“Ronnie saved your life,” Bennie said.
“My cousin,” David said, “killed my father and set you up, too. If he had his way, you’d probably be dead.”
“Look where that got him,” Bennie said. He tried to clear his throat again. “Listen. Rabbi Kales’s gotta go. I ordered a cocktail from our friend the doctor. I’d planned on doing this myself, but that’s on you now, Rabbi. I can’t trust Rabbi Kales to keep his mouth closed. Half the time he talks, he’s on another planet. Have you seen him since you been back?”
“No.”
“Go see the old man,” Bennie said. “You’re his proudest achievement. Talks about you like you’re his son. I think while you were in the hospital, he lost a lot between his eyes because he didn’t have you to talk to.”
“Maybe,” David said, “he just got old.”
“Maybe,” Bennie said, slowly, to make sure David heard him precisely, “someone told him to fake it and he got too good at it.”
“Maybe,” David said, “someone was trying to save your life.”
“Maybe, maybe,” Bennie said. “Anyway. Go see him. Wait till I’m gone to do the other thing.”
David nodded. “What if some of your clients don’t take no for an answer?”
“Try not to get into a shooting war with the Triads,” Bennie said.
“That’s not who I’m worried about. There’s some people out there I don’t want to be showing my face to.”
“Let Ruben handle it,” Bennie said.
“All of it?”
“He’ll do what needs to be done,” Bennie said. “He didn’t get that thirteen tattoo on his chest because he’s not a killer. Need be, Barrio Naked City will earn their keep on the fucking payroll.”
“What about Jerry?” David said, testing the waters. David had wondered why he hadn’t heard from Bennie about the explosion. Now he understood. Hard to give a fuck about shit down the road when you’re facing your own dead end.
“Most of what he does is legal,” Bennie said. “You’ll speak to him. He’ll understand.” Bennie took another puff of his cigar but this time inhaled it all the way down, held it, then exhaled a huge plume of smoke into the air. Took down half of the orange juice, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Took a tiny bottle of cologne from his pocket, sprayed it all over himself. “If Rachel smells cigar smoke on me, she’ll fucking flip.”
“Drive with the window down and your head out the window, like a dog.”
“I’ve tried that. Doesn’t work.” Bennie pointed at David with his index finger and pinky, something he did, David had noticed, when he was trying to convey emotion without looking like a pussy. “Last thing, then we don’t talk about it in front of anybody. This whole thing. Everything we’ve been doing.” He lowered his voice, muttered, “Fuck.” Took his last sip of orange juice. “I know you don’t see it the way I do, but we built some shit out here that’s gonna last. Shit that’s good for the Jews, right? That’s the legacy I want to leave for my girls. That their fat fucking gangster of a father, who died with a limp dick, choking to death, bald as a fucking cue ball, in the end, he was making life better for them, specifically, but better for the Jews in general. That’s how I want them to think of me. If it weren’t for you, that wouldn’t be possible, is what I’m trying to say.”
“Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful,” David said.
“Shut the fuck up,” Bennie said. He stood up, brushed ashes off his pants, made his way through the sliding doors. He put out his cigar in David’s sink, tossed the butt down the disposal, let it run. David followed him inside, locked the sliding doors, tried to figure out this new algebra. With Bennie gone, it might be slightly easier to get out of town. But Bennie dying—and not by David’s hand—things got a lot more complex.
Bennie disappeared into the guest bathroom, presumably to go shit blood, so David spent a few minutes staring out the front window, watching the Israeli kid futz around in the front seat of David’s car. Moving the seat back and forth. Opening and closing the moonroof. Thumping the bass, lowering the bass. He was what stood between the Jews and the hordes?
“The fuck is that kid’s name?” David asked when Bennie came out.
“Avi.”
“He’s really IDF?
“Killing for your homeland for five years now.”
“Rabbi Kales takes a fall,” David said, “he’s not gonna come after me?”
“He’s not a cop,” Bennie said. “His loyalty is to whoever is paying his bills. Currently, that’s me. So, any troubles outside your purview, let Avi know. He can help. He knows you speak for me.”
“I didn’t even know that,” David said.
“Anyone need to tell Spock he was number two?”
“I’m a Star Wars guy.”
Bennie shook his head. “Always have an answer, don’t you? Rabbi Kales teach you that?”
“Streets taught me that.”
“I wish the streets had taught you to be an oncologist. That would be more helpful.”
“How long, you think?”
“I don’t think I’ll ever come back here,” Bennie said, “except in a box.”
“My advice then is find a suit you like,” David said, “then get six more just like it.”
This made Bennie actually laugh. “Time comes,” Bennie said, “you put me in the dirt. All of me, clear?”
“Time comes,” David said. “Every last bit of you.”
“And then get out of town, because I won’t be able to protect you anymore.”
