2114 North Wallace.
Two delivery guys were sweating buckets, wrestling the furniture and appliances into the house.
Carl stood by the door, beaming. The fresh, red scratches Debbie had left on his young face couldn't dim his smile.
New furniture, new appliances...
For as long as Carl had been alive, almost everything he owned had been a hand-me-down or scavenged.
So, to suddenly have all this brand-new stuff? How could he not be happy?
Dexter walked up to Carl, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "What happened to your face? Get into a fight?"
Carl gave a cocky grin, full of pride. "Fought Debbie. Made her cry."
"Oh? Why the fight?" Dexter asked.
"She broke a bunch of my stuff while I was gone. Including the paintball gun you gave me," Carl said, his tone clearly indignant. "She's a bitch!"
Dexter chuckled.
Current Debbie? She wasn't exactly a "bitch" yet.
But give it a year or two...
Heh.
"I see. But you're gonna have trouble now. Lip and Fiona are definitely gonna come looking for you," Dexter laughed.
"Whatever. I don't care," Carl replied, sounding like a total boss.
After chatting for a bit, Dexter called out to Peg. "Peg, got a minute to talk privately?"
"Sure, come inside," Peg nodded briskly, then turned to instruct Carl. "Carl, keep an eye on those guys moving the stuff. Make sure nothing goes missing."
"Yeah, don't worry. Nothing's getting past me," Carl vowed confidently.
Peg smiled, said nothing more, and went inside with Dexter .
"What do you want to talk about?" Peg cut the crap and asked directly.
"Let's talk about your situation," Dexter didn't waste time either. "Now that you've taken Carl, Fiona and the others aren't going to just let it slide. Considering you're out on medical parole, the way I see it, they're very likely going to try to find a way to send you back to prison."
Hearing this, Peg couldn't help but sneer. "Them? Please."
Dexter actually understood Peg's scorn, but he shook his head. "You've been in prison for a long time. Maybe I know them better than you do right now."
"They are obsessed with keeping the family 'whole.' It doesn't matter how messed up their lives are, they insist on sticking together."
"It's admirable. It's also pathetic."
"The point is, to keep the family together, they will do almost anything. And that includes sending you back to the joint."
"I'm not exaggerating."
Peg dropped the sneer and fell silent for a few seconds. "So?"
"So, for Carl's sake, I don't want you going back to prison," Dexter smiled faintly. "I came specifically to give you a heads-up. I suggest you get rid of anything that could send you back inside, ASAP. Like drugs. Like guns."
"Fine," Peg thought for a moment, then sneered again. "I'd like to see what kind of tricks they can pull."
Dexter flashed a brilliant smile but didn't comment further. "Then I'm off. If you have any problems, give me a call or come find me at my place."
He walked out of the house, exchanged a few more words with Carl, and strolled back home.
---
The Alibi Room.
At this time of night, it was the usual scene: regulars like Tommy were guzzling beers, laughing, and enjoying the distinct pleasures of low-life living.
It wasn't busy. Kevin wasn't busy. He stood behind the bar, spacing out, thinking about what Veronica had said earlier about buying a Mercedes.
Money? They had it.
Kevin really wanted to buy it, too.
It was just... spending that much cash all at once... Kevin was having a hard time letting go of it.
Just then, the door pushed open and a woman walked in.
The next second.
Swish.
As if choreographed, every single man in the bar turned his head in unison to look at the new arrival.
They couldn't help it.
This woman's rack was absolutely magnificent. And her face, her body—everything was top-tier.
Damn. A solid ten!
Throats bobbed as men swallowed hard. Kevin was definitely one of them.
Accustomed to men staring at her, the woman flashed a charming smile at Kevin and the others.
That smile...
Kermit felt his soul leave his body. Simultaneously, and inevitably, he got a reaction downstairs.
Kermit quickly shifted in his seat to avoid embarrassment.
The woman didn't notice. She walked straight to the bar and smiled at Kevin. "Hi. A friend told me you guys are hiring and the pay is pretty good. I'm here to apply. Can I speak to your boss?"
Kevin was staring straight at the woman's chest.
One second, two seconds...
Finally, Kevin snapped out of it. "Huh?"
The woman's lips curved up. "I'm here to apply. I'd like to see your boss."
Kevin was a man.
And men...
Kevin immediately started imagining the beautiful future of working alongside this goddess. He got excited. Purely on instinct, he straightened his spine and extended a hand. "I'm one of the owners of the Alibi. My name is Kevin Ball."
Ball...
Unfortunate last name given the context.
The woman smiled and shook Kevin's hand. "Katherine Austin. Nice to meet you, Mr. Ball."
Kevin was grinning like a goofy idiot, forgetting to let go of her hand until Tommy spoke up. "Cough, cough. Kevin, let go."
Hearing that, Kevin hastily released her hand, awkwardly snapping back at Tommy, "Tommy, drink your damn beer!"
After scolding Tommy, Kevin immediately turned back to Katherine, smiling. "Miss Austin, have you worked in a bar before?"
Katherine nodded. "Over the last five years, I've worked at three bars. Bartending, handling customers—I'm good at all of it."
Hearing this.
Kevin, who had already mentally hired her the second she walked in, almost blurted out, 'You're hired.'
But, words on the tip of his tongue, he realized that would undermine his authority as a boss. He held back and forced himself to continue the 'interview.'
A few minutes later.
"I think you'd be a great fit for the Alibi. How about this: a three-day trial period. If there are no issues, the job is yours," Kevin said, trying his best to sound professional.
Katherine nodded with a smile. "Sounds good. So, Mr. Ball, when do I start?"
"Tomorrow morning at nine," Kevin said after a moment's thought.
"Okay great. I'll get going then. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Katherine turned and left.
The moment Katherine was completely out of the Alibi.
BOOM!
Tommy and the rest of the drunks erupted in laughter and catcalls.
"Kevin, my dick thanks you!"
"I knew drinking here was the right choice."
"I am definitely gonna bang her."
"I need to go get some roofies."
"..."
The jeering got more and more out of line.
Kevin couldn't take it anymore. He quickly put a stop to it, shouting, "What the hell are you guys talking about?! What kind of place do you think this is?"
"Who just said they were gonna get roofies? Step up. You're banned from drinking here."
"Hahahaha," the drunks didn't care in the least, laughing in unison.
That night.
The Alibi Room was filled with laughter and noise, lively as hell.