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The first time I ever laid eyes on Katherine Brennan she was 17 years old. I was 18 at the time- only been a few years since then, but it seems like a hundred. I was playing my guitar on my corner in Dublin near the park, hoping that someone would toss a coin or two my way. When you play music for money, it really doesn't matter if you're any good. It's all about presentation. Showing the stoic, professional face to men, smiling and winking to the ladies; you learn to develop a coterie of smiles when you work the streets like that- weighing the right mix of friendliness, innocence, and seductiveness. That might have had something to do with why Kate fell in love with me. But back then the only thing I cared about was making enough money during the day to be able to drink enough to get a decent buzz that night, which was no small feat. Not only due to the cost of alcohol, but the damned challenge of it. That was one reason those rich people walking by would piss me off; they had enough cash to buy all the booze they want, but here they are tipsy off a glass of wine. What a waste. Life was simpler then. All I wanted was to be able to feel a buzz off a pint like I did when I was a kid.
It'd been a good day for donations, since there were so many people around the park for the weather. First day over 60 degrees in damn near a century. Being largely nocturnal at that stage of my evolution, I could give a rip for the sunshine except for all the people it brought by me. Easter was coming up fast and people seemed damn desperate for spring. I always had a good laugh about that with my friend Jimmy, who played the trumpet a couple streets down from me. They've got enough money to stay warm during the winter and they're still bitching all the way to spring. Sure, pal.
So there I am, quietly playing my guitar and watching the parade of the emerging hibernators when I see this girl. She's walking next to an older man in a formal police uniform that could only be her father. He looked like a big deal, with enough medals and ribbons to choke a cat. Anyways, she had this white dress on. And it looked like it cost more than my drinking budget for a month. But she looked good in it, so I wasn't thinking about anything else. Some women are just electric, charming the air around them so it looks like they're glowing. She managed to look better in that Sunday dress than most women could pull off wearing a napkin. Tan skin, and long, light brown hair. Nice body, too. Well apparently, I'd spent a bit too much time contemplating that, because the next thing I know Jimmy was standing next to me and laughing.
"Hey man, you okay? Ya stopped in the middle of a song... I thought you dropped dead or somethin'. What's up?"
Laughing, I shook my head and started to play my guitar, waving Jimmy back to his street corner with a grin. Shaking his head at me, he followed my gaze over to where I was looking in the crowd.
"You lookin' at that Brennan girl, aintcha?" My silence must have tipped him off- I'm not exactly the quiet type, as you've probably figured by now. "Enjoy the show, my friend, because that's all you're getting from her. She's got rich boys lined up a country mile for her. And the last one of them that tried any funny business with her wound up with two missing teeth and a busted ear. Her dad's a cop- a lieutenant, I think. Anyways, I'd best be goin'. You behave yourself and stay out of trouble. I'll see you down at Mary's tonight?"
I nodded my agreement, and as he limped back to his usual corner I started another round of songs. Looking out into the park while absentmindedly playing, I saw Lieutenant Brennan talking to his daughter. He looked pretty upset too, by the looks off it. As people walked in front of us I saw snapshots of their conversation, his face just kept getting darker shades of red. She was standing there with her arms crossed, and her hip set to the side, looking at him get madder and madder. Eventually, I saw her say something to him and quickly turn and walk head off. He started to follow her, but ran into the oblivious chief of police, also out for a stroll with the family, who corralled him into a conversation. Well Kate seemed to be headed for Mickey's territory, so I quickly threw my guitar in the case over a handful of coins, and headed across the park to where she'd gone off.
Mickey was a small time hood with a big time mean streak. I guess he thought that he was destined for big things, but all he'd ever accomplished was taking control of a few blocks, getting some shop owners to pay protection. The bigger operations essentially left him alone, since he was right between their territories, and no one wanted to look too aggressive. He was a big fish in a tiny pond, and he loved showing people not to mess with him. I'd even heard he killed a few guys who drunkenly stumbled into his alley and looked at him funny, and Jimmy is a pretty reliable source of information.
I saw that white dress glowing in the now greying sky in front of me, and followed it as quick as I could, trying to catch up with her and point her away without looking too much like a creep. I was relieved when I saw her walk past the opening of Mickey's alleyway, but a cop came around the corner in front of her just then. Maybe she thought he'd been sent by her father, or something, but she turned and ducked back into the alley.
Now, I'm not jacked or anything. But my friend Billy was a pretty serious boxer for awhile over at Teddy's Gym, and I managed to knock him out pretty regularly. When you live on the streets like I do, you learn quick. Where to hit a guy to put him down fast, or where to make him really feel it. How to take hits and keep going. I could more than handle myself, but I still had second thoughts about following her. If it were any other woman, I probably would have just yelled in after her and gone on my way. But I tightened my grip on my guitar case and stepped in after her.
Up ahead, I could hear her talking, and it sounded like there was a man there, too. Her voice was smooth; it sounded like a flute, playing those low, steady notes as it builds up to something higher. But I could tell something was bothering her. My hand went to my pocket for a cigarette out of reflex and lit it. They must have seen the light, because I heard the voices abruptly cease as I stepped into view. Kate was backed up against a brick wall, her arms crossed again, and a tense look on her face. I can imagine why she might have been worried, since Mickey was standing there in his big, cheap, pinstripe suit, planted right in front of her and leaning against the wall with a hand over her shoulder. He looked exceedingly frustrated that I was there. She didn't know me from a hole in the ground, and must have thought I was a friend of Mickey's or something from the way she was trying to stare me down. Even then, I was struck by the intense shade of green in her eyes, which reminded me of my own.
"Scram, punkass", Mickey said, turning his attention back to Kate.
Slowly walking towards him, I put my guitar case down and held out my empty hands, trying to think of something that would get him to leave her alone. "Look, man, you don't want to mess with her. Her father's name is Brennan, he's a lieutenant on the force- you don't need that kind of trouble".
His eyes whipped back to her for a moment with surprise, and for a brief moment, I congratulated myself. Then I heard him say "That fuckin' Brennan is the cop that's been harassing me. I'm gonna teach you a lesson, baby." As he said that, he reached out his hand and grabbed her hip, as she defiantly stuck out her chin and glared at him. I'm not usually a violent person, but seeing that greasy mug reach out and touch her like that just set me off. Mickey is a much bigger guy than I am, and I'm not a pipsqueak. He had a few inches, and what looked like a hundred pounds on me, and he may have been strong as a brute, but having to defend himself was the last thing on his mind right then.
I flicked my cigarette in his face, stepped in front of Kate, and gave him a few quick shots to the stomach, which caused him to stumble back a couple paces. I knew I couldn't let him recover, so I kept right at him, cracking him in the nose with a haymaker. He got his hands up to protect his face, and I continued to hit him with lefts and rights to the body, sending him back towards the other wall of the alley. I landed a perfect uppercut with my right hand that sent his back thudding into the wall, and I saw a brief flash of white in my peripherals. Turning my head slightly, I checked to see that Kate was alright, and at that moment Mickey's arm shot out and grabbed my throat. Abruptly, he spun me around and threw me into the wall, holding me a foot off the ground and choking me with his right hand, while his other hand fumbled for his gun. I hit him hard in the face once. Twice. Three times. His face was a mess, smashed and bloody, but he just gave me a twisted smile. I could feel myself choking to death, and my hands shot up to where he was choking me, but his grip was iron. As I began to frantically, reflexively kick out my legs, Kate came up behind him and swung my guitar case. She didn't exactly look like Ruth in his prime, but I could hear the metal corner of the case thud into his skull. His eyes glazed over as I fell to the ground, and I knew he wasn't getting up anytime soon, or ever again.
I sat there, leaning my head back against the wall with my eyes shut, trying to recover my breath and stop my heart from beating so hard. Then I felt a warm hand on my cheek, and I looked up into the deep green eyes of Katherine Brennan. My heart literally skipped a beat, like whatever train was rolling just flat out missed the track and floated for a while. I'll remember that for the rest of my life, opening up my eyes and seeing her face.. Her hair had come undone and a single strand had fallen down on the side of her face, and her mouth was pursed with worry. She was so beautiful I couldn't even move, but every part of my body wanted to dance in joy. She probably just thought I was dying from the fight. I was sitting on the ground against the wall, and she knelt down in front of me. I said a quick prayer, threw out my best smile, and reached forward to take her hand in mine. For a moment, she began to pull it back, but I felt her hold on.
"Are you alright?", we both asked at the same time, and broke out laughing. I smiled a genuine smile for the first time in I don't know how long, and we both started to answer the question simultaneously. Laughing again, we paused.
"I'm fine", she said as she gestured towards Mickey's body a few yards away, "though I don't think he's doing too well. Thank you for helping me. My name's Kate."
Chuckling and rubbing the back of my head, I said "Thanks to you, Kate, for helping me- I thought I was toast. My friends call me Crawford. Do you think you could help me up?"
Now let's be honest. If some guy had been in her place, I absolutely would have stood up on my own. No doubt about it. But I was feeling a little dizzy, and she'd just let go of my hand and I wanted to touch her again. She smiled, stood up quickly, and grabbed both my hands. I must have been heavier than I looked because, even though she managed to pull me to my feet, she also managed to pull herself towards me at the same time. She stumbled forward and crashed into me, as I stood with my back against the wall and her body pressed against me. My arms had wound up around her waist, and her hands were pressed against my chest. I looked down to apologize, which was a mistake. I saw her looking up at me with those big green eyes, and she looked like she wanted to be kissed. So I did. It's still the best kiss I've ever had. Slow and gentle at first, but building more and more in intensity as I held her close to me.
It must have been a few minutes long, and I still wonder how long we would have kept it up, if a bright light hadn't shined in my eyes. Stunned, I turned my head to see what was going on.
That was when I saw Lieutenant Brennan striding towards me with a legion of cops behind him and murder in his eyes. |
