Long Way Down by Paul Carr Read Free Book Online Page A

Sam.
    Back in the room Sam found Candi in a short hotel robe, standing next to one of the beds, pulling back the spread. Her legs were tanned and beautiful. The pony tail gone, her damp hair hung loosely around her face. Her skin glowed from the heat of the shower. The bathroom door stood open. Shower steam and the smell of expensive soap floated on the air, making Sam’s head feel light as a helium balloon.
    He set the bottle on the table and glanced at Candi. “How about a drink?”
    She looked at the bottle and smiled. “Okay.”
    Sam picked up the plastic bucket and started for the door. “I need to get some ice.”
    When he returned, Candi had glasses on the table and the bottles open. He filled the glasses with shaved ice and made the drinks. Handing her one, they sat down opposite each other, the little round table separating them by only a couple of feet. Sam hoisted his glass in a toast.
    “Here’s to being alive.”
    The image of the dead waitress flashed into his head and he felt a twinge of guilt. Candi must have read his mind; she gave him a smile and held up her own glass.
    “Alive in Miami Beach.”
    Candi drank half of her drink, then set the glass on the table. She looked at Sam and swept her hair from across her eye with her fingers.
    Sam managed a slow smile and took a drink of the gin and tonic. She had natural beauty, even with wet hair and no makeup, but it made him feel like an amateur flutist, charming a cobra from a basket.
    “So,” Candi said, “Tommy didn’t say much about you. How did he know you, anyway?”
    Sam told her the story about his friend who owed Tommy the money, and about how they had come to an understanding.
    “Yeah, that sounds like Tommy, actually a pretty nice guy. You know, all those years he hung around, he never made a pass at me. There were a few guys who did, and they didn’t stay around long if he found out about it. I’m going to miss him. I really am.”
    Candi looked as if she might be in another place, but then took another gulp from the glass and drained it. Mixing herself another drink, she looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He tossed his drink back and set the glass down for her to fill it up.
    Tommy Shoes had done some bad things in his life, but Candi didn’t seem to know about that. She probably liked the funny shoes, the slick hair and the cool dialogue.
    “You been in Miami a long time?” Sam said.
    “Yep. All my life, except when I went off to college.”
    “Where did you go to college?”
    “Berkeley. I majored in accounting.”
    Sam smiled. “Accounting?”
    Candi tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.
    “Yeah, my dad worked as an accountant. What’s wrong with that?”
    “Were you planning to follow in his footsteps?”
    “Is that supposed to be some kind of wisecrack?”
    Sam shook his head, realizing he treaded in dangerous territory.
    “No...I just can’t quite picture you poring over ledgers and stuff like that.”
    “Yeah, well, I’m actually pretty good at accounting. The only problem is, I hate it.”
    Sam gave her a questioning look.
    “Philly always said everybody needs something solid to fall back on.”
    Sam nodded. Pretty funny, advice like that coming from a guy who probably had worked unsavory angles most of his life.
    “So,” Candi said, “what are we going to do?”
    “Too early to say. Lots of things to consider.”
    “But you do have a plan, though, right?”
    “Oh, yeah, of course,” Sam lied.
    Candi gave him a “Don’t kid me” look and drank the remainder of her second drink.
    They talked for another thirty minutes and had two more drinks. Then Candi stood up.
    “I’m going to bed.” She went into the bathroom and stayed for a couple of minutes, came out and padded over to Sam. Leaning over, she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. She tasted like mint.
    She walked to the bed, stopped and looked at the floor for a few seconds, as if contemplating something.
    “I guess Tommy knew you pretty