hothead attitude front and center. It went with his silver-dollar belt buckle and silver-tipped cowboy boots.
“Private property,” he said to me, his breath heavy with alcohol. I remembered that Paco had said that the landlord hit people when he’d been drinking. “You’re trespassing,” the man said.
The man wore jeans and a dirty T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show his biceps. His hair was greased back and to the side in an elaborate curl like a ’50s caricature.
Everything about the man telegraphed an effort to look younger than his late-40s age.
Spot came running up to sniff the stranger. The man jumped back, then looked embarrassed at his fear.
I took Spot’s collar and pulled him back.
The man looked at Paco. “Paco, man, you’re not allowed here anymore. You and your mom have been evicted.”
“You make a nice homecoming, Garnett,” I said.
The man turned to me, venom in his sneer. “You want to act like a smart ass, you can tell it to the cops.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.
“When did you evict them?” I asked.
He jerked his thumb toward Paco. “I served his old lady thirty days notice a month ago. She left yesterday, so the house is back in my possession. I’m selling the property, so I need the house vacant.”
“Then we just have to pick up Paco’s things, and we’ll be out of your hair.”
“You’re not picking up anything.” He stepped between me and the broken steps. “What’s left behind is mine. I already changed the lock.”
I turned to Paco. “Paco, did Cassie take all of her things when you left yesterday?”
He made the tiniest of head shakes.
“I guess they didn’t move out,” I said to the man. “They just left for a couple of days. Which means that in changing the locks you are guilty of trespass.”
“It’s been thirty days. I can file an unlawful detainer.”
“You can file, but California law does not allow you to evict until your case is heard in court and the judge decides in your favor. Only then are you allowed to have the sheriff come and evict the tenants if they haven’t moved out.”
I pointed at his cell phone, which he still held in his hand. “Go ahead and dial. We’ll see what the cops think. Meanwhile, we’ll get our stuff. Please unlock the door.”
“I won’t. I have my rights. This is my house.”
“If you don’t, I’ll have to let Paco in one way or another. It might cause some damage.”
Garnett’s ears were red with anger. He put his phone in his pocket and stepped in front of me. His eyes darted to Spot, came back to me.
“Touch my house, I’ll break your nose. I’m within my rights to defend my property.”
This guy seemed more bluster than real threat.
“Spot,” I said, “stay.”
I went to walk past the man.
He took a wild swing at my face. If he’d been sober, I might have been in trouble.
I grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm. I used his momentum to spin him around, levering his arm up hard behind him.
He grunted in pain, but otherwise didn’t vocalize. Impressive control.
Spot had jumped forward and stood looking at me, then at the man, then back at me.
“Stay,” I again said to Spot.
“Assault is a serious crime,” I said from behind the man’s ear. I marched him past Paco up to the house. Paco was staring at me as if I were an alien creature. I half lifted the guy up and over the broken steps.
“Unlock the door,” I said.
“I can’t with my arm behind my back.”
“You don’t want to try to sucker me again,” I said. “I’m bigger than you. I have an attack dog.”
“Just need to get my key.”
I let go of his arm.
He slowly pulled it around to his front, testing his elbow movement. He inhaled with the pain. Then he turned as he hammered me in the ribs with his opposite elbow.
It wasn’t a good move, but it was faster than I expected. It caught me off guard and sent stabbing pain through my chest. Pain can be incapacitating.
Anger can suppress
“Private property,” he said to me, his breath heavy with alcohol. I remembered that Paco had said that the landlord hit people when he’d been drinking. “You’re trespassing,” the man said.
The man wore jeans and a dirty T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show his biceps. His hair was greased back and to the side in an elaborate curl like a ’50s caricature.
Everything about the man telegraphed an effort to look younger than his late-40s age.
Spot came running up to sniff the stranger. The man jumped back, then looked embarrassed at his fear.
I took Spot’s collar and pulled him back.
The man looked at Paco. “Paco, man, you’re not allowed here anymore. You and your mom have been evicted.”
“You make a nice homecoming, Garnett,” I said.
The man turned to me, venom in his sneer. “You want to act like a smart ass, you can tell it to the cops.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.
“When did you evict them?” I asked.
He jerked his thumb toward Paco. “I served his old lady thirty days notice a month ago. She left yesterday, so the house is back in my possession. I’m selling the property, so I need the house vacant.”
“Then we just have to pick up Paco’s things, and we’ll be out of your hair.”
“You’re not picking up anything.” He stepped between me and the broken steps. “What’s left behind is mine. I already changed the lock.”
I turned to Paco. “Paco, did Cassie take all of her things when you left yesterday?”
He made the tiniest of head shakes.
“I guess they didn’t move out,” I said to the man. “They just left for a couple of days. Which means that in changing the locks you are guilty of trespass.”
“It’s been thirty days. I can file an unlawful detainer.”
“You can file, but California law does not allow you to evict until your case is heard in court and the judge decides in your favor. Only then are you allowed to have the sheriff come and evict the tenants if they haven’t moved out.”
I pointed at his cell phone, which he still held in his hand. “Go ahead and dial. We’ll see what the cops think. Meanwhile, we’ll get our stuff. Please unlock the door.”
“I won’t. I have my rights. This is my house.”
“If you don’t, I’ll have to let Paco in one way or another. It might cause some damage.”
Garnett’s ears were red with anger. He put his phone in his pocket and stepped in front of me. His eyes darted to Spot, came back to me.
“Touch my house, I’ll break your nose. I’m within my rights to defend my property.”
This guy seemed more bluster than real threat.
“Spot,” I said, “stay.”
I went to walk past the man.
He took a wild swing at my face. If he’d been sober, I might have been in trouble.
I grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm. I used his momentum to spin him around, levering his arm up hard behind him.
He grunted in pain, but otherwise didn’t vocalize. Impressive control.
Spot had jumped forward and stood looking at me, then at the man, then back at me.
“Stay,” I again said to Spot.
“Assault is a serious crime,” I said from behind the man’s ear. I marched him past Paco up to the house. Paco was staring at me as if I were an alien creature. I half lifted the guy up and over the broken steps.
“Unlock the door,” I said.
“I can’t with my arm behind my back.”
“You don’t want to try to sucker me again,” I said. “I’m bigger than you. I have an attack dog.”
“Just need to get my key.”
I let go of his arm.
He slowly pulled it around to his front, testing his elbow movement. He inhaled with the pain. Then he turned as he hammered me in the ribs with his opposite elbow.
It wasn’t a good move, but it was faster than I expected. It caught me off guard and sent stabbing pain through my chest. Pain can be incapacitating.
Anger can suppress
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