baron & crow serial: chapter four

-----The detritus that filled my mind quickly flooded over filling the room. I should have been on my toes when I had a chance, but redheads had always done something for me and whatever that something was I was always left with a loss. I should have kept my eyes open for better things than a pair of legs.
----- Taking the envelope out of my pocket I looked closely at the information that Prima Ballerina had given me, hoping to find an answer, all that I was left with was a lot of questions. It became clear to me that in the midst of all of those questions there was only one that mattered. Which question it was, I had no idea.
-----The door opened, and Ivan stepped in followed by a couple of goons, one pushing a service tray.
-----"I hope that I didn't keep you too long."
-----"So what's the deal?" I asked.
-----"You tell me. You're the one that wanted to see me."
-----"And now that I've seen you, I'm happy. Let's finish things off."
-----"You shouldn't be so anxious," he moved towards me. "You’re going to give yourself a heart attack. I have something for you."
-----The goon with the service tray came forward and pulled the lids off of the plates.
-----"I've got Wellfleet, Bluepoint and Kumamotos. You've got to get off of the French fries. Help yourself."
-----I moved cautiously towards the tray.
-----"After you," I turned to him.
-----"Suit yourself." He downed one oyster after another with a passion. Now, more assured, I followed his lead.
-----"What do I have to thank such largesse on?" I asked after letting a Blue Point slither down my throat.
-----"I'm going to be honest with you. I was none too thrilled when you called me here. I had to miss the Yankees. They’re playing the Red Sox and I love watching nuisances being eliminated.”
-----“I could never stand the Yankees.”
-----He was silent.
-----"So what's this, Ivan, my last meal?"
-----"You wish." He handed my gun back to me. "I got a phone call from Sister and Brother."
-----"What are they up to?"
-----"They're still looking for their parents."
-----"They should give it up."
-----"Maybe. Maybe not. They said that you spoke to Prima Ballerina."
-----"She thought that we should get together, and chew the proverbial fat."
-----"I prefer oysters. You should never trust that old bat. She broke Nijinsky's heart."
-----I swallowed the last Kumamoto. I could have gone for a beer. I had my gun, and wondered why Ivan had decided to keep me alive. I wanted to get the answer so that I could get a drink.
-----"Alright," I looked at him. "Let's cut to the chase."
-----"There you go again with that anxiousness of yours. It’s bad for digestion.”
-----“I don’t give a damn about my digestion, or my heart. What’s the deal?”
-----“You've got info from Prima Ballerina, and I've got info from Sister and Brother. I've decided to let you live, and now you are working for me."
-----"I don't work for anyone, and as for the info that Prima Ballerina gave me, don't you think that it would be easier to just do me in, and take it for yourself?" I took out the envelope.
-----"What's the point of having the info if I don't know the question."
-----I smiled. If he thought that I knew the question then I would play it to the hilt. Once I figured it out, Ivan would have another thing coming, but until then I'd have to play things with a straight face, not letting on that I was holding a lousy hand, and that I knew nothing.

baron & crow serial: chapter three

---------The last place on earth where I would want to find myself is in an empty room. Empty rooms fill up quickly with detritus in all of its unsavory forms. I’d take a packed stadium any day over an empty room. The only thing worse than an empty room is an empty room with Ivan in it, if I were to meet Ivan there would have to be a crowd around, and even then things could get dicey. I would have suggested Shea, but the Mets were having a rough time of it and I wasn’t going to go out to Queens with Ivan to listen to the crickets chirp. As for the Yankees, there was no way that you would find me wasting time on 161st Street. Grand Central would have to do.
---------I told Ivan to meet me there during the evening rush. I didn’t give him any specifics on where exactly in the station this would take place. I’d find him, he didn’t need to worry.
---------The place was getting crowded. I took a spot upstairs, out of view of the melee in the Grand Lobby where I could watch the movement of the Metro North commuters.
---------Time passed, but I was in no rush. I reveled at the chaos that was ensuing below; the businessmen late for their trains, bloated and out of breath, the trains late for the businessmen who would now miss out on the cocktail hour up in Westchester or Greenwich, or wherever they were heading, and most importantly the legs of all the beautiful young ladies who were looking their best for work-a-day Manhattan.
---------I was focused on the legs of a gorgeous redhead when I felt the barrel of a gun pushed against the small of my back.
---------“I thought that you were going to find me.”
---------“I thought the same,” I said, still watching the redhead below. “But this is a refreshing change-up. You made things a hell of a lot easier on me.”
---------Ivan began to frisk me.
---------“Is that necessary?” I asked.
---------“It’s better safe than sorry,” he said almost in a whisper.
---------“That’s true. I’ve got a gun in the right hand pocket of my coat. All that you needed to do was ask.”
---------He took my gun and stepped back. I turned towards him.
---------“You’re looking good.”
---------“Thanks.” He kept his gun on me. “My wife, she’s been on my ass. She started in on me for getting fat, and how the extra weight really wasn’t appealing, so I’ve been working out.”
---------“It’s a good woman that you have, Ivan. Someone needs to keep you in line.”
---------“How about you?”
---------“I’ve been surviving off of French fries.”
---------“French fries are one of the prime causes of heart attacks. They’re right up there with cheeseburgers, pierogies and schnitzel,” Ivan stated with concern.
---------“All things I adore. Do you want to go outside for a smoke?”
---------“That would invalidate the whole point of meeting in Grand Central. Come with me.”
---------We made our way to an elevator, and headed up. When we got off the noise of the lobby was not to be heard.
---------“I didn’t realize that Grand Central had so many floors,” I said, unnerved by the calm of the surroundings.
---------“Most people don’t. That’s the charm of the place. I was delighted when you suggested that we meet here. Although, I do have tickets for the Yankees tonight. It would have been pleasant to have gone up to the Bronx. You could have gotten yourself some fries.”
---------“The game doesn’t start for another hour. We can still go downstairs and catch the express and be there before they start singing The Star Spangled Banner.”
---------“That we could,” Ivan said as he unlocked the door to a room at the end of the hallway. “But you hate the Yankees, and I wouldn’t want to put you through that.”
---------He pushed me into the room. It was empty.