Harry had his right leg in a cast as well as his right arm which was bent and the cast went up to his shoulder. Both were in traction. His left eye was swollen closed and his jaw wired shut. What was left of him that wasn’t covered in bandages was black and blue. The Peanut had done a job on him.
EJ was lifting a glass of liquid to Harry’s lips and Detective George was standing on the other side of the bed reading the Milwaukee Journal as I stepped through the door.
“Harry, you look like shit from the eyes down.” I said as I limped into the room leaning my cane against the wall and flopping down on the last empty chair in the room.
“I feel like shit too,” Harry mumbled.
“What?”
“He said he feels like shit too.” EJ repeated.
EJ was sitting on a chair next to the bed. Her left eye was black and her jaw was swollen but otherwise she fared the best of us in the brawl that was more of a free for all than an arrest attempt.
Harry and I had been admitted to Milwaukee County Hospital two weeks ago after nearly being killed by Jimmy The Peanut before EJ came to our rescue by almost removing The Peanut’s scrotum with her right hand causing him to run screaming into the street where Detective George dropped him with one shot ending what was the worst nightmare in the city of neighborhoods history.
“How are you feeling, Max?” EJ asked.
I couldn’t believe she asked. After the shock wore off I replied, “I hurt like hell and I keep pissing blood. I think I’m about a quart low now. I hope it stops soon.”
“Well, we want to thank you for your help Max. We didn’t think it would turn out the way it did. But at least none of the good guys got whacked.” EJ said.
It was nice knowing she now considered me one of the good guys. I don’t know how long that will last, probably until she caught me leering at her chest again, but, after seeing what she did to The Peanut, and now knowing she had a sixth sense when it came to someone looking at her, I didn’t think I would be doing any leering any time soon. Plus my tongue still hurt like hell where she bit down on it while we were kissing at The Castaways Bar.
“You just missed Eloise,” EJ said. She stopped by to see how Harry was doing. She said she has a new job.”
I hadn’t seen Eloise for the entire time I was recuperating and I figured she was through with me. The only visitors were Marcello, Rocco and Hap. Marcello stopped by with a get well card and a plate of Mildred’s cookies and her wishes for a speedy recovery. I was touched.
Rocco and Hap smuggled a pint of brandy in to help ease my pain. I guess they didn’t want to add to it and tell me that Eloise was gone.
Hap told me Casper was still waiting to see me whenever I was up and around again.
“They went through The Peanut’s house and came away with a couple of boxes of stuff he took from his victims,” Detective George said.
“They were digging near a shed in his backyard and uncovered a couple of severed heads that more than likely will be tied to our victims.
It’s in the Journal Max. I’m surprised you didn’t write about it, he said. We released it to all the papers. The Sentinel will have it front page tomorrow morning.”
Chet set down the paper and smiled at me.
“I’m on a leave of absence Chet,” I replied.
“I couldn’t type if my life depended on it.” I realized I just left myself open for a jab but nobody took it. Of course Harry had his jaw wired shut and for some reason, EJ was being nice to me. I would savor it while it lasted. I’m sure it wouldn’t be long before I said or did something that set her off on ol’ Max once again. But for now it just felt good to be considered one of the good guys by these cops, which I always considered myself to be anyway.
“Oh, we also found Tampa Ray Palermo’s body behind Ciro’s Italian Restaurant on Bluemound Road this past Tuesday. He was shot up pretty good. He was lying there in the garbage. It must have been some sight when the cook found him,” Chet said before he turned and walked out of the room.
I was getting tired of watching EJ fawning all over Harry so I left as well.
I drove to Rocco’s to grab a drink and see what I missed the past couple of weeks.
When I walked in the door I noticed Hap leaning on the bar talking to another young lady who looked like she was young enough to be his daughter. I pulled out a bar stool and laid my cane on the bar and took off my coat. I wasn’t wearing my Colt Belly Gun as it hurt like hell when it rubbed against my sore body. When Hap saw me he kissed his young friend on the cheek and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh and he walked over to me at the end of the bar. He started pouring me a brandy manhattan on the rocks and said, “How ya’ doin’ pardner?”
“Just fine, Hap, just fine.”
“Great, welcome back. I have a sweet little thing over there waiting for me to get off work and then we are going to her place to watch The Ed Sullivan Show. She has a cute roommate if you want to join us.”
“Not tonight Hap. I think I still need some time to recover. If I took off my shirt, the little lady might faint, and not because of my muscles and flat belly, but because of all the black and blue skin.
Casper would be envious of the number The Peanut did on me.”
“Alright, suit yourself little buddy. It’s good to have you back.”
“Thanks Hap.”
As I took the first sip of my manhattan, The Raja Began singing Johnny Mathis’ Chances Are a favorite song of Eloise’s that we used to make love to. It brought back sweet memories.
I leaned back and closed my eyes and smiled.
It was good to be home again.