The Sin Bin by Tony Black

a stack of papers on me and next I know I've got a restraining order
and he's saying I harassed his daughter.'
    'That it?'
    'No, man ... he's suing my ass.'
    'You spoke to this girl of his?'
    'Man, yeah, 'course ... but nice, like … fuck, this is
Miami, I ain't looking for no aggravation. I had enough of that thirty years
renting Pintos to fat ass out-of-towners.'
    'This restraining order ... what did it say?'
    Eddie sighed, lowered his eyes, rapid-fired on the Bud,
'That's the worst.' He put down the beer and stared at his palms like the
answer was written there. 'Claims I sexually approached her.'
    Mike banged the table. The dancing girl fell over. The
candle went out. 'The low motherfucker!'
    Eddie stayed silent. He looked at his oldest friend, his
one remaining relic from childhood. He knew the look on his face, he'd seen it
before. It was like back in '68 when he took the Louisville slugger to the
basketball court, took down five, six guys who'd welched on a drags bet.
    'Eddie, here's what you do — the next letter he sends
you, you wipe your ass on it.'
    ' What? '
    Mike grabbed Eddie's arm, there was darkness in his
eyes, Eddie had never seen this look before. The thirty years that had passed
before they'd hooked up again held some blind spots ... he understood that now.
'Okay, okay ... but, then what?'
    Mike released his arm, 'I'll keep you posted.'
    ****
    A pool-side party was in full swing as Mike pulled
up outside Eddie and Gloria's condo. It was a neat set-up, he thought.
Sun-dried adobe brick, bit of a hacienda feel happening. Nice. He could see why
Eddie had sprung for the condo, made their old stomping ground on the Lower
East Side look just like the hell on Earth it surely had been.
    He lowered his mirrored Ray-Bans and scoped his friend's
home. Looked quiet; drapes shut. No one home? Or, if they were, keeping totally
out of sight. No way to live, thought Mike. Not at all. Not for an old friend
of his.
    He retrod the times Eddie had shared his lunchpail with
him when they were kids. Mike could still remember how it felt to have an empty
belly. But he'd worked out of that world; so had Eddie, he deserved better.
    There was some dance music playing. Loud as all hell.
Mike was five-hundred yards from the pool but he could still make out every
line of Marky-frickin-Mark's Good Vibrations . It was obviously a track
daddy's girl enjoyed. 'Yeah, do it, do it ...' said Mike.
    Pullman appeared: 'You want I should grab the slut?'
    'Slut?' said Mike.
    'Yeah, she's a slut, look the way she's dancing ...
that's filth, man!' The girl was groin-grinding two beach bums, surfer-types
with blonde bangs and over-tanned complexions. 'She's gonna have those guys
dicks out like two ski-poles any minute, wait see.'
    Mike took off his shades, 'She's some piece of work
alright.'
    'Look, now ...' She took off her bikini top and tweaked
at her erect nipples, the surfers poured beer on her breasts and she encouraged
them to lick it off, 'See, I fucking told you!'
    'Sexual suit, huh?' said Mike.
    'Come again?'
    Mike put his shades back on and walked to the SUV.
    'Yo, boss ... you want I should snatch her?'
    'What for?'
    'Take her to the border ... make her suck Mexican dick
for a month — fifty cents a throw! ... See how loud she wants to play fucking
Marky Mark then.'
    Miami Mike gunned the engine and motioned Pullman to get
in.
    ****
    Daddy had a practice on the sweet side of the
street. Old colonial mansion, painted white and bathed in sunlight. If there
was royalty in Miami, they'd keep a joint like this. But Mike knew there was no
royalty in Miami. Not the type with crowns and robes anyway. The royalty he
knew carried Mossbergs in the trunk and hired people like Pullman to fire them.
    The lawyer wore a light linen suit, black shirt beneath
with a flower-print tie. He topped the outfit off with red-toed cowboy boots.
    'That's our man,' said Mike.
    'You sure?' asked Pullman, 'Motherfucker looks like Boss
Hogg!'
    'That's him.'
    Mike