? I need to know him. I need to know when he's changed his pattern. You don't need to call me when the information come
s in. I watch this guy long enough, I'll know .

  That could take weeks . . .

  I nodded agreement. Maybe longer. Who knows? I probably won't get him the first time he moves anyway. Depends on when you get something for him to trade.

  And you may not get him at all?

  And I may not get him at all.

  The lawyer pretended to think it over. Maybe he was better at pretending to be honest. We need to get started on this. This is Friday; could you be on the job Monday?

  Sure.

  All right, Mr. Burke. I am prepared to pay you one thousand dollars in cash right now. For Monday's work. In advance, as you requested. We will meet each evening - you'll give me your report and we will decide if you are to continue.

  I just shook my head. Why they sent this fool to do business with me was a mystery: he was a pin-striped shark, but he couldn't bite people who never went near the water.

  You have another suggestion?

  Yeah, pal. Here's my suggestion. You hand me twenty thousand dollars, like we agreed. Okay? That buys you twenty days, unless I pull it off quicker. I pull it off before ten days, you get a refund. Nothing jumps off in twenty days, we meet and see what you want to do. Got it?

  That's outrageous, the lawyer said, his face a halfstep out of sync with his words. You expect me to just . . .

  I'm tired of this. I'm tired of you. If Mr. C. really sent you out here to do business, you've got at least twenty large in that pretty briefcase of yours. And if you're a fucking little errand boy, go back and tell your boss that he sent the wrong messenger.

  He sat there, staring. I lit another cigarette. When this smoke is finished, so am I, I told him, waiting.

  The lawyer tried to smile. I'm no errand boy, he said, holding his head stiff. He opened another compartment in the briefcase. The money was neatly stacked, a paper baid around the fifty-dollar bills. He counted off twenty little 'tacks, tossing them contemptuously on the broad seat between us, making sure I could see there was plenty left in the briefcase.

  Telling me they would have paid more. That he had the last laugh.