The Alibi Lounge was located in the lobby of a Travelodge, just off 11th Street and 11th Avenue. Removed from the glitz of SoBe by more than a few miles, and sitting on the fringe of Liberty City, there were no sun-worshiping Miami tourists holed up in this part of town. People stayed at the Travelodge for one of two reasons: either they were a witness in a criminal trial; or they were visiting a sick relative up the street at Jackson Memorial, Cedars Medical Center, Baskin Palmer or Sylvester Cancer.
Julia had never been to the Alibi before. As she pulled the Honda into the parking lot, she wondered why she was even here. Why she hadn’t just gone home to cry with Moose and finally finish off the rest of that bottle of Stoli in the cupboard.
She spotted Lat right away at the bar, talking with Brill and a couple of PDs.
‘Hey there,’ he said with a grin, motioning her over when she hadn’t moved. ‘Let’s get you a seat.’ He turned to Brill, ‘Go get another bar stool, man.’
‘What the fuck do I look like?’ Brill barked.
‘Be gracious for once in your life. The lady needs a seat.’
‘Give her yours,’ Brill grumbled. Then he looked at Julia and sighed. ‘Ah, for you, Jules, I’ll do it. Mainly ’cause you stood up to that asshole today.’
‘Speaking of the devil,’ Lat said, looking back at the door after Brill had stomped off. ‘Where’s Bellido?’
‘He’s not coming.’
‘Why not?’
‘I didn’t get a chance to actually ask him.’ She looked straight at the bar, focusing on a bottle of Hennessy on the top shelf.
‘What?’
‘He’s busy. Or he was. I suspect he’s done now.’
‘What the—’ he started to say, then he finally found her eyes, which picked that moment to swell with tears. ‘Oh shit.’
She hung her head. ‘I think I need a drink,’ she said quietly, her voice catching. She never should’ve come here tonight.
‘It wouldn’t be the first time,’ Lat said after a moment.
‘No?’
‘Nah. Ricardo’s got quite the reputation with the ladies. Most of it of his own making, though. I haven’t heard too many impressive tales from the other side.’
‘How did you know?’ she finally asked.
‘Julia, please. Everyone knew about you two. If it makes you feel any better, everyone also knows he’s an asshole.’
She said nothing.
‘Who was it?’ he asked.
‘My DC, I think. It was hard to tell. I never heard her moan before.’
Lat shook his head.
‘I feel like a fool. An idiot.’ She looked helplessly around the room. ‘And I don’t know why I’m here …’
He pushed himself back from the bar. ‘Stop. Enough. Let’s go.’
‘What?’
‘We’ll get you that drink, love, but somewhere else.’ The bar and pool tables were crowded with private defense attorneys, PDs, correction officers and cops. Odds were that the Travelodge guest list included a few reporters who were mixed in as well. ‘There’s too many people here who would love to see you cry, Julia, and then spend the next hour or two wondering why. Let’s go. I’m out back.’
Brill walked up, bar stool in hand.
‘No need, brother. We’re out of here,’ Lat said, grabbing his leather jacket that hung on the wall. He slapped Steve on the back. ‘Thanks.’
‘Where we going?’ Brill called out.
‘I’ll call you in the morning,’ Lat yelled back.
Julia quietly followed Lat past the pool table and through a back door that led directly to the parking lot. To her surprise, he walked past the police cruisers and a black Taurus over to a polished red and silver Harley.
‘Technically, today’s my day off. And this is what I ride on my day off. Here,’ he said, unsnapping a helmet off the back and handing it to her.
She stayed where she was. ‘A motorcycle?’ she asked hesitantly.
‘I wear one. I’m no idiot,’ he said.
‘I … I don’t ride motorcycles,’ she stammered.
He stared at her. ‘Why not?’
She hesitated again. ‘My mother always told me not to. Told me I’d crack my head open.’ She anxiously rubbed her thumbs on the helmet’s smooth surface.
He climbed on the bike and smiled at her. ‘Is your momma here now?’
‘Well, no,’ she said. Then added, ‘She’s dead.’
‘That sucks. I’m sorry,’ he replied and the smile instantly disappeared, replaced with somber silence. ‘Have you ever ridden one?’ he asked when she still hadn’t said anything.
‘No.’
‘There’s nothing to be worried about. You’re in good hands.’
She looked about the lot. Her car was parked on the other side of the hotel.
‘You could always follow me, I suppose,’ he said with a shrug, starting the engine. The bike rumbled to life.
She said nothing. But she didn’t move.
‘Come on, Julia,’ he said over the engine. ‘Get on the bike. You’ve had a real shitty day and mine hasn’t been much better. Let’s go for a ride.’ He held out his hand.
She bit her lip, then nodded slowly and took it, climbing on the back. Good thing she’d picked a pantsuit today.
‘Ready?’
She wrapped her arms around his waist and nodded, her head against his back, her eyes shut tight.
‘Hold on,’ he said. Then he hit the gas and the bike sped out of the Alibi with a loud roar, past the courthouse and the State Attorney’s Office, onto the ramp for 195 and out of Miami.