Tony Dunbar - Tubby Dubonnet 06 - Lucky Man by Tony Dunbar

you.”
    “In your dreams. Oh, there’s Twila.” Sapphire leaned over the table, collecting bread crumbs with her ample bosom, and tapped on the glass. She caught the attention of the freckle-faced loiterer.
    Twila brightened in recognition and hurried into the restaurant, pushing through the line of people waiting for takeout.
    “I’ve been looking for you,” she told Sapphire breathlessly. “I’ve got a line on that creep. I met a girl who works for him.”
    Raisin was not sure which creep she meant. He hid behind his sandwich and took a large bite. It was Italian sausage, dressed with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles.
    “The guy who puts the ads in the paper?”
    “Yeah. I asked around like you told me to, and one of the girls at the Tomcat Inn recognized him from the description. She’s even been to a party at his house, though it was all straight and aboveboard according to her.”
    “My name is Raisin,” Raisin said.
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t introduce you. Twila is a friend of mine for as long as I’ve lived in the Quarter.”
    “Our cats are best friends,” Twila said.
    “That’s a bond,” Raisin agreed.
    “Who is the guy?”
    “I don’t know his name, but this girl Bonnie does. She hangs out with a rave crowd, if you know what I mean. She’ll be at their concert tonight. She’s one of the drummer’s groupies. That’s the best place to find her.”
    “Oh, boy,” Sapphire said. “I can’t wait to catch that guy Harrell.”
    “What are you going to do when you find him?” Raisin asked.
    “You can punch him out for me.”
    “If that’s what you want, I’m your guy.” Raisin might have been serious.
    “Or at least tell him we know what he’s doing and we’re going to turn him over to the cops if he keeps putting those advertisements in the newspapers.”
    “Punching him out might have a greater effect,” Raisin said.
    “But I mainly want to see him in the light of day and just walk right up to him and tell him what a true asshole he is. Will you go with me to find Bonnie?” She was addressing Raisin.
    “Why not?” He checked his watch. “I’ve got time.” It would soon be happy hour. He could handle anything after that.
    ***
    Tubby’s plan to cook a special meal for Faye had boiled itself down to picking up a couple of porterhouse steaks at Langensteins to grill in the backyard. First, he had in mind that they would sit outside and eat some cheese and maybe drink a beer; make that lemonade.
    He saw Faye’s hippie van when he pulled into his driveway. He had left a key under the mat for her, and she was already inside, poking around in the kitchen.
    “You keep a strange pantry,” she told him. Tubby dropped his briefcase on a chair.
    “You mean empty?”
    “I mean five gallons of olive oil, a huge bag of pistachio nuts, the biggest jar of crushed garlic I’ve ever seen, five kinds of cheese, and two honeydew melons. That’s about it. What do you live on?”
    “What you just said. That’s what I eat.” He was a little embarrassed.
    “Do you have a name for this diet?”
    “Yeah, ‘Garlic-lusters.’ Have you ever heard of that?”
    “No. Does it involve a beer? Because I’d like one.”
    Tubby fetched a Coke from his grocery bag and offered it apologetically. She shrugged and accepted it with a smile. He got a ginger ale for himself.
    “What time do you have to get back to your meeting?”
    “There’s a film on at eight o’clock that I’m supposed to see.”
    “Has the conference been worthwhile so far?”
    “I suppose. What they’re saying we already knew. If everybody lived in a place where they were fed and loved, most of the world’s problems would disappear.”
    “Do you think it’s really that simple? Aren’t some people just bad?”
    “Yes, there are bad people,” she said thoughtfully, “but I still believe love can help most of us.”
    She stood at the back door and looked through the glass at the leaves in the fading sunlight.
    “You