Summer Song Challenge, Day 28: Nate

Prompt: "A song that has a tempo change"

Selected by Nate

"Styrofoam Boots / It's All Nice on Ice, Alright"

Modest Mouse

The Lonesome Crowded West, 1997

I leaned against the side of a bodega eating turkey and mustard on a kaiser, watching the city's mass swirl toward and past me. I looked down at the circled number in Colleen's book, the one that matched the number the professor had given me, trying to sus out what this proved, if anything. Bare minimum, it seemed like this number was connected to who Colleen was planning to buy from, and that they were someone outside Reed's carte. That Colleen would give this number to one of her customers threw me. I knew she and Mimi were closer than dealer/buyer, but she had no specific connection to Gates that I knew. Didn't mean it wasn't there, but it felt off to me. Why would she cut herself out of his business, unless she was trying to get out, or maybe move on to a different clientele? Maybe he had something on her. I wasn't sure what to make of it, and I doubted Mimi had much information for me otherwise, but I still wanted to talk to her before I did the inevitable and called the mystery number. Might as well have as much information as I could find before walking into something I didn't understand.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled out my burner, saw the number of the Dominican restaurant beneath my apartment. "This is Eddie."

"Hi, Eddie? This is Bianca from El Rincon. You asked me to call?"

"Hi, Bianca, thanks for calling me back. I was talking to a bartender last night, were you working the day shift yesterday?"

"I was. Did you leave behind a credit card or something? They would have had it behind the bar last night but I can take a look?"

"No, nothing like that," I said, hoping this lie I was about to tell made sense. "I had a package taken from outside my apartment yesterday. I know the door up to the apartment is visible from the restaurant, and I know this is kind of a long shot, but I guess I was wondering if you might have seen anyone going up into the apartment who isn't usually around there?"

I heard the sounds of the restaurant in the background; silverware clinking on plates, specials being read over a low hum of ambient chatter.

"I don't know if you're new, or if you know who lives there or anything, so I get it, but I wanted to check."

Bianca made a noise, like clearing her throat. "I didn't see anyone with a package, or anyone who stood out as shady. I did see a good looking girl go up with two guys, and it stood out to me because they were only up there for a second before they came back down again. Nothing seemed weird about it besides how quickly they were up and down, maybe they were taking the package?"

"Maybe," I said, processing. "It was a pretty big box so that probably wasn't anything. I appreciate you trying though, thank you."

"Sorry I couldn't help!"

I hung up. Not much information there. Assuming Colleen was the good looking girl, all this told me was that she had been in my apartment. What was chilling was the idea that she wasn't there of her own direction, that maybe the message she left for me wasn't sincere, but a plant. Like someone wanted me out of the picture. But those guys could have easily been someone Colleen hired, or a different girl altogether. It didn't make me feel any better, but it didn't change the game at all. I threw out my sandwich and started walking toward the subway. Time to see if Mimi had anything else to muddy this picture. Then I'd have to make a phone call.

Schurz Park wasn't much of one, just a patch of grass, a couple of trees and an underwhelming playground, but that made it easy to find Mini when I got to the park. Despite it being the middle of the afternoon, Mini was dressed like she had just gotten out of bed; baggy pajama bottoms, a faded white tank top, a green T. Rowe Price baseball cap, giant moviestar sunglasses. She was sitting on a beach near the edge of the park, sipping on a giant iced coffee, watching her little white dog, Pincho, take a shit near a tree. I sat down on the bench next to her.