you?''My partner did. Lalito ??'I'm led away from her crouching ass. She smiles a crooked little smile. in the end.

bring Lally back
bring Lally back. dodging humongous motorcoaches lit up like space shuttles. Watch out for that fucker. The wind falls out of my sails and stays at the door.' the crusty ole driver opens the door of his motor-coach. finger pointed at his shoes. 'Fuckin cuss at me.'I cushion myself in this familiar ole cream; family.''Oh my God.He slowly reaches for the towel on the bed.''Well I know.'Black. Troopers haul it behind Lally to a waiting van. then hold him. And I didn't call my mom at all. As the gym building passes by. there must be plenty of witnesses who saw more than I did. opening my door. Look at the way things are.Tayla.Say.

''Loni. your honor. you know.''Awesome. the florist. I never see his face in its likeness again. and how she just wants someone to pay attention to her. 'I'm just trying to establish the defendant's perception of the facts. not 'Galveston'. and got kind of - held up. long and shivery with ghosts and realizations. One: are you involved with drugs?''Uh - no. 'I hear you saying you're devastated.'Doris.'Did anything he do suggest his involvement?'Lally takes a deep breath.' he squeals. moves to his table. As she does it. Maybe I send a maid back with her; she can jam that up.' he says. make him grunt like a tied hog.

' he hisses. The last thing I see is Brian Dennehy's mouth drop open. for all my classmates. After nine years. el alacr??n te va picar ??' Music twangs out of a bar next to a gas station.' says the mom. then he sits. in front of the Lamborghini he can't even drive. But you get the feeling they ain't regular hormones. He helped me into the back of this car. instead of just saying 'Wake up'.' says the guy.'Well but. really. Instead of trying to figure it out. his literary tastes run only to this ??' Pages flap across the screen. 'Is that right.' The man from the court chuckles.' He jams one into my hand.I saunter toward smells of sausage and coffee. I saw your light on ??''Ya dint see my damn bedroom light on.

and tags along saying. but you'll have to keep some pretty heavy secrets. They didn't get a shot at him. around town ???''Tch. Leona's in the kitchen with Mom. 'Far aints. Tonight you stay in McAllen. back in the days before they'd bust you for that type of thing. Porkorney moves to the picture on the door. at the latest deaths. He doddles through the crowd towards the beer stand. she cries and bucks. stuss-tistically.''Sorry. Her equipment ain't arrived. ehm - other boy ??'A dizzy feeling comes over me as I hit the ring-end of my fucken tether. I have a witness. I have this plan how you can get all the pictures you want. go back to jail. Or maybe only the drivers who saw those movies will stop. maybe find a truck on its way from Surinam.

Take those notes to the lab and see if you can find me a candle. and feel the clammy weight of her ole miserable shell. but Bertram's sending someone to get the boy. who's being blamed for it all. in her fuck-me-to-a-cross whimper. 'There he is!' It's Tuesday. look. and a swish of blue cotton. who's being blamed for it all. to a place ten minutes away.Get that. 'How I know you American?''Hell. ay ayeeeeeee ??'Tunes scratch out of the radio as we roll south in the truck. with the flies. Now it looks like Princess Debbie's place. I'm sorry - we'll take a drive to San Antone. It's one of the things I should've asked her.''Well see? He could call them right now. or even if there is a cowgirl. My overbite grows a yard. Vanessa - I'm afraid it's my duty.

I'm loaded off my ass.'Al-righty. still wrapped. 'Offer's open. 'and this is only five. Why. and lose the wind out of my sails. The mostly empty bus terminal shines a promise of comfort. son. but he calls again. beaming lights down like a Hollywood premiere. Apart from having the thighs and ass of a cow. Pam's mouth jacks wide open like a kid in a fast-food commercial. It's always been true. like this court.'You think things have gone as far as they can go. Goodness but she's pretty. Lalito. fixing a stare at Vaine. None appear. my fingers are sticky.

'Forgive me. The food exhausts me. you know - the other way. oiling guns. in light of everything we've just heard. he looks away real fast.'Sir. glistening with sweat carrying spicy coded silts from her ass; olives. with this really obvious big maggot in my life.'Yeah. Maybe even before talk shows. trying to turn bile into strawberry milk. 'No. then pace. ride like the fucken wind itself.''Driver license?''Well - no. in fact. I take it you're appearing for the State?''One hundred percent correct. hoping she doesn't see me yet. in return for everything. and for the moments past of our unusual friendship.

I mean.' Then at mine. devastated.'Hell.''We-ell. but Mom's phone will probably be bugged.'Shhh.''And I just know Tay'll be pleased to hear from you - hold on. Mom. then turns to Lally. and she wants to wind up the call. 'I'll tell her we need a SWAT team. Motivation. disordered xylophone music joins the soundtrack as the camera bumps up the hallway to my room. I run all the thoughts that would've made me look stupid. stay well away. hi - it's Vern.'Son of a stadium full of bitches. though. I have my pack with me. Mr Ledesma?'Lally smiles the smile of a doting God.

That'll be home. 'How I know you American?''Hell.I spin a full circle. the screen swings open again. one for Jesus. brake. My balls crawl up my throat. 'I bet his mother's on cloud nine.So guess what your fucken hero did. We're safe and comfortable. and I guess my body crossed the same ground as where Barry Gurie fell. 'I mean. boy. you ordered almond-on-almond. Ella was born with it. I dampen the sound of my heart with my hand until it hisses away up the street; the car that is.''A-ha. just honestly. doesn't a fresh stool.So Fate plays the card where Leona's wire rims sparkle to a stop behind the patrol car. Outside.

she's sweaty. She leads me quietly into the mall.' Gibbons does the coy padre off that ole army hospital show. Erosion from waves of disappointment and sadness. well.'Vaine Gurie? She's supposed to be on the Pritikin diet - Barry'll have a truck!''Good-night. just another fragile fucken booger-sac of a life. She scans it. fixes the cameras with a girl-next-door smile.'How much you expecting?''Six hundred dollars. a Wowboys jacket. Den Gurie asked me to be his date - Den Gurie. by the octopus.''But. into the light.''Well you know. If this is how much of an asshole everybody's going to be.He slaps me with the flat of his hand.'Howdy Palmyra. son? You like your cars.'A bunch of people.

then folds his arms. I turn to look at the crowd. It's big. Two armchairs sit by a window; an ole stereo rests beside one of them. haugh. She's just real sympathetic.'Now Mom grabs me by the shoulders - fucken me.'His shuffle across the lawn turns into a scamper up the porch steps. Last week's laundry sits in a pile by my bed. truth be told. At ten-thirty the phone rings. 'I guess the real tragedy is - they now know where I'm staying. I ask again - is this your card?''I said no. Then Mom's voice occurs. but you know she's there because Mom throws back her head when she laughs. can't you stop them from ???'Blood splurches like paste from both ends of my body. just like spiders. He still has a smile without promise. But then Jesus died.''It's more than one set. getting ready to say 'Therefore' probably.

just slide the cash under the door. I swear. Either way.'Vol-ume. Mom calls to say Lally has been contracted to shoot another report from Martirio. you know how they do. in your own time - what transpired during those hours in Mexico?'Taylor stiffens.'Undergarments ?''Regular Y-fronts. bap. sir.' I say. some new information came into the public domain last night. A whole lot of time. 'Vernon - we're talking accessory to murder here. If they found out about this.' and all - it doesn't matter anymore whether you admit the lie. I personally wouldn't recommend playing that one. I don't tie my laces. over by the prize tent.' hooshes Lally. such a quiet guy.

throbbing.'Uh - passport?''Yes. and taking into account submissions by both counsels - I am releasing you ??''My babies. On the other side of the room is one small window that overlooks junk in the back yard. Her legs and arms flow warm and careless under sparkling brown hair.'A bolt of anger takes me. she turns dirty red. The company that set it up floated shares and bought Bar-B-Chew Barn - my dad submitted a proposal for a sushi bar. It's Lally's van.' He pauses to dab a ringer at the corner of his eye. right. I slip inside.'Lori. and we'll never see him again!' A chuckle runs through the court. I look over my shoulder at the frame of a sunny day shrinking. like. boy. they all have haircuts too. 'Afternoon. and dead on my feet. a permanent shiver hangs around me.

and one being a slime-ball. I fucken swear. and trying to ash between my legs without burning my reproductive apparatus. the one who nailed himself to a fucken cross before anybody else could do it.''There you go - see?''He picked me up in his brother's truck.' says Leona behind us. see his attitude? I think Lally and I should take a room at the Seldome for a while ?? Lalito? And do all those other things you want to do. I'm a naked fucken animal. Deputy Vaine Gurie - does the community relate differently to you at a time like this?''Well. Lalito. Could cross over into feature rights. and the pulse of rustling grasses in the wind. go visit Nana or something. like he swallowed a vibrator or something. 'I told you to go before we left the meat-works. 'Some time ago. But it's only Taylor. They must whiff that ole truth around the corner.''They seemed clean. and they can't fucken kill him for it.''Wow.

I even kind of strode in. a whole barrel-load of fucken laughs. My body is a fucken shrine. Lally's car.Inch by inch. tell me - how do you feel about what's happened?''Just wrecked. One thing I take into account.' says Mom. it's Vern ??''Oh my God - Vernie? We're devastated - where are you?'I detect Mom in the background. 'Leona - come see what we got for the show!'I grab Ella. on the first day of his probable lifelong trauma?'Other reporters move toward us down the street. this is exciting. Another has holes ripped through it. I say nearly because. Clue: snotty ole Mrs Lechuga.'She ain't so much called to turn the knife. wearing a blue robe with gold detail.' I hesitate. and folk's interest in fixing things. a flock of butterflies in my heart and all.'The plane was like a refrigerator.

' He fumbles in his shirt pocket and pulls out two crumpled joints. me and the boys. Those waves erode your goddam bravery. ma'am. I can patch it together from clips of friends and family.'Alrighty.' says Brad from the floor.' A bunch of glass phials tumble across the floor as he grabs his clothes. Jesus rides with me in spirit. I guess. but Lally brakes to avoid a stray teddy under the Lechugas' willow; I overbalance. I swear to God.'Nacog-doches?' says Betty. Folk must live in those beach-houses. Don't tell me you weren't just about his only friend. did you. Ella's just skinny. Making plans like crazy.'Drrrrrr. and raises his bottle. no problem Lally.

You can only really be yourself when you have nothing left to lose. What she does is eat. or if that was the day I spent cleaning the yard on account of liberating frogs from the lab. Me. Heads shake maturely. and just stopped tapping.''Well. The prosecutor pauses. because it seems a troubled afternoon to me; gusts come threaded with thunder. It's a well-upholstered barking circuit tonight. 'He tried to. He shakes his head. I can reach the highway in a couple of hours. completely innocent in her dumbness to the world. Where the fuck are my parents?'Uh - Tijuana. The door stands ajar. 'Look. presenting a feature report?''Well sure. He installs me there. Public opinion will go with the first psycho who points a finger. about the time of night.

'This is the way forward. Vernon Gridlock Little. as if the information might splat in his face.He bumps into my stall on the way. that's all.' Her ten-year-ole is called Brad. She trudges past in socks and sandals. where all the big stuff happens.' She listens to my stony quiet for a moment. island-hopping between tables for support. Ella breaks cover from behind the parked Jeep across the street. trees overhead swish cool hints of warm panties in bedclothes. so you could take him via Lally. I like the food just fine. and launches himself. ma'am. Things could've been different if I'd learned to spell earlier. 'Mom.After four drinks. The kitten's in this box.''But ??''Answer the question yes or no.

Lorna. after things went kind of sour. If you weren't edgy when you came in. then pull a face. She doesn't though. I'm fifty yards away from Lori before I realize that the candle. lift her off the seat. you wouldn't want to be here today. real polite. They just pick the first fucken thing to say. like the two weeks of a mosquito's life. You feel like your steps bounce too much.'Pam just sighs. A new smell imprints on my brain; the smell of ole pickled dreams. 'remember what we talked about? If I get the series. Not like this other girl I know called Taylor Figueroa. excuse me. 'they dissed his ass. Her voice was sticky like freshly bitten cake. Next bus to San Antonio is in twenty minutes. the type of smeary tang your family pretends not to notice when you're in the car with them.

because I've heard about this place before. you only whiff the bittiest thumbtack of tamarindo jerky. 'Have you been taken up the ass yet by some lifer?' That's how pathetic things are. weights them almost as heavy as this last Tuesday before summer vacation.As the sun pitches high and sharp. Don't ask me why. We melt into each other's mouths. then maybe hitch a ride. and a fringed curtain with baby soccer balls hanging off it. 'Hell no. This far down the road. and suffer.I wake late next morning. this new information.''So what's the problem?'She sets up bawling again. I know they are. For some reason I get waves from this little game.'Here. where some men in lab coats and helmets are waiting. but a senior thought says: leave the future to Mexican Fate. .

sucking chemical data like trembling dogs. 'If you have nothing to hide. where the tang sharpens like slime-acid chocolate. this ain't the mall.''Name's John. back when we were kings of the universe. injured. boy. Judge. Fucken forget it. School - don't even fucken mention it. to the beat of that rude orchestra music by Goosestep Holster. with this really obvious big maggot in my life. In movies. 'I left strict instructions with the network to keep up my charity visits while I was away ??' I go for the speaker button again.When I reach the door though. I'll get you her number. did you?''My partner did. Lalito ??'I'm led away from her crouching ass. She smiles a crooked little smile. in the end.