A Firing Offense by George P. Pelecanos Read Free Book Online Page A

waving and in a quickly lowered voice, added, “You piece of shit.”
    The customer smiled, waved back, and disappeared down the Avenue.
    “Good close, Johnny,” Louie said.
    McGinnes shook his head and said, “
Putz.
”
    McGinnes, Malone, Louie, Lloyd, and I were standing in a circle near the counter. McGinnes had his arms folded. Louie leaned against a “stack and sell” microwave oven display with his hands in his pockets. Malone had just lit a Newport and was blowing the first heavy drag towards Lloyd, who stood awkwardly in forced casualness with his hip cocked, the pipe hanging from the side of his mouth like some comic-strip hillbilly.
    “Yeah,” Malone said slowly, “looks like I might be top dog around here this month.” He gave McGinnes a sidelong glance and held it there rather theatrically.
    McGinnes said, “The month ain’t over yet, Jim.”
    Lloyd jumped in with, “I’m having a pretty good month myself.”
    “Yeah,” McGinnes said, “for a guy who couldn’t sell a lifeboat on the
Titanic,
you’re having a good month.”
    Lloyd blinked hard and pulled the crucifix out and away from his chest, holding it gently as if Christ himself were still upon it. “I wouldn’t really expect you guys to understand, but there’s more to life than closing deals and spasmating your genitals.”
    Malone ran an open hand across his own crotch and said, “Maybe so, but I plan on spasmatin’ these motherfuckers tonight, Jack.” He and McGinnes gave each other skin and chuckled. Louie snorted but didn’t look up.
    Lloyd smiled hopelessly and shook his head. “Anyone want coffee?”
    “Yeah, get me some java while you’re out,” Malone said, then fanned away Lloyd’s outstretched hand. “I‘ll get you tomorrow, hear?” Lloyd left the store, looking something like a human scarecrow.
    “Thank you, Jeeesus,” McGinnes said.
    “Now that Numbnuts is gone,” Louie said, “maybe we can talk a little business. You girls don’t mind, do you?”
    McGinnes looked my way and smiled impishly. His eyes were slightly glazed, undoubtedly the result of several more trips to the stockroom.
    “I got a call from the office today,” Louie continued. “The Boy Wonder’s been looking at his computer again. ‘Profit margins have eroded, competition’s fierce,’ blah, blah, blah. Bottom line is, we’ve got to start selling more service policies, and I mean now. Anything you guys have to do to get the job done, you do it. If a customer refuses the policy, reduce the product price on our copy of the ticket, then add the service policy back into it to bring the total up to its original amount—
after
they’ve left the store, understand?”
    “What if the customer finds out later they ‘bought’ a policy they didn’t want?” McGinnes said.
    “I’ll handle the complaints,” Louie said with a hard stare at McGinnes, “like I always do.” He glanced out the window. “Now you all have a nice day, and write some business. In case the office calls, I’m out for the rest of the day, shopping the competition.” Then he was gone, out onto the sidewalk and heading south with his short-man’s swagger.
    McGinnes and Malone split up, Malone heading back to the relative darkness of the Sound Explosion. McGinnes had picked up a sales call and was gesturing with his hands as he talked into the phone. I went around the counter and dialed Patti Dawson’s number on another line.
    “Pat Dawson’s desk,” her assistant said.
    “Is Patti in?”
    “She’s away from her desk.”
    “When you see her, tell her Nick Stefanos called.”
    A pause, then, “She’s back at her desk now. Hold please.”
    I held for at least a minute and listened to New Age whale music. Finally Patti picked up.
    “Where you at, lover?” she said.
    “In hell.”
    “Back on the Avenue, huh? What’s going on?”
    “Some free-lance work I couldn’t get away with in the main office. I figure I can get the job done from here, with your