'A client. I never could play one for diddly-squat, though. You want it?'
'Do I?'
'It's yours. I hate to use it for a fly swatter.'
He corded the neck and ran his thumbnail across the strings.
'Wow, what a sound. Mr Holland, I'll make this right with you.'
'Don't worry about it. Look, those kids who tore up y'all's lawn?'
'My father and me fixed it. I don't care about kids like that.'
'Listen to me. I don't know why anyone would…' I shook my head and started over. 'Maybe they have too much money, maybe they're just mean, but it's important you understand what and who you are… Sometimes we look at the reflection in other people's eyes and that's who we think we are and the truth is we're a whole lot better than that.'
'You're a good guy, Mr Holland. But I don't want to talk about this.'
'Suit yourself. But you're an artist, the honest-to-God real article, Lucas. Some people will always envy and hate you for the talent you have.'
He turned the guitar over in his hands and felt the polished mahogany and walnut belly and the spruce soundboard.
'It's funny, I seen one just like this in Ella Mae's pawnshop. She wanted three hundred dollars for it,' he said.
'No kidding?'
His gaze wandered over my face, then he looked out the window at a man in cream-colored slacks and a tropical hat walking toward the poolroom.
'There's the guy I'm meeting,' Lucas said.
'Felix Ringo? He's the guy talking to you about a job?'
'Yeah, I told you about him. He's got a furniture factory down in Piedras Negras.'
'He's a Mexican drug agent.'
'Yeah. He's
got a furniture business, too.'
'Wait here.'
I got out of the Avalon and approached the man named Felix Ringo. His expression was flat, his eyes registering me with the valuative pause of a predator waking from sleep.
'I don't know why, but you're running a game on the kid in my car. It stops here,' I said.
'You got some bad manners, man.'
'I'll say it once. Stay away from him.'
'I was at Fort Benning. The School of the Americas. I'm here with the permission of your government. I don't like to provoke nobody, but I don't got to take your shit.'
'Don't bet on it.'
'Hey, man, I got a good memory. I'm gonna remember where I seen your face. When I do, maybe you ain't gonna have a very good day.'
I stepped off the sidewalk and got back in my car. He remained under the colonnade, staring at Lucas. Then he jerked his head at him, motioning him inside.
'He's dirty, Lucas. It's something you can smell on a bad cop. He'll take you down with him,' I said.