When Bill was released on bail to the custody of Jimmy Fingers, he knew that meant he was going to have to return to L.A. and face the firm’s partners and explain why he’d stolen their money. Not only that, he’d have to return the hundred grand, or pay the consequences. They hadn’t charged him with embezzlement, so that meant the punishment would be less merciless than jail time. Jimmy Fingers had his own special brand of justice and it was always painful and sadistic. As they exited the Las Vegas jail, Bill noted that his escort was still driving the same old jalopy he’d had for years.

”Damn Jimmy, you can’t afford a new car?”

”Still runs good, old stuff’s more reliable.” Jimmy meant that, he related to the past well and preferred when times were less complicated. He was also relishing his role as overseer of Bill. It gave him a sense of superiority and control. ”Hey Bill, part of the deal of you being released to my custody is you keepin quiet about certain things relating to me. Your friends don’t need to know all that, it ain’t in their best interest.”

Bill knew well without explanation what Jimmy was referring to. Although he’d been hired by the firm to bring him back, should circumstances require it, Bill knew Jimmy had no aversion to snapping his neck in an instant, without the least bit of remorse. It’s what made him good at his job. He knew Jimmy could never be mistaken for a friend, he was strictly here to do a job and personalities or emotion had nothing to do with it. He was completely heartless and apparently soulless as well, he never gave any hint of conscience or regret either. He was, frankly, the antithesis of what Bill was going through at this time.

Tommy Two-Head and G Lu were waiting outside to greet Bill. It was odd and uncomfortable, he didn’t know either one of them all that well and they’d just put up fifty-grand to post his bail. G Lu looked different with clothes on, prettier he thought, more sophisticated. Tom looked the same, skinny as a starving dingo, pale as an albino ghost. In these monumental moments when there’s so much to say, it’s strange how the right words can be elusive.

”We thought you were dead.” Tom mumbled. Bill stood before the only two people he could probably claim as friends in the entire world. The emotion of the moment flooding over him was unfamiliar and strange. He looked at his worn shoes and scuffed the parking lot pavement.

”So did I.” Was all he could get out.
G Lu didn’t possess the same self-consciousness as the others, she stepped forward boldly and gave Bill a warm hug. She smelled good, like he imagined fresh lilacs might if they were coated with cinnamon and stardust.

”Come on, let’s get you something to eat, you must be hungry ... and a shower.” Apparently, his own aroma wasn’t quite as intoxicating.

G Lu’s room was spacious, by motel standards. It had a separate bedroom and a kitchenette where she cooked up eggs, bacon, sausage and cheese toast for the foursome. Tom poured thick, hot coffee from a stovetop espresso pot, and Bill thought he’d never tasted anything so delicious. Jimmy Fingers made himself comfortable in a chair by the window, pretending to read an out-of-date paper. G Lu ran down the past weeks to catch him up, including how Tommy had wandered into her new jobsite at the casino and told her his and Bill’s story regarding her brother and their efforts to save her. When she found out Bill was still alive, via Mr. Fingerelli (as she referred to him), she figured the least they could do was to try and help in getting him out. She’d gotten a good cash price on the BMW and Tom had accrued some capital by following her gambling advice, enough to post cash bail. She considered it luck and good fortune that Mr. Fingerelli had located them and was able to convince the judge that he would be a responsible guardian. Those weren’t the descriptions Bill would have expressed, but he understood how G Lu might be misunderstanding the scenario.

He surmised that she took Jimmy Fingers as an investigator from the L.A.D.A.’s office, and, retained by them as a beneficent entity to assist in clearing his name. He’d have to try and get her and Tom alone somehow and warn them that Jimmy Fingers was dangerous and not to be trusted.

G Lu continued, ”We know about the money Bill, the money you gave to get them to leave me alone.” She paused and Bill knew she was looking for something, an answer, an explanation. It was a cold slap and he met it head-on.

”So, you know I’m a thief. You should also know I got no good excuse for it, I was wrong for stealing. There’s no excuse. You should also know...that’s the least of my sins...I’ve done a lot worse.”

G Lu quit fiddling in the kitchen for a moment, ”We all have Bill, we’re all wrong sometimes, we’ve all done things that we’re not proud of. Besides, it’s lucky for me you had that money when you did, it bailed me out of a jam, even though my brother’s homeboy’s had no right to come at me like that.” G Lu’s voice got steely. ”My brother is no rat. I know him, he’d never tell on anybody. They killed him for nothing...and they’ll pay for that.”

”What do you mean?” Bill asked. ”What are you getting at?”

Jimmy Fingers spoke. ”That’s the firm’s money Bill, I aim to get it back. She knows the neighborhood and you all can i.d. the hombres, shouldn’t be that hard to locate ’em.”

Bill wasn’t believing what he was hearing. ”Money can be replaced, you can’t bring her into this!”

”I’m already in it.” G Lu demanded. ”They killed my brother and came after me. They had no right to do any of that and they have no right to that money.”

Bill was exasperated. ”Jimmy, you can’t just go snooping around gang neighborhoods you know...” He was treading water, trying to mount an argument that would get through to them.

Jimmy Fingers responded casually, ”I ain’t the one doing the snooping Bill.”

Bill wasn’t believing the sheer foolhardiness of the scenario. He’d just been bailed out of jail, overcoming enormous odds in doing so, and not even an hour out, these lunatics were hell-bent on dragging him back into the line of fire! For what? Revenge? Money? Pride? After all he’d been through he was well on the way to a live-and-let-live existence, but these three idiots were steering a blazing trail in the exact opposite direction. Their plan was destined for disaster and nobody was listening to reason. He looked at Tom for backup but realized he’d already signed on.

”Gloria, I came here to steer you clear of trouble, now you’re trying to run straight into it. Let it go. I didn’t save you just to let you do something stupid.”

G Lu’s eyes flashed. ”You didn’t come here to save me, you came to save yourself. Anybody can see that. Whatever it was, whatever you’ve done, you were willing to kill yourself for repentance. You had your chance to do what you saw as right, now it’s my turn!” She grasped her head in her hands and shook wildly letting out an enraged cry, then calmed quickly. ”I’m sorry, I had no right to say that.”

He wasn’t upset at her outburst, most of what she said was true. He’d spoken to G Lu a total of five minutes in his entire life and here they were in a heated argument. Both their blood was boiling and arguing was only a part of the reason. He didn’t want to argue with her, what he wanted to do would require Tom and Jimmy getting scarce, and sensing the way they were similarly attentive of the electrifying G Lu as she stood with clenched fists, hair on end, eyes flashing blood and fire...it was fairly certain everyone present smelled the sex radiating from her every pore like musk off a mare in heat. Bill had quit smoking a long time ago, suddenly, he needed a cigarette...and a cold shower.

When he got out of the shower, Jimmy Fingers was outside smoking a cigar with the door open. Tom was cleaning up dishes and G Lu had locked herself in the bedroom. When she came out he saw she was packed and ready to travel. He tried one last argument aimed at reason and logic.

”Gloria, by harboring hatred for those who have wronged you, you’re giving them power over you. You allow the resentment to hold you in it’s grip. By forgiving, by letting go and releasing any retribution, you free yourself.”

G Lu faced him. ”Is that what you would do Bill? Forgive. If it was your own brother that was killed, could you forgive?” Her cold analysis cut his argument to the quick. In theory, they both knew he was right.. . in reality, they both knew blood was thicker than theory. He tried another tact.

”There’s still no reason why you should go G Lu. We can handle it without you being in harm’s way. I know the neighborhood a little, you can supply details on hangouts or places they might be, you definitely don’t need to go.” He was negotiating now, maybe he could get the trio separated and chip away at the plan by dealing with each of them separately.

G Lu wasn’t backing down. ”I’m going. And I want to see my brother’s grave.” She turned to Bill and offered her own heartfelt reasoning. ”This is what I must do. When you came to save me, no one could have talked you out of it. No one could have stood in your path to prevent you from doing what you knew was right. Right or wrong, you were willing to die for that cause. This is my cause, this is what I must do.”

As Bill gazed into her eyes, he knew no reason or logic would prevail here. He looked at Tom, then to Jimmy for help and quickly assessed the die was cast. For honor and family, G Lu was leading them all into certain disaster and he couldn’t stop it. He’d been willing once to lay down his life to aid this beautiful stranger. It appeared he would have that chance again.