Page 80 of Cold, Cold Bones
“Worried about what, darlin’?”
Darling?
“Katy seemed nervous the last time I saw her. And she isnotthe nervous type.”
“Nervous why?”
“Some guy’s hassling her.”
“That it?”
“She said he was weird.”
“Weird be the name of the game on the streets.”
As I told him an abridged version of the story—the army, Afghanistan, Katy’s compassion for vets, her volunteer service at the shelter, the creepy guy popping up in odd places—Eldon swirled the dregs in his cup. When I stopped talking, he continued swirling. I suspected the dreaded blow-off was coming my way.
Eldon signaled for a refill. Karlene served us both. He thanked her. She was also darlin’.
“You thinkin’ this stalker be Winky?”
“Why would you ask me that?”
Eldon shrugged. “Winky has his moods. How this man be lookin’?”
That took me a moment to decipher.
“Rough.”
“That it?”
“My daughter said he occasionally eats at the shelter but never sleeps there.”
Eldon nodded slowly.
“I think I know who be causing your girl hassle.”
“Really?”
“I ain’t giving no names. Don’t ask that.”
“Where can I find him?”
Again, the bony shoulders lifted and dropped. “The man I’m thinking, he won’t go the night without drink, so he can’t stay at the shelter. He just sorta drift in and out.” Emphasizing the last with a wavelike movement of his free hand.
“Have you spent any time with this man?”
“Don’t want to.”
“Why not?”
“I avoid folks take joy in bringing others down. Nuh, huh. Done with that. Life be a short course and I’m nearing the finish line.”
“Why does this man bring you down?”
Eldon set his mug on the table. The bloodshot eyes met mine.
“He sometimes be mean as a wharf rat.”
