The metal cord of the pay phone dangled, straight and silver, next to the wall. Still moving from where the guard had let it drop, it moved in and out of contact with the wall.
Josh picked it up. “Hello?”
“It’s me.”
“What’s up? Shoot go okay?”
There was a long pause at the other end. “Josh, I’m not coming back there. I can’t.”
Josh put his hand against the wall and leaned back, surveying the ceiling. He took a long breath and held it.
“What’s going on, Paulie?” he asked finally.
“I wake up every morning and I’m in a sweat. I’ve been dreaming about those guys, how the door opens after lights out and I know what I’m in for. I try to give myself the Josh Clements pep talk, but I know I’m kidding myself. I get through the day okay, but as the night comes I know I’m another day closer to going back inside.” He paused. “How are things there?”
“Under control. You’d be okay if you came back.”
“What happened with Stennett?”
“He the one with the beard? The leader?”
“Yes.”
“He’s backed off.”
“Jesus. How’d you pull that one off?”
“I broke his nose the first night, made sure it was a bloody break. Blood is a great dissuader for some folks.” He shrugged. “Unfortunately, Stennett wasn’t one of them. He came back the next night with friends. I backed up and pleaded with them, giving him a bit of courage so that he’d take the lead. As he closed in, I spun him and put him in that wrist lock I showed you—where if he moves he breaks his arm. Then I put that shiv in his leg and told him to get rid of his friends. Which he did.”
“Jesus, Josh—you don’t fuck around, do you?”
“Not with people like that. I gave him three options. The first was he never came near me or this cell again. In which case I’d pull the knife straight out—he’d bleed a bit but he’d survive. Option two was he could tell me to fuck off and I’d pull hard right and he’d bleed out within five minutes. Option three was he could tell me to fuck off and he’d lose his sack. He chose Option One.”
If Josh was surprised or disappointed by Paul’s decision, he never said a word to anyone. He was taking things day-to-day, he said, don’t worry about him. His shift in the kitchen was breakfast-only, which left him a lot of time to catch up on his reading. And the visits helped.
The jail officials had been surprised by Donna’s visit, at which time she asked them to change their visiting schedule for Paul Clements. When they refused, she pulled out a number of violations that Josh had discovered. The result was that Paul Clements could have solo visitors Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with no restriction on number of guests on Sunday.
Alexis’ next turn came two weeks after her first. She had two Cokes waiting at the table when Josh walked in. He nodded his thanks as he sat down.
“How are you settling in?” he asked.
“Good. The cabin’s great—very homey. And I’m working already—subbing out to one of the firms down there. He gives me most of his airport runs, charging a limo rate. And I get most of his high-end stuff—promos, business pick-ups. I also drive two days a week, regular shifts, just to get to know the area.”
“How’re you liking it?”
“The driving or the camp?”
“Either. Both.”
“The driving’s a piece of cake. Daytime is mostly older folks who need help with their groceries. Also a few day drunks.” She nodded over her shoulder. “As for the camp, you know the drill. I get up, have coffee with William, play a little with Harry, lose some money to Lucky, then face the tough decision of whether to go for a walk with Clark and Zeke or wait until Clark comes back and I can take Zeke out on my own. It’s a tough life, but I’m adapting.” She looked around the room. “You’re going to miss this place, aren’t you?”
“I forget how intuitive you are.”
“What are you going to do, first thing that you’re out?”
“Harry and I are going to McDonald’s. Big Mac, large fries and a chocolate shake.”
The night before Josh got out, most of the camp stayed around the dinner table. Pete and Harry were down in the cabin, planning their next camping trip. In two weeks Donna was going to give a speech in Denver. Pete and Harry were going to drive the VW van and meet her there. Pete had introduced Harry to topographic maps and they spent evenings plotting itineraries and hiking routes.
While Lucky and Alexis cleared the table and started the dishes, the others gravitated to the living room. Zeke stood by the door, expecting his evening walk, but Clark settled in on the floor by the fireplace, flipping his way through a game of solitaire.
“I hope, when he gets out, he’s not like he used to be, those past times,” Donna said.
“He won’t be,” William said. “This is easy time, compared to Phoenix. And part of the grind in the past was that he was on his own. He’ll be okay.”
“Will’s right,” Lucky said, wiping his hands on his pants as he entered the room. “If anyone can do time and not let it get to him, it’s Josh.” He looked at Carol. “How many books did you bring him last visit?” She held up three fingers. “And I brought him two. And he’ll have finished them all by tomorrow. He does his work, does his pushups and situps, reads, and sticks to himself. He’ll be fine.”
“How can you be so sure?” Alexis asked. She looked around the room. “Why is everyone so sure that what happened to Paul won’t happen to Josh?”
William looked at Clark. “You worried about him?” Clark shook his head and returned to the cards. “Lucky?”
Lucky shook his head as well, then turned to Alexis. “Josh does what he has to do. If that means talk, he’ll do it. Fists, he’ll do it. If it means puttin’ a knife in someone, he’ll do that, too.”
“When you say ‘put a knife into someone…’” She looked around the room.
Donna broke the silence. “What Lucky’s saying is that, when it comes to doing what it takes to survive, Josh does the minimum it takes. But sometimes the minimum is still more than people like you and I can stomach.”
It was past ten and no one had left the L. The talk came back to Josh and Paul. “I’m not in a position to judge, having never done time,” Pete said, “but what Paul did doesn’t sit well with me.” He looked at Clark. “Clark? Tell me if I’m wrong.”
Clark didn’t answer for a moment. He turned the cards without looking at them. Then he looked up and shook his head. “William?” she asked.
“I’m not defending Paul. But to be honest, I don’t know what I’d have done if someone had offered to switch places with me back then.”
Carol joined the conversation. “But back in Phoenix, which was tougher conditions than this, he always came back and did his time. Why is this time different?”
William thought for a moment. “Prison warps you. It confuses everything you’re sure of—about yourself and what you’re capable of.” He shrugged. “All that said, I hope I wouldn’t screw over someone who was doing my time for me. Not if I wanted to look that person in the face again, I wouldn’t.”
“You think Paul won’t come back here?”
William looked at Lucky. “What odds are you giving?”
Lucky didn’t hesitate. “Five to two that we’ve seen the last of Paul.”
The next morning everyone was up earlier than normal. Harry and William, who normally had the L to themselves at that hour, ate breakfast with Pete and Donna. Carol walked in, her hair still wet, a few minutes later. Clark wandered in, poured himself a cup of coffee and he and Zeke returned to his cabin, where they sat on the porch.
Lucky and Harry had just started watching The Stooges when the door opened and Paul walked in. He had a two-day beard and disheveled hair. He muttered a general hello and walked into the kitchen.
He emerged a moment later with a cup of coffee cradled in his hands. “What time does he get out?”
“Noon,” Donna answered, not looking up from her newspaper.
“Who’s going to pick him up?”
“We all are. Do you want to come along?”
“Actually, I thought I’d pick him up alone, if you wouldn’t mind.”
William looked up from his book. Lucky turned off the television. Harry started to object but Lucky shushed him and patted the spot next to him.
“Actually, I would mind,” Donna said.
Paul looked at her evenly over the steaming coffee. “If you’re waiting for an apology, you’re going to be disappointed.” He looked around. “This is a family matter.”
“You’re not Josh’s only family,” Donna said, her voice steely.
Paul looked at William. “Will?”
“You did the right thing, getting away and taking care of yourself. But you did the wrong thing staying away.”
“I called Josh every day. If he didn’t tell you that, it might be for the same reason that I’m not apologizing to you. It’s none of your business.” He walked towards the door. “I’m going to try to get a couple of hours of sleep. Then I’m going to go get my brother. I’d appreciate you letting me do it alone.” He walked out.
Donna glared at the door. “He’s got a lot of gall. I’m sympathetic to his situation, but you can’t…” She looked over at William. “What do you think?”
“He’s got to learn that part about our being Josh’s family, too. But we’ve got to remember there are things between those two that we’ll never know.”
“But does that excuse what he did to Josh?”
“Josh is no fool. He had to know there was a chance that Paul wasn’t coming back. And if he didn’t, then he learned something, didn’t he? Either way, it’s between the two of them.”
Donna looked to Lucky. “What’s your take?”
“I’m not the one to ask. I had it five-to-two he’d never show his face here again. But he did, even knowin how we’d all feel. You gotta give him credit for that.”
They expected Josh and Paul back by one. The Gimp had come up and he and Clark had fired up the grill. But one o’clock came and went, then two, and still no sign. The afternoon wore on and the coals lost their strength. Shortly after four, Paul’s rental car came through the gate and stopped in front of the L. Everyone came out onto the porch but no one advanced further. Then, as Josh got out of the driver’s side, Harry slid from his mother’s hold and ran down the steps, jumping into Josh’s arms. With that, everyone moved towards the car.
Josh looked fresh and fit. His hair had grown out slightly and his beard was a week old. His breath smelled of beer. He handed Harry back to Donna and walked to the passenger’s side, extracting a red-eyed Paul from his seat belt. He pulled him to his feet and wrapped Paul’s arm around his shoulder.
“C’mon, Paulie. Let’s get some coffee into you.”