The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Read Free

her up by the shoulders, set her on her feet and steered her toward the door. He looked over his shoulder at the bitten man. "You okay? You need a doctor?"
    "I didn't do anything to her. I've never seen that woman before in my life. I just stopped in for a drink."
    Theo looked at Mavis for confirmation. "He hit on her," Mavis said. "But that's no excuse. A girl should appreciate the attention." She turned and batted her spiderlike false eyelashes at the bitten man. "I could show you some appreciation, sweetie."
    The bitten man looked around in a panic. "No, I'm fine. No doctor. I'm just fine. My wife's waiting for me."
    "As long as you're okay," Theo said. "And you don't want to press charges or anything?"
    "No, just a misunderstanding.Soon as you get her out of here, I'll be heading out of town."
    There was a collective sigh of disappointment from the regulars who had been placing side bets on who Mavis would hit with her bat.
    "Thanks," Theo said. He shot Mavis a surreptitious wink and led Molly out to the street excusing himself and his prisoner as they passed an old Black man who was coming through the door carrying a guitar case.
    "I 'spose a man run outta sweet talk and liquor, he gots to go to mo' direct measures," the old Black man said to the bar with a dazzling grin. "Someone here lookinfo ' a Bluesman?"
    Molly Michon
    Theo put Molly into the passenger side of the Volvo. She sat with her head down, her great mane of gray-streaked blonde hair hanging in her face. She wore an oversized green sweater, tights, and high-top sneakers, one red, one blue. She could have been thirty or fifty – and she told Theo a different age every time he picked her up.
    Theo went around the car and climbed in. He said, "You know, Molly, when you bite a guy on the leg, you're right on the edge of 'a danger to others or yourself' you know that?"
    She nodded and sniffled. A tear dropped out of the mass of hair and spotted her sweater.
    "Before I start driving, I need to know that you're calmed down. Do I need to put you in the backseat?"
    "It wasn't a fit," Molly said. "I was defending myself. He wanted a piece of me." She lifted her head and turned to Theo, but her hair still covered her face.
    "Are you taking your drugs?"
    "Meds, they call them meds."
    "Sorry," Theo said. "Are you taking your meds?"
    She nodded.
    "Wipe your hair out of your face, Molly, I can barely understand you."
    "Handcuffs, whiz kid."
    Theo almost slapped his forehead: idiot! He really needed to stop getting stoned on the job. He reached up and carefully brushed her hair away from her face. The expression he found there was one of bemusement.
    "You don't have to be so careful. I don't bite."
    Theo smiled. "Well, actually…"
    "Oh fuck you.You going to take me to County?"
    "Should I?"
    "I'll just be back in seventy-two and the milk in my refrigerator will be spoiled."
    "Then I'd better take you home."
    He started the car and circled the block to head back to theFly Rod Trailer Court. He would have taken a back way if he could, to save Molly some embarrassment, but the Fly Rod was right offCypress , Pine Cove's main street. As they passed the bank, people getting out of their cars turned to stare. Molly made faces at them out the window.
    "That doesn't help, Molly."
    "Fuck 'em. Fans just want a piece of me. I can give 'em that. I've got my soul."
    "Mighty generous of you."
    "If you weren't a fan, I wouldn't let you do this."
    "Well, I am.Huge fan." Actually, he'd never heard of her until the first time he was called to take her away from H.P.'s Cafe, where she had attacked the espresso machine because it wouldn't quit staring at her.
    "No one understands. Everyone takes a piece of you, then there's nothing left for you. Even the meds take a piece of you. Do you have any idea what I'm talking about here?"
    Theo looked at her. "I have such a mind-numbing fear of the future that the only way I can function at all is with equal amounts of denial and drugs."
    "Jeez, Theo,