Alligator by Shelley Katz Page A

himself.
    Lee looked up in surprise when he heard the clink of keys and saw Thompson opening the door. It was clear from the look on Thompson's face that he was so enraged that he couldn't even speak. Finally he sighed. "What the fuck good is it havin' a police department anyway. This whole damned world's bein' run by criminals and their liberal flunkies."
    "What's the matter, Sheriff, can't hold me?"
    Thompson grabbed Lee by the collar. For a moment, it looked as if the blood vessel in his temple was going to burst. "That's right, smartass, can't hold ya. But I'll tell ya one thing I can do. I can fix it so'd ya'll never get another job in this whole state. No, let me take it back, in all the states, including Alaska, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia, ever. Ya understand me?" He let loose of Lee reluctantly.
    Lee strained against the anger pounding in his head and tried to retain some semblance of his shredded dignity. He smiled cockily. "I'll keep that in mind."
    "Don't ya worry, boy. I'll be there to remind ya some."
    Thompson watched Lee leave. His vein was pounding, and his throat was just about closed off with mucus. He coughed up a huge wad of phlegm and spat it into the wastebasket. It was his final comment on the situation.
    Well, if they were giving out medals for being cool, he certainly deserved one, Lee thought as he walked down Homestead Street toward the edge of town. He probably was the coolest asshole in town, maybe the world.
    He was left with two alternatives in this life. He could take action and go sit in the middle of the street, put his arms around his head and let a car run him down now, or he could wait for them to make the first move. Either way, his future left something to be desired. Lee kicked at a stone and sent it skipping into the oncoming traffic. A large semi, which was barreling up the street, rolled over the stone and sent it skipping back. It missed Lee by inches. He saw it as an omen.
    What was called for was a little clear thinking. Lee tried to impose some logic on himself, but it wasn't easy. His mind was anything but logical. Having the sheriff as an enemy wasn't going to make things any easier from now on, he thought. He had enough trouble getting clients as it was.
    What he needed was a plan. Lee sifted through the millions of conflicting thoughts that were clamoring for his attention. He could leave town, go to Miami, and try living under an alias. He snickered to himself. That was a great plan. He was well suited for a life in the city. Plan two: He could go to the general and throw himself on his mercy. So sorry about your son. It was all my fault, for not pointin' up to you his remarkable resemblance to a five-hundred-pound bear. Plan three: He could go home, propose to Cindy, and live off her wages from cleaning restrooms at the Rod and Gun. He couldn't even laugh at that.
    As Lee was imagining the rosy future that lay ahead, he spotted Orville Levi rushing down the street toward him. Lee checked his instinct to duck into the closest available building. Running away from his creditors at this point in his life was not the best idea.
    Levi screeched to a halt in front of Lee and blocked all escape routes.
    "Heard you had a little trouble," he said, forcing his sweaty face into Lee's.
    "Somethin' like that." Lee shifted from foot to foot uneasily. His mind might have told him not to run, but his body didn't agree. It was gearing up for the forty-yard dash.
    "Now I hope you don't expect this to change our little arrangement," continued Levi. "I like to help a friend every once in a while, but I can't have them welching on me. Let's see, how much is it you owe?" There was no question in Lee's mind that Levi knew the exact sum to the penny. "Around five hundred, isn't it?"
    "Five hundred and twelve, to be exact, or twenty-five dollars a week, payable on Monday."
    "Well, now that you mention it, that's just what I wanted to talk to you about." Levi was uncomfortable. He liked his