Rado pulled into a gas station on Simeonovsko shose. Some hood was filling up an orange Camaro one pump over. The hood looked at Rado\u2019s nondescript-looking Peugeot.
\n\u201cSo what do you put in that thing?\u201d he asked.
\n\u201cDiesel,\u201d said Rado.
\nThe hood gave a slight nod, then clunked his nozzle back into the pump, screwed the fuel cap on, and walked off to pay. After a couple of steps, he suddenly turned, walked hurriedly back to the Camaro and got in. The engine roared into life and he tore off at high speed. Another engine started up loudly behind Rado but with another kind of roar. Rado glanced around. A grey Lamborghini Estoque. The Camaro was going so fast up the road it got the speed wobbles. The Lamborghini reversed out of the station and up the hill at full throttle. Approaching the bend in the road the Camaro lost control and smashed into a street sign. Rado pulled out his phone. The Lamborghini screeched to a reverse halt next to the crashed Camaro. The hood was already out of his car waving his arms about. The Lamborghini guy got out, opened the boot and pulled out a slender, aluminium-type case. Calmly, the case got unpacked. The hood seemed to be wanting to go and stay at the same time. By the time he\u2019d figured he was leaving, the Lamborghini guy had got his billiards cue in one piece and walked after the hood who was scrambling up the bank to the side of the road.
\nFirst was the feet. Rado zoomed in on his camera. The hood rolled over on his back, complaining. The Lamborghini guy strolled round to get a better look. Next was the legs. A couple of shots. More than a couple. The hood rolling around. They say a bit of pain never hurt anyone. But it does.
\nEveryone else at the gas station had somehow disappeared. Rado zeroed in on the two cars, making sure of the number plates. He panned back. The Lamborhini guy was making a closer inspection of the hood\u2019s head. Then he stepped back, stood astride the hood\u2019s broken legs and raised the cue over his head. He stood like that for a couple of seconds. The cue came down such that the hood\u2019s head must\u2019ve got mashed. Again, the Lamborghini guy stood for a couple of seconds. Then he walked back and had a good look at the Camaro. Then he put away his stick, got back in the Lamborghini, and drove back down the hill. By the time he passed, Rado had put his phone in his pocket and had wandered away from the pumps.<\/p>\n
You would\u2019ve thought a hood had a gun. When he woke up in the next world, he would start out on the simple task of thinking about the future. By then it would be too late. He\u2019d have to re-hood himself all over again. With a gun. First thing every morning.<\/p>\n
Up at Mikhail\u2019s, nothing had changed. Meals got eaten. Girls got entertained. Calls got made.
\nMikhail took Rado into the study and went over to the desk. The house was old. Ornate. Every room had its own style. The study was an exercise in wood and whiteness and big windows.
\n\u201cYou must have the easiest job in the world,\u201d said Mikhail.
\nRado was studying the titles. Some of the books looked so brown and fat and old, his fingers itched just to pull one out. \u201cI ran into Nadejda today,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cSo?\u201d
\n\u201cShe\u2019s fucking a cop.\u201d Rado turned. From the other side of the room, Mikhail held up a fat, shiny envelope. Rado walked over. \u201cAt least you could say: she fucked a cop. That\u2019s about as far as I got.\u201d He took the envelope and placed his phone on the desk.
\n\u201cWho\u2019s the cop?\u201d Mikhail stared quizzically at the phone.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t know. But then I ran into this guy.\u201d Rado reached over and pressed play.
\nMikhail studied the phone in silence. \u201cFind out,\u201d he said eventually, as if in a dream.
\n\u201cYou got a billiard table up here?\u201d
\n\u201cHa ha,\u201d said Mikhail. He stayed looking at the phone. \u201cYou been quite the busybody.\u201d
\n\u201cSo hard it\u2019s easy. The Camaro\u2019s in storage.\u201d
\nMikhail frowned. \u201cGet rid of it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rado pulled into a gas station on Simeonovsko shose. Some hood was filling up an orange Camaro one pump over. The hood looked at Rado\u2019s nondescript-looking Peugeot. \u201cSo what do you put in that thing?\u201d he asked. \u201cDiesel,\u201d said Rado. … Continue reading