Court Day

The reflection in the shop window was as distorted as I felt. I could see a youngish woman with dark glasses and shaggy hair limping across the icy sidewalk. I turned away and hunched my shoulders against the cold. It was time to get inside somewhere warm and peaceful. A few months ago I’d found this little greasy spoon tucked away on a side street. They specialzed in souvlaky and philly cheese steak. Since I was generally a vegetarian I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew. That’s why I liked it here.

The place was almost empty. I took an empty booth in the back where I could ease my strech out the leg with the cast without tripping anyone. Settled in a booth with some coffee I washed a pain killer down on an empty stomach and mopped at my eyes. As I waited for the buzz, the waitress came by with a warm up and the promised glass of water. I’d eat later. The letter was still in my pocket but it could wait. I didn’t care to deal right now. A half hour later I was half way through the newspaper and was thinking of food when he came in.

He headed right for me and stood beside the booth glaring down at me until I gave up with a sigh. I could ask him how he found me but I wouldn’t get an answer. Dave was not the chatty type.

"You want something" I asked congenially?
"Yeah, I want to talk to you Karla".
"So, talk. And by the way, you should not be seen with me. This is not good" I reminded him.
He frowned and glared at me. "Take those glasses off".
"No. I have a headache. I get headaches when assholes cause trouble for themselves and then natter and nag at me. Especially when it goes on for days and days and days".
"Take `em off so we can talk. You can’t avoid this. You can’t wish it away" he said.
"If you want to talk to me you can start by sitting down and not trying to intimidate me. You know that never works for me" I said.

He stood there and glared at the letter protruding from my coat pocket. He could tell that I hadn’t opened it. I knew that would piss him off even more. He was the kind of guy that just couldn't let anything be. It had to be right now. I knew Dave and I knew that he wouldn’t budge until I gave him something. God, sometimes I wish I’d never met the man.
Trouble was I liked him. A lot. And what was worse, he knew it. But most women did go for him. He was the quintessential bad boy. Long hair, scars, biker tattoos, dark eyes, great lips and muscles to feast the eyes on. He was a real bundle of joy. He was also arrogant, pushy, overbearing, always flirting with the law and always mixing it up with women. And there were a lot of women.

And if he liked me I’d never know for sure. Though I’d known him for years I’d never glimpsed much of what went on below the surface. Reading him was like trying to see through black glass. All you got back was your own reflection.
Dave was usually a man of few words. He was in the habit of watching everything and everyone around him and saying as little as possible. And he liked to keep women in their place. I never knew where I stood with him. Fancy him wanting to talk to me. So I threw him a bone. I took my sunglasses off, carefully folded them and placed them on the discarded newspaper. Then I smiled at him. "You first" I said.

He glared some more and tried to stare me down. When he realized that I’d gone as far as I was willing to go he took his coat off and sat down. The waitress came by with the coffee pot.

"You should open that" he said gloomily.
"I know what it says".
"At least read it".

I opened the letter. It was from the courthouse. I was instructed to present myself to the office of blah, blah, blah. In short, I was a witness to certain events. I’d shown up at the wrong place at the wrong time when a whole lot of product was being moved. If I’d known in advance, I’d have made myself scarce. How did I know that he’d rent my camp, under his own name, and move that much pot? He was usually smarter than that.

I didn’t know that they were there that night. Dave and his friends were supposed to be at a concert 600 miles away. I’d heard that there were some problems with vandalism around the lake so I drove out to check on the place.
When I saw what they were doing I got back in my car and headed home. The police had blocked the road. When they stopped me I kicked up enough fuss to warn the camp. All the police found was a lot of packaging and some misc equipment. The “boys” had slipped away across the lake.

I was in the clear. I’d called the local police that day and inquired about problems around the lake. I’d even told them that my camp was empty and that I was going to drive up and check it out. And they told me to be careful.
But the RCMP had been watching. When I tried to leave they stopped me. After kicking up a fuss and making a lot of noise I claimed that someone had broken into my camp and insisted that they protect my property.

Now they knew that Dave had rented the camp. They knew we’d known each other for years. And they knew I’d been at the camp for at least 10 minutes. They wanted me to place him at the camp with the weed. I had to tell them something. I knew what contempt of court meant. And the weed had been on my property. If I told the truth, chances are Dave might do time. If I lied and they could prove it then it was my ass on the line. Right now it looked like it was my ass or his. And if they got his ass, they might try to grab me anyway. Nice place to be in. I had a headache.

"You know what Dave. Sometimes I really dislike you".
"Thanks for nothing. You shouldn’t have gone out there" he said.
"I was checking for vandals. And you were supposed to be in Winnipeg".

"Well plans change". He sagged then. The bluff and wind went right out of him. "I know that you can’t cover for me. I don’t blame you. You’ve got a lot to lose. I just want to know what you’re gonna say at the hearing. Maybe I can cover my ass somehow".
"Honestly, I don’t know how you live like this Dave. You live like this day after day. The stress must kill you. You don't need the money. I don't get it."
"If I get out of this one I’ll never cross that road again" he interated.
"Yes you will. You’re like me Dave. You’re a danger junkie. You don’t need the money. You’re in it for the thrills. You’ll be back at it the day after the hearing" I said with a smirk.
"Yeah". He sighed. "I probably will. I’ll need money to pay my lawyer. That guy’s a bloodsucker" he said. "They are all blood suckers".

I reached in my coat pocket for a Kleenex. I found one along with a handful of receipts. One receipt in particular caught my eye. It was a receipt for my new glasses and it was dated two days after my brush with the police. It stopped me dead.
"Did you go to Winnipeg Dave"?
"I’m not talking about what I did. I want to know what you plan to do".
"Stop being stupid. It’s bad enough that you’re here. If they see us together it won't look good. Now, did you go to Winnipeg" I asked him?
"Yeah, I was there" he said.
"Can you prove it" I asked? He looked at me for a minute and nodded.
"You’ve got receitpts....people saw you there"?
"Yeah, I came back early" he replied.
"Does anyone know that"? He shook his head. No.

"Good. Go talk to your lawyer. Tell him to insist that I provide the court with an up to date eye test. I waved the receipt at him. I broke my glasses on Friday. They were in the shop until Tuesday. Wilkes patched up an old pairs to get me through the weekend. I told the police that someone was in my camp. I never claimed to have been able to recongnize anyone". Then he started to smile.

The diamond earrings looked great with the outfit. I smoothed the lines of the silk blouse and picked up the jacket. I had to admit that I looked good. Now I know that I’m pushing 38 and with my problems I had to watch myself. The exercise, diet (and a little help from botox) I did not look my age. Technically, Dave was a younger man. Only by 3 years. But I was going to enjoy this evening immensely. Dinner, dancing and afterwards, who knows. As long as I didn’t take it to heart I’d be fine.