He pours some out and looks at them.
“How many does someone take?”
I shrug.
“Try two.”
I look at Kasabian.
“You have anything to drink?”
He takes an open beer from under the counter an
d hands it to me with his fingertips, keeping as much distance as he can between himself and our naked guest. I hand Death the beer.
“Wash them down with this.”
He sniffs the beer. Makes a puzzled face and puts the pills in his mouth. Then raises the beer can, draining it.
“This tastes familiar,” he says. “I think whoever this body belonged to liked it.”
“That narrows the suspects to about three million in L.A. County.”
He stares at the can like he doesn’t know what to do with it. I take it from him and toss it to Kasabian. Death looks at me.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know what else to tell you. I’m as confused as you must be. But I appreciate you giving me a place to stay.”
Candy says, “Stark knows what it’s like being lost somewhere you don’t want to be. Isn’t that right?”
“Sure. I’ve been to Fresno.”
He pulls away the bandages over the hole where his heart should be. The wound has closed. There’s just an ugly scar the size of a man’s hand. He touches it and winces.
“You don’t believe me, do you? When I say that I’m Death.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know you. We’ve met before. More than once.”
Candy puts a hand on my arm. I take Death’s bandages and toss them, like the can, to Kasabian. He pulls his hands away like I tossed him dirty diapers.
“I don’t remember you. If you’re Death, why didn’t you take me?”
“There’s dying and there’s dead,” he says. “You were on the cusp, so I let you decide, angel.”
“Half angel.”
“That’s why I came to you. I don’t trust other angels right now.”
“You finally said something I understand.”
He turns and looks around the store like he’s seeing it for the first time.
“I’m cold.”
“I have some things that might fit you.”
I turn to Kasabian.