Page 6 of The Furies

“This place is important to us,” said Tony. “It’s like our second home.”

Dave winced at that, but let it pass. In his heart of hearts, Dave dearly wished the Fulcis had found another bar to call a second home, or any home at all. They might have added color to the Bear, but it was principally a purplish shade of red from Dave’s high blood pressure.

We watched the Fulcis leave. One of the floor staff was picking up Jenga tiles and broken glass, while a second tried to figure out if the table could be salvaged.

“I might have a word with Raum,” I said.

“I’ll send him on his way when you’re done,” said Dave.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can look after my own bar.”

“Call it a favor,” I said, “to you and the Fulcis.”

Dave nodded. We had always gotten along well, Dave and I, and always would.

I headed over to where Raum was sitting. Now that he’d removed his jacket, I could see he’d muscled up while he was away. He’d also added to his small collection of prison tattoos. None of them was any good, except for an intricate pentacle, a pentagram surrounded by a circle, dotted with runic symbols. That one, on the underside of his left forearm, was raw and red.

“You got a minute, Raum?”

He was holding a bottled domestic beer, and not a good one. It was a drink he could have ordered at any dive in town, but instead he’d come all the way to the Bear, one of the best microbrew bars in the country, which kept domestics only for people who didn’t know any better, or had given up experimenting the day they got married.

“Sure,” he said. “Pull up a chair, take a load off.”

“I’ll stand.”

“Good. I was just being pleasant.”

He yawned, showing off his bright new teeth. When last I’d seen him, his mouth had resembled the ruins of Dresden. This was a changed Raum Buker, although I couldn’t say that I liked this variant any more than the previous one.

“When did you get back into town?” I said.

“A few days ago.”

“Been anywhere interesting these last few years?”

“Around.”

“Prison around?”

“Not a subject for discussion.”

But his right hand went almost unconsciously to the pentacle tattoo, where he added to the scratch marks. While he worried at it, his ravening eye caught a young woman leaving the restroom. She didn’t look flattered by the attention, and no one could have blamed her. I kicked the sole of his boot, which brought his attention back to me. He wasn’t pleased at being kicked, but didn’t do anything about it beyond scowling. If Raum ever took a run at me, he’d do it from behind.

“You planning on staying in Portland?” I asked.

“Why, you need a date? All my time inside, I never did a guy, and I’m not about to start with you.”

“You haven’t answered my question.”

“Because I haven’t decided yet.”

“Let me help you,” I said. “That’s twice I’ve saved you from being stomped by the Fulcis. There won’t be a third time.”

“Big man. You still letting those animals do your dirty work?”

“No, I take care of my own.”

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