"Henrique!" Mr. Diortti beamed when the plainclothes policeman came in the door, "How are you today?"
"Fine, thank you, Don." Henrique looked concerned.
"Ah! Something is troubling you! I can tell. What is it?"
Henrique looked at him for a long moment. Mrs. Diortti noted the silence and came over, wiping her hands on a towel and looking worried also.
Henrique leaned forward, "We have reason to believe that all the mob activity in the city is unifying in response to the continued pressure from the police department."
"You have them on the ropes then!" Mr. Diortti exulted, "They are worried!" He slapped his hand on the counter, "First Cornazon, now this!"
"Right, although we don't know who all of a sudden got worried and decided to get everyone together." He nodded toward the copy of The Independent lying on the countertop, with headlines shouting the news of three mob-leader related slayings.
"Bah! Slime killing slime! Let them do it to themselves rather than force the taxpayer to pay for the rope to hang the lot!"
"Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the word on the street has it that this particular street has gotten some attention. You happen to know why?"
"Umm, perhaps." Mrs. Diortti said guardedly, eyes flicking from Henrique's face to something outside, in front of the store.
"Well, it doesn't take a genius to look at the police blotter and note that the crime rate is down on this street. And I've seen three, umm, individuals with suspected mob connections walking around with splints on their fingers and avoiding this street as if it was guarded by the devil himself." Henrique looked at them closely, "Taking the law into your own hands may feel good, but it's no way to run a city."
"Me?" Mr. Diortti looked at him, surprised, "What makes you think an old, unassuming snackshop owner like me can scare the likes of those hoodlums?" He laughed, "I wish I had the bite to match my bark!"
Henrique grinned, "Ya old warhorse! Could you blame me for suspecting you?" He shook his head and waved at the street, "I wish everyone else on this street had as much fire as you. I've been telling everyone, and they start shaking!"
"Even Frank?" Mr. Diortti asked. Frank was the proprietor of the local Irish pub a few doors up the street.
"He's concerned, of course. You two are the pillars of resistance on this street."
"You think Frank's doing it?" Mr. Diortti asked, lowering his voice. Mrs. Diortti glanced at him with a look that said, "What the hell are YOU doing?!?!"
"No. If he did, he'd have started a long time ago. Something new has been added to this street, and I'm damned to figure out what." Henrique straightened when the chime on the door tinkled, signalling a customer entering. He turned to leave.
The girl walked in and tried to slip by Henrique, throwing a glance at him.
"YOU'RE new!" Henrique said, looking at her.
Mr. Diortti chuckled. "You want the usual, dear?" Mrs. Diortti asked her.
"Yes, ma'am."
"I'd like a taco special." Henrique said suddenly, "My usual too."
"Of course Henrique."
The girl went to the back booth and sat down. Henrique followed her and sat down across from her, "Hello."
"Hello officer." she replied.
"You know me?"
She shrugged, "I saw you haul away that robber the other day." she replied.
"Hmm, yes. Who are you waiting for leaning on that lamp post outside?"
She cocked her head slightly to one side, then the other, "Umm, friends."
"Friends. I see. And what do you do with such, umm, friends?"
"Renew friendships."
"For a price, I suppose?"
"I have nice friends." she replied, "Nothing illegal about making my friends happy and them helping me out once in a while, is there?"
Henrique chuckled, "Now THAT has to be the best alibi for prostitution that I've ever heard!"
She smiled, "Are you accusing me of being a whore and a street walker?" she asked sweetly.
"You're unique, that's for sure. I kinda watched you in action last night."
"And?" she asked him.
"You've got a lot of, umm, friends."
Mr. Diortti laughed at something. Mrs. Diortti shushed him.
"Kid, you look like someone who stepped right out of a very nice home and loving family into a situation that's ruining you, and will end up killing you some day. I suppose that's the unique angle you present. Sleep with the girl next door. That is, when you're not busting thieves."
She perked up.
"Oh yes. We found prints on the gun of the twerp I took in. Prints from hands as small as yours, and not matching any we have on file." He smiled, "My dear, this isn't your old police force or police chief any more."
"Don't I know it!" she muttered.
"Actually, our very first thought was an army vet coming home to clean the place out."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. No match, though."
The girl sighed, "I wish you had."
"You know something?"
Mrs. Diortti came by with two baskets of food. She put them in front of the two of them, "No charge." she said.
The girl threw a glance up at Mrs. Diortti and sighed, "I wish you wouldn't do that."
Mrs. Diortti turned to Henrique, "Talk some sense into her."
"I'm trying." Henrique replied. He unwrapped a taco and bit off half with the first bite. He watched as the girl ate her hamburger and fries, "Hmph! Look at you!"
"What?" her onyx black eyes went directly to his, her hamburger in her hands.
"Look at the way you're holding that hamburger. Upper class if I don't miss my guess. Honey, just go home and save yourself and your family a lot of heartache."
"Can't" she replied. She looked at the hamburger, then tried to bite into it like a slob, but changed her mind and took a dainty bite instead, looking Henrique in the eye as she chewed.
"Family problems?" he asked, popping the rest of his taco into his mouth.
"In a way. Personal problems." She replied, "It got to the point where leaving hurt less than staying."
"And what's with the military angle?" he asked, getting his second taco.
She sighed, put the hamburger down, and looked at him candidly, "Have you ever been the victim of identity theft?"
"No. Heard of it though. Somebody takes your ID number and becomes you, but you get stuck for the bills they run up."
"Well, you still have an identity after identity theft."
"And yours was stolen?"
"Erased. Murdered and buried. I'm nothing. Zero. A nobody. Blow a hole in my head, and nobody says anything, because as far as the world is concerned, I don't exist."
"That would be sad." he said. At some deep level, this young woman was touching him, "I think the world would be a poorer place without you."
"Thank you for thinking so." she said, "I'm sorry if I disagree with you."
He finished his tacos in silence, watching the girl. He caught himself wanting to know her in the biblical sense, because he felt that this particular woman of the night was unlike any other, and doing so would let him into her heart and mind. "No way Henrique. Not if you want to keep your pension." he reminded himself. He then waited for her to finish.
She wiped up the last of the ketsup with two french fries, "Thanks for trying, officer."
"Henrique. Everyone calls me Henrique."
She smiled at him, "Well, thanks for trying, Henrique."
"You're welcome-. Ah, I'm sorry. I never asked for your name."
"My old name means nothing now. I'm Scylla now." she said, "Scylla Charybdis."
"Strange name."
"It's from Greek Mythology."
"Scylla, you're a nice girl, despite what you've done to yourself. Are your parents still alive?"
Her eyes took on a far, distant look, "I hope so. I really truly hope so."
"Go back to your parents. They did a wonderful job. Yeah, maybe somebody took your identity away so completely, you don't exist. But you'll always live in their hearts. Nobody can ever take that away from them. Or you."
"I know. I think about doing it every day."
"Then do it, okay?"
"Maybe. Thanks." She arose. He did too, beat her to the door, and held it open for her. She smiled, inclined her head, and walked outside to her lamp post.
Henrique sighed as he closed the door, then went up to the cash register, pulling out his wallet, "Well, I tried."
"Thank you, Henrique. That's all anyone can ask." Mrs. Diortti thanked him, "No charge."
"Sorry. New bribery rules and all that. I can afford it, now." He said.
"I gave it to you for talking to her. You did well."
He shrugged, "It's part of the 'Get them early' strategy. Get them before they get in so deep, they think they can't get out. Works most of the time, but she-" he jerked his thumb at Scylla standing outside, "was in too deep when she got here, it seems."
"Such a good, good girl. I feel so sorry for her. Make someone a good wife, she would."
Henrique nodded, ignoring the obvious, and held out the bill, "Please?"
"No Henrique."
"Then use it to feed her, okay? Tell her it's on me."
Mrs. Diortti smiled and took the fifty, "As a gift from you." She said, "I'll let her know. Talk with her more, Henrique. She's really nice, despite her job."
Henrique smiled, "Mrs. Diortti, how many girls does that make this year that you've been trying to set me up with?"
"I'm getting old! I can't remember." she shook her head irritably.
He chuckled and went outside. He stopped and looked at Scylla, who was looking up the street.
She turned her head toward him casually, saw him, and locked eyes with him. A faint smile played over her lips.
"Whew!" he said audibly, shaking his head and walking off after she held his eyes for several seconds too many,
She watched him until he turned the corner, then sighed and continued to survey the street.
About twenty minutes later, Mr. Diortti stepped out of his diner. He nodded at Scylla as he tucked the cash bag under his arm and walked up the street to make a deposit. Scylla frowned, shook her head, and began to follow him.
Several street orphans charged around the corner just when Mr. Diortti got to it. They started circling him, laughing and pulling at his coat.
"Hey! Stop that!" he protested, trying to wave them off.
A red headed boy grabbed the cash bag and began to tear down the street. Scylla continued walking, looking quite disinterested. That is, until the boy tried to pass her, when her foot snaked out and tripped him head over heels.
"HEY!" he shouted, finding himself upside down, his ankle held firmly in Scylla's grasp. He reached back to fling the cash bag away, but Scylla twisted his body and plucked it out of his grasp.
The boy's companions had fled, so Mr. Diortti walked back to Scylla, "Ha! These thieves always have bad luck with you around!" he laughed, retrieving his cash bag from Scylla.
"You should have hidden it better, Mr. Diortti." She said.
"You're right, of course. What will we do with him?" he indicated the boy.
"Enjoying the view?" she asked him, glancing down.
"Umm! Uhh!" the boy jerked his eyes away and began to turn a beet red.
She spun him around, releasing his ankle and grabbing the front of his shirt, "I asked you a question! Did you enjoy the view?" she insisted.
"Well, uhh, no! Not really!"
"Hmm. Maybe we should take him to the hospital?" she said, putting the back of her hand to his forehead, as if checking his temperature.
"NOO! They stick me with needles there!" he protested.
"I think you're sick." She said, putting him down but not releasing his shirt, "You know it's not nice to steal from people!"
"A guy's gotta eat!"
"So let's get you fed." She strode down the street, tugging the boy along. She pulled him into the Snack Shoppe. Mr. Diortti chuckled, tucked the cash bag into his suit coat, and continued on to the bank.
"Hello Mrs. Diortti!" Scylla called out, "A hamburger, fries, and coke please!"
"But you just-" she started, then noted the boy Scylla shoved into a booth, "Oh! Coming right up!"
The boy glared sullenly at Scylla, who had slid in next to him, boxing him in, "Stupid bitch." He swore at her.
She smiled at him, "I'm Scylla. What's your name?"
He blinked at her, "Uhh, Julian." He looked at her again, "Say, aren't you the girl who broke Ricco's finger?"
"Which one was that one?" she asked quizzically, "The crook, the pimp, or the protection salesman?"
"Gee!" he chuckled, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised I got caught!"
"Am I that notorious?"
"Notorious?"
"Well known in an unpleasant way." She interpreted.
"Sure are!" He looked at her, "You're stronger than you look."
"Thanks."
"And prettier than I thought."
"Well thanks! I think!"
The doorbell tinkled. "Where is he?" "I dunno!"
Julian twisted and poked his head up over the high back of the booth seat, "Over here guys!" he waved.
Julian's two companions in crime sheepishly joined them.
"Mrs. Diortti…" Scylla turned around.
"Two more, right?"
"Right!"
"Guys, you won't believe who this is who caught me!" Julian boasted.
The boys looked at Scylla, "a girl?" one asked rather distainfully.
"Noo! This is Scylla, the girl who busted all those fingers!"
The boys stared at her, "I thought she'd look ugly." One said.
"Well, I can be ugly if I have to!" she said.
"Yeah! Some guys like ugly!" the other boy spoke up. The other two shushed him, but Scylla just chuckled.
Mrs. Diortti came up with a basket, "The other two will be here in a minute." She said.
The boys split up the french fries and the hamburger, being too hungry to wait.
"You seem to be the boss of this operation, Julian." Scylla remarked after noting that Julian had supervised the division.
"Yeah. Share and share alike. The leader has to take care of his troops, you know." Julian said, "This is Tomas and Gordo."
Scylla nodded at each one, a wry smile on her face, "Yes, he does." She murmured softly. She watched as they ate.
"Y'know, you’re not like the other streetwalkers." Gordo said around a mouth full of french fries. He was the shortest and had a mop of black, unruly hair.
"So I am told."
"Yeah. You're not drugged up, strung out, or beat up." Julian observed.
"Yeah! She'd probably be able to take care of Andre easy!" Tomas was the thinnest and had dirty blonde hair.
"Who's Andre?" She asked.
"Oh, the guy who makes us steal wallets for him! We're eating more now than he ever gives us in a whole day!" Julian made a face.
"Oh really?" She frowned.
"Say, you think she'll help us?" Gordo whispered to Julian.
"Well…" Julian sounded uncertain.
"Help with what?" she asked.
"We heard how you beat up Ricco and keep him away from the other girls on this street. I was wondering if you could beat up Andre and keep him away from us." Gordo proposed.
"Only if you stay on this street and don't steal."
"Really?" they all chorused.
"And you must earn your keep!"
"Y'mean WORK?" Tomas croaked.
"Well, yes!"
"Like at what?" Julian chuckled.
"I've got an idea. In the meantime, all three of you will have to learn to read."
"What for?" Tomas looked doubtful.
"So that I'll keep Andre away from you, for starters." She smiled, "I know of a good way to teach you. You won't have a problem, if only you'll try."
Julian thought for a minute. Mrs. Diortti brought the other two baskets, so he divided those in silence, still thinking.
"The leader must take care of his troops, Julian." Scylla said, "He can't think only of himself."
Julian took on a look of determination and nodded, "Deal!" he held his dirty hand out. Scylla grinned and shook it.
Mrs. Diortti smiled as she busied herself behind the counter.