Chapter 55

Iris started her treatments this week. Mary says she’s doing well so far, but it’s early. She and Judy are going over there tonight with some of Muller’s squash and coconut soup. Muller and I do the dishes, then go out back. The lights are on in Riley’s cabana. As soon as the girls leave, we take the brownies over to Riley’s fence. I give the only birdcall I know. I think it’s a swallow.

Riley’s head pops up. We pass the tray over and hear him and Pam munching away. “Delicious, Muller,” Pam says. “Come over for a swim.” We get our trunks and end up in the shallow end, drinking daiquiris. Pam does lengths while Riley sips away. Muller’s bathing suit keeps inflating.

“I had a thought,” Riley says. “We’re throwing a party on the twenty-fifth. You interested in catering, Muller?”

“Catering or making brownies?” I say.

“Straight catering, Sam. I wouldn’t be opposed to some brownies. We all smoke pot. What do you think, Muller? Ever do any catering?”

“A few small functions.” He pushes the air out of his bathing suit leg.

“Can you handle forty or fifty people?”

“What sort of menu?”

“Up to you.”

“I could do Mexican. Quesadillas, that sort of thing.”

Pam swims over. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Muller’s going to cater our party,” Riley says. “He’s thinking Mexican.”

“Wonderful. We’ll give everyone sombreros.”

“That’s a lot of people, Muller,” I say.

“Nonsense,” Riley says.

“I’m going to start the guest list,” Pam says. She gets out of the pool, pulling at the seat of her bathing suit.

“Don’t forget that couple we met in Cancun,” Riley says. “Craziest bastards you’ve ever met. Drank half the bar, then supercharged three joints. Oh, and the Andretti’s, Pam.”

“Sam,” she says. “Make sure Mary knows it’s the twenty-fifth.”

Going back to the house later, I grab Muller, “I got a bad feeling about this. Forty people stoned out of their gourds?”

“So?”

“What if Riley blabs to Mary about the brownies? You saw what she was like when she found the whiskey.”

“What if I make the brownies without grass?”

“I’ve already stripped two of his plants, for chrissake.”

Muller starts banging his ear again.

“You’re going to give yourself a concussion.”

“I think I got it out.”

“Terrific. Bully for you.”