door. “Janie, it’s Stella. Let us in.” The lock clicked open and Janie stood there shaking.
“Are you sure it’s the same guy?” Ernie asked.
“Positive.”
Paul put his hand on the doorknob. “I’m going to waste him.”
“Hold on, man.” Stella stepped in front of the door, blocking him in. “You waste him and you might as well say goodbye now ’cause you’ll be doing time until your kid grows a beard.”
“I’m not going to get busted.”
Stella shook his head. “You got ‘busted’ written all over your goddamn face.”
Janie looked at Paul. “Don’t go.”
Ernie lit a cigarette and sat down on the desk. “So what are we going to do? I don’t want some freak coming around fucking up the women.”
“I have an idea.” Stella looked at Paul. “You got any of that acid?”
“What the fuck for? I’m not wasting perfectly good acid – ”
“Hear me out.” Stella looked at Janie. “Let’s say we dose him. Dose him good and take him for a ride. Let his karma catch up with him out there in the dark.”
“It’s not on tabs. It’s liquid 25.” Paul shook his head. “He’s going to get off like a rocket.”
“It’s kind of perfect.” Ernie smiled. “You remember Willy? Far as I know he’s still in the nuthouse from a bad trip back in ’72. His old lady was giving him a blowjob and he started freaking out thinking she was a cannibal. He put her in a fucking coma and tried to burn down their house.”
Stella looked at Janie. “What do you say Janie?”
Janie nodded. “Let’s do it.”
PAUL CARRIED A glass of beer laced with a dropper full of LSD 25 to the guy’s table. “Hey man, the woman at the bar said to give you this.” Paul motioned to Delores and put the beer in front of him.
The guy looked at Delores and nodded. “Far out.”
Paul sipped at his beer and sat down. “I’m Paul.”
“Name’s Larry.” Larry stared at Amber as she spread and re-spread her long tanned legs at the edge of the stage. “Man, I’d like to get me some of that.” He picked up his beer and took a drink.
“So, what’s your gig, Larry?” Behind his shades Paul’s eyes narrowed. Liquid acid was a fast rush. Any minute this dude was going into orbit.
“I deliver parts for Rock’s Auto. It’s not bad.” Larry took a longer pull off the beer, downing half.
Paul waved Ernie over to the table. “I’m into delivery myself.”
“Oh yeah?” Larry rubbed his eyes. A red flush crept up his neck and over his face. “What do you deliver?”
Amber held her breasts in her hands and licked her lips, squatting down in front of Paul.
Ernie made his way to the table through the crowd.
“Altered states of consciousness.” Paul sipped his beer. “You okay, Larry? Not feeling too good? Maybe you need some air.”
“What was in that beer?”
Ernie clamped a hand on Larry’s shoulder and lifted him from the chair.“ You’ve had enough for one night, pal. Come on. Out you go. Give me a hand, Paul.”
Paul and Ernie muscled Larry through the crowd and out into the night.
STELLA WATCHED AS Paul and Ernie walked the guy through the bar as if he was a regular drunk they were 86ing. After the door closed behind them, Stella went back to the office. He knocked twice. Janie had her jacket on and clutched it tight, holding on to the edge of the world.
“You sure you want to come, Janie? It won’t change anything.”
“I don’t care. Let’s go.”
Stella and Janie were in his car. Paul drove the guy’s white van. Stella couldn’t see anyone in the passenger seat. He hoped Paul hadn’t done anything stupid. Paul had a short fuse and he usually carried a piece in his pocket. Stella pulled out first and Paul followed in the van.
Janie stared straight ahead.
Stella drove out to the tree farm where he’d found Janie’s stuff after the night that brought her into his life. He wished it had never happened for her sake, but she wouldn’t be living with him if it hadn’t. The drive seemed to go on forever before he reached a rutted logging road and the spot where he assumed she’d been raped, though she’d never said and he’d never asked. He stopped the car. Showtime.
Stella reached across the seat and squeezed Janie’s hand. “You ready?”
She nodded and opened her door, swinging her legs out.
Paul got out of the van and left the headlights on. Stella helped Paul pull the guy from the back of the van, letting him fall to the ground. Janie stayed near Stella’s car.
The guy pulled himself to his feet and wobbled around rubbing his eyes. “Oh man, oh man. Something’s wrong here.”
“Yep. You’re damn straight on that one, Larry.” Paul took hold of his shoulder.
“Don’t be in such a rush. All will be revealed. Stella, this here is Larry.”
“Can’t say it’s good to meet you, Larry,” Stella said. “But you’re right about something being wrong. Something here is wrong and I’d say it’s you.”
“Why are you fucking with me?” Larry’s voice shook. “Take me back. I need to go back. Take the van. I don’t have any money – ”
“Oh, this isn’t about money, Larry.” Stella kept his words slow and simple. “This is about karma. Let me explain.”
“Man, I want to go…”Larry was near tears. He looked around, waving his hands in front of him.
“Karma is like that saying – what goes around, comes around.”
Paul tossed the van’s keys back and forth in his hands. “Larry, I wanted to just plain off your sorry ass, but my friend here said we should let karma have a go at you.”
Larry shook his head. “What did I ever do to you?”
Janie stepped up to him. Stella could hear her breath sharp and panicky, but her voice was steady. “It’s what you did to me.” His face was blank. He didn’t remember a thing. “You picked me up hitching a few months ago. Remember?”
“Aww fuck.” His eyes swam around in his face. “Look, man, I don’t know what she said, but she wanted it.”
Stella’s fist met Larry’s face so fast there
