have a guy who brings you coffee without being asked, and breaks heads on the same basis. I guess that counts for something.’
‘So, you want some coffee, then?’ asked Jimmy.
‘Is it as bad as everything else in here?’
‘Worse, but I made it myself so at least you know my hands are clean. Literally, not metaphorically.’
‘Coffee would be good, thanks. It’s kind of early for me otherwise.’
‘Then you’re in the wrong place. You think the windows are small because I couldn’t afford the glass?’
The Sailmaker was always dark. Its customers didn’t care to be reminded about the passage of time.
Jimmy gestured to to Earle, who stood, retrieved a mug from somewhere, examined its insides to make sure that it wasn’t too dirty, or was just dirty enough, and poured. When he put the mug down on the bar, coffee slopped over the sides and pooled on the wood. Earle looked at me, as though daring me to complain.
‘He’s dainty for a big man,’ I said.
‘He doesn’t like you,’ said Jimmy. ‘Don’t take it personal, though: he doesn’t like anyone. Sometimes I think that he doesn’t even like me, but I pay him, so that buys me a degree of tolerance.’
Jimmy passed me a silver jug of milk, not cream, and a bowl of sugar. Jimmy didn’t like UHT milk, or cheap creamer, or sachets of sweetener. I took the milk, not the sugar.
‘So, is this a social call, or have I done a great wrong that needs to be righted? Because I got to tell you, having you in my place makes me feel like checking my insurance.’
‘You think trouble follows me?’
‘Jesus, Death himself probably sends you a fruit basket at Christmas, thanking you for the business.’
‘I have a question about trucking.’
‘Don’t get into it, that’s my advice. Long hours, no overtime. You’ll sleep in a cab, eat bad food, and die at a rest stop. On the other hand, nobody will actively try to kill you, which seems to be one of the occupational hazards of your line of work, or the version of it that you pursue.’
I ignored the career advice. ‘There’s a guy, an independent. He’s got payments to keep up on a nice rig, a mortgage, the usual stuff. I’d say, overall, his expenses come close to seventy grand a year, and that’s not leading an extravagant lifestyle.’
‘That allowing for some massage on the figures?’
‘Probably. You ever met an honest man?’
‘Not when it comes to taxes. I did, I’d take him for every penny he was worth, just like the IRS, but not as vindictive. This guy, he do long haul?’
‘Some Canadian stuff, but that’s it, I think.’
‘Canada’s a big place. How far are we talking?’
‘Quebec, as far as I know.’
‘That’s not long haul. He work a lot of hours?’
‘Not enough, or that would be my take on it.’
‘So you figure he might be doing a little work on the side?’
‘He’s crossing the border. The thought had struck me. And, with respect, I don’t think squirrels cross the border without you knowing it and taking ten percent of their nuts.’
‘Fifteen,’ said Jimmy. ‘And that’s the friends’ rate. This guy have a name?’
‘Joel Tobias.’
Jimmy looked away, and clicked his tongue.
‘He’s not one of mine.’
‘You know whose he might be?’
Jimmy didn’t answer the question. Instead, he said: ‘What’s your interest in him?’
On my way to Portland, I had debated how much I was prepared to tell Jimmy. In the end, I decided that I was going to have to tell him most of it, but I wanted to leave out Damien Patchett’s death for now.
‘He’s got a girlfriend,’ I said. ‘A concerned citizen thinks he may not be treating her right, and that she’d be better off away from him.’
‘And what? You prove he’s smuggling and she tosses him aside and dates a preacher instead? Either you’re lying, and I don’t believe you’d come in here and do that, or this concerned citizen needs a lesson in the ways of the world. Half the girls in this
‘So, you want some coffee, then?’ asked Jimmy.
‘Is it as bad as everything else in here?’
‘Worse, but I made it myself so at least you know my hands are clean. Literally, not metaphorically.’
‘Coffee would be good, thanks. It’s kind of early for me otherwise.’
‘Then you’re in the wrong place. You think the windows are small because I couldn’t afford the glass?’
The Sailmaker was always dark. Its customers didn’t care to be reminded about the passage of time.
Jimmy gestured to to Earle, who stood, retrieved a mug from somewhere, examined its insides to make sure that it wasn’t too dirty, or was just dirty enough, and poured. When he put the mug down on the bar, coffee slopped over the sides and pooled on the wood. Earle looked at me, as though daring me to complain.
‘He’s dainty for a big man,’ I said.
‘He doesn’t like you,’ said Jimmy. ‘Don’t take it personal, though: he doesn’t like anyone. Sometimes I think that he doesn’t even like me, but I pay him, so that buys me a degree of tolerance.’
Jimmy passed me a silver jug of milk, not cream, and a bowl of sugar. Jimmy didn’t like UHT milk, or cheap creamer, or sachets of sweetener. I took the milk, not the sugar.
‘So, is this a social call, or have I done a great wrong that needs to be righted? Because I got to tell you, having you in my place makes me feel like checking my insurance.’
‘You think trouble follows me?’
‘Jesus, Death himself probably sends you a fruit basket at Christmas, thanking you for the business.’
‘I have a question about trucking.’
‘Don’t get into it, that’s my advice. Long hours, no overtime. You’ll sleep in a cab, eat bad food, and die at a rest stop. On the other hand, nobody will actively try to kill you, which seems to be one of the occupational hazards of your line of work, or the version of it that you pursue.’
I ignored the career advice. ‘There’s a guy, an independent. He’s got payments to keep up on a nice rig, a mortgage, the usual stuff. I’d say, overall, his expenses come close to seventy grand a year, and that’s not leading an extravagant lifestyle.’
‘That allowing for some massage on the figures?’
‘Probably. You ever met an honest man?’
‘Not when it comes to taxes. I did, I’d take him for every penny he was worth, just like the IRS, but not as vindictive. This guy, he do long haul?’
‘Some Canadian stuff, but that’s it, I think.’
‘Canada’s a big place. How far are we talking?’
‘Quebec, as far as I know.’
‘That’s not long haul. He work a lot of hours?’
‘Not enough, or that would be my take on it.’
‘So you figure he might be doing a little work on the side?’
‘He’s crossing the border. The thought had struck me. And, with respect, I don’t think squirrels cross the border without you knowing it and taking ten percent of their nuts.’
‘Fifteen,’ said Jimmy. ‘And that’s the friends’ rate. This guy have a name?’
‘Joel Tobias.’
Jimmy looked away, and clicked his tongue.
‘He’s not one of mine.’
‘You know whose he might be?’
Jimmy didn’t answer the question. Instead, he said: ‘What’s your interest in him?’
On my way to Portland, I had debated how much I was prepared to tell Jimmy. In the end, I decided that I was going to have to tell him most of it, but I wanted to leave out Damien Patchett’s death for now.
‘He’s got a girlfriend,’ I said. ‘A concerned citizen thinks he may not be treating her right, and that she’d be better off away from him.’
‘And what? You prove he’s smuggling and she tosses him aside and dates a preacher instead? Either you’re lying, and I don’t believe you’d come in here and do that, or this concerned citizen needs a lesson in the ways of the world. Half the girls in this
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