Pulling up in front of the meeting place, Artie revved the engine a couple of times to make sure they'd look out the window and see him. They did. Satisfied, he got out and went inside.

Carlos was leaning on a desk giving him the hairy eyeball and Artie knew how things were going to go down, but he had no choice. If he hadn't shown for the meet they'd have come for him, and kept on coming. There was nowhere to hide. This had to play out here and now. He walked to the middle of the room and looked at each of them in turn.

Ben wouldn't return his gaze. Harry was smirking at him, the bastard. That was Harry through and through. He'd really enjoy the evening. For a while, anyway. Artie smiled and didn't say a word.

Carlos gave him the evils for a minute longer, then spoke.

"Still got that nice ride, I see. Did you put the 350 Holley in it like you said you were gonna do?"

Artie smiled. "Sure did. Runs like a bandit. Maybe I'll let you spin it some time."

Carlos cocked his head. "Damn white of you, Artie. You know why you're here?"

"You called because you missed me?"

Carlos lost his grin. "Listen, asshole, this ain't no party. Me and the boys ain't happy about that last batch you cooked up for us. Word on the street is that it isn't up to standard. What's up with that?"

"That's bullshit, is what that is, Carlos. My guess is its Frankie putting the bad word in people's ears. He's got a problem with me, that's all."

Carlos moved around the table and put his arm around Artie's shoulder. "Artie, Artie, Artie. You wouldn't be trying to blow smoke up my ass, now would you?" He shifted and put both hands on Artie's shoulders and looked him the eyes.

"No, Carlos, I..."

Carlos head-butted him with all his might. Artie hit the floor like a 200-pound barbell. Walking around him in circles, Carlos went on. "You see Artie, I can't have my reputation getting all dirtied up, now can I?"

Artie groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Damn, Carlos, what the hell!"

Carlos reached down and pulled him to his feet. Harry came from behind and pinned him as Carlos rabbit punched him in the breadbasket hard and fast a couple of times. Artie could feel something tear, but he didn't make a sound. Ben stood to the side awaiting instructions.

"You see, Artie, you're costing me here. It's not like you're the only cook around. You've got a reputation, sure, but I can't help thinking you screwed me here. I don't like thinking somebody's screwed me, Artie.

Seeing the next punch coming, Artie rolled with it, feeling a couple of teeth loosening. He spit out blood.

"Ouch. That don't look so good, Artie. How you feelin'?" Artie smiled at Ben as best he could.

"Like a million dollars, Ben. Your girlfriend was real good to me last night."

Ben was faster than Artie had ever seen him. His fists were a blur. When he was done Artie was barely conscious. Carlos went to the desk for a glass of water and threw it in his face.

"Stay with me, sunshine. We're not through here. I want to know where the stuff is you made the last batch with. I need to see this with my own eyes."

Artie shook his head and looked up. "Sure, Carlos. It's all at my place. You remember how to get there?"

Carlos nodded. "Harry, Ben, tie him to that chair. We're gonna go for a ride."

Artie reached in his pocket and threw his keys to Carlos. "There's my house key, right next to the ignition key."

Carlos looked the keys over. "You know, I think we'll take that spin you offered, Artie. You won't be needing the car now, will you?"

Artie didn't say a word as they tied him up, he just glared at Carlos. They were laughing as they left, locking the door behind them, so they didn't see or hear Artie doing the same.

Five seconds later as Carlos turned the key in the ignition the blast blew out the windows and knocked the chair Artie was tied to across the room, smashing it and loosening the rope.

Artie got up painfully and headed for the back door. It was going to be a long walk back to town.

Lenny says i'm stupid. He says it all the time. Artie, he'll say to me, you know what your problem is? You're stupid. Then he laughs like a drain. I, of course have to laugh too. Lenny don't like it if I don't laugh.

Now me, I don't think i'm so dumb. I got ideas, see? I just keep most of them to myself. I think to myself that it's not good to be showin' your cards all the time. I figure that's part of the reason Lenny thinks i'm dumb. Take last April, for instance.

We were at this strip club in the East End and we're havin' a few beers and stuffin' tenners in the girls' g-strings, we're havin' a good 'ol time, like we do. Lenny is gettin' kinda loud and, you know, obnoxious, and the bartender is giving him the evils. Lenny don't like it when he gets the evils. I'm thinkin' there's gonna be trouble, so I tell him, hey, let's flush this toilet and find another joint. Now Lenny thinks it over and decides, yeah, what the hell, we can do that.

Is that so dumb? We avoided trouble. It was my idea. Anyway we pile into a cab and head down the strip for some more action. I'm always lookin' out for Lenny. Maybe it's because we go way back. We've known each other since high school, see? We even left together when we'd had enough of all that. That's when started dealin' dope and such. We never was ones for the nine to five life. Besides, you can't make no money at that sort of thing. Especially if you ain't got no education.

I love Lenny. I really do. He's my mate. Lemme tell ya about another time. We were doin' this deal with this guy we'd been introduced to. Said he was a real stand up guy. Me, I had a bad feeling, but Lenny says it's okay, we can do this thing. So we meet up at this abandoned warehouse he tells us about. We bring the money for the buy like the regular guys we are. We get there and he's got two other guys with him. Lenny says where's the stuff. He says where's the money. Me, my bad feeling is getting worse, but Lenny says show him the dough.

I walk over to this table and I open the case and show them. The guy reaches under the table like he's bringin' out the stuff, but i'm not buyin' it. I whip out my piece and ice him and the one on the right, Lenny takes out the one on the left. If Lenny had listened to me...well, anyway, like I said, I ain't so stupid.

The sons of bitches didn't even have nothin' on 'em, they were gonna do us and take the money. I won't even tell you what Lenny did to the guy who introduced us. It wasn't pretty. I heard he don't shit right no more. Damn shame, that. You gotta be careful is what. A lot of guys don't make it to retirement.

Some times I like to do things on my own. Lenny don't like that sort of thing, it's like he thinks he owns me or somethin'. Tells me i'm no good without him. I'm too stupid, i'll screw up, you know, like that. So I have to keep it on the down low when I step out on my own. If Lenny asks me where I been, I just tell him I had to take care of my mother. She's gettin' real old now and she needs me from time to time, and Lenny, bein' old school, don't give nobody grief about seeing after family, so it always works out. Like I said, I ain't so stupid.

I remember the time I bought him this really nice suit for his birthday. Had it tailor made for him. I lifted one of his suits so the tailor would know what to do. Lenny likes pinstripes, you see, so I tell the tailor to do something with that. I threw this big party for him, I even invited his favorite stripper to be the party favor, if you get my drift. Everything was goin' great until he opens my present. He looks at it and then throws it in my face. It's brown, he says. I don't wear no friggin' brown suit. Everybody was embarrassed for me, but I just told him how sorry I was, and that i'd make it ok. Me, I like brown. Whatdya gonna do?

So anyway, the reason i'm tellin' ya all this is because I want you to understand. Lenny and me, we're like this. I'd do anything for him. I don't mind so much about how he is. Other guys tell me I take too much from him, but I don't know. Anyway, I really thought it over for awhile. I decided maybe they were right, you know? So that's why the thing that happened last month happened.

It's like this. I had done one of my deals on the down low, like I do from time to time. It was a big buy, and I was kinda nervous goin' in on my own, but i've dealt with these guys before and it ain't never been a problem. So I do this thing, and it's all good, but when i'm going back to my place, I get this idea. Because i'd been thinkin' about what everybody had been sayin' about Lenny and me. Lenny wanted to go out on the town that night like we do , and well, I just sorta got this idea in my head.

I knew Lenny wanted to play some poker in the back room at this club we like. This guy I know told me the cops were onto the operation and it would be a good idea to lay low on all that for awhile. Says he thinks a raid might go down that night. I told him thanks. I asked him if there was a quick way out if the place got raided while we were there. He told me about this door behind a curtain at the back of the room that was supposed to be alarmed but it wasn't. That's when I go my idea. Because, you know, I ain't stupid. No matter what Lenny says.

Anyway, we go to the club and sure enough Lenny wants to play some poker. We give the password and they let us in the back room. Me, I can't concentrate, i'm thinkin' hard. I tell Lenny I gotta take a leak. He'd taken off his jacket and hung it on the back of the chair like he does. When I came back to the table, I slipped a little something in his pocket.

Well, sure enough, the place gets raided. Me, I see them comin' in and I run for the door at the back. I thought about grabbing Lenny, I really did, but you know, Lenny needed time to think. So I left him there. With an ounce of China White heroin in his jacket pocket. Lenny is doing ten years. He's not happy with me, he swears I did him.

You know what? I just want to make it all square between us. That's why I did it. I'm gonna visit him every week, and i'm gonna tell him how it's gonna be when he gets out. See, he can't do nothin' to me while he's in there, and I figure i've got ten years to make him see the light.

I'm doin' this for Lenny. Because we're like this.