The Death of 1977 (Book 3)

The bathroom was simply an excuse.

Livingston caught the entire incident in the alley from behind the safe confines of a cozy corner. Just as the two men were breathlessly sprinting down the long alley Livingston managed to cut right in front of them.

"Just a second, boys," he said in his usual dialect. "I have some questions for you."

"Move out of our way, whitey," one of the men anxiously shouted.

Promptly, Livingston pulled out a wad of bills and waved them in front of both men. "Now, like I said, I have some questions for you." He calmly stated.

Gradually, both men came down and glanced at each other before going back to drooling over the money that was staring back at them.

"I need to know why you were talking to that girl."

Huffing and puffing, one of the men said, "Hey, mon, she American. She won know 'bout someone named...Bushard."

"Yeah, we give her some bullshit directions." The other man stepped in. "She pay us and we send her on a wild goose chase!" He giggled.

Livingston examined both men who appeared more delighted in their deception. "Why did you do that?"

"She a stupid American girl, mon," one explained. "We need de money! We know no Bushard, but we know money! She desperate, mon!"

"Hold it!" A megaphone rang out from behind.

Immediately, Livingston spun around while the other two men turned tail and took off down the other end of the alley.

Casually, three police officers all dressed in blue, short sleeved shirts and black shorts came towards Livingston. The man made sure to stuff his money back into his pants pocket before placing a polite smile on his blushing face.

"Good afternoon, Officers!" He reverted back to his 'nobleman's' English. "Would there be a problem?"

The three officers all surrounded the man and inspected him from top to bottom as though it were the first time they had ever laid eyes on a white man before. One by one they pulled out their batons and began slapping their left hands with them. Livingston on the other hand simply stood and watched as the ever so curious men circled him like vultures around rotting meat. He was sweating, but not from fear. He had Lynnette on his mind; the police were a meager annoyance.

"What's your name, sir?" One of the officers stood in front of Livingston and asked.

"The name is Livingston, sir." He respectfully replied.

"Is dat a first or last name?"

"Just Livingston, sir," he remarked in a cavalier tone.

Soon, the other two officers stopped swirling about and stood behind the man. "What were you saying to dose two boys?"

"Well, we were just having a bit of a discussion about what good places to eat around these parts, sir."

Appearing suspicious, the officer began rooting about inside Livingston's pockets before he managed to pull out his wad of bills.

"You must be a rich mon, Mr. Livingston." The officer purred.

Livingston stiffened his upper lip as the red in his face increased. He stood and watched as the officer counted each and every bill before taking and planting the wad into his own pocket.

"Ya sound like you're from Britain or somewhere." One of the other officers said

"Just from somewhere, sir," Livingston

The officer in front of him approached Livingston face to face and sneered, "We

there was only contempt, the kind that longed for only the darkest desires. But he held on and dropped his head

shall be more careful where I tread, officer."

alone in the alley. He could hear them laughing and carrying on all the way around the corner. But as

alleyway and around a bend that led to the front of The Kabal and other various businesses. The very second he caught sight of Lynnette aimlessly walking down the beach with her head hanging low the man stumbled backwards and watched quietly from a distance. In his eyes she appeared so lonely and destitute. She just plodded along as though her world had crashed into pieces. Livingston eyed her a few moments more before making sure

ignore at least three traffic lights. He just nearly missed a mother walking across the street with her three children and the basket of fruit that she was carrying on top of her own head. There was so much drowning his mind all at once that just staying in a straight lane on the road seemed all but

veered off the road and into an alley. On a dime he stomped on the brake, screeching until he came to a complete stop in front

just got through speaking with a couple of blokes. By the way they described her, she's either from some agency or else she's the dumbest little tramp I've

and studied Philippe who had the

in a twist?"

But Philippe couldn't seem to answer, he just sat and stared out the window ahead of him as though he were anticipating something to happen

"Look alive, man!" Livingston snapped his fingers in front

a skittish voice, "I tried to get in touch wit you...but I

confused himself, Livingston griped, "What is this, a science-fiction movie? Do I look like I have the ability to carry a phone around in my pocket at all

his head in dismay, Philippe explained, "I was speaking wit Ejo, and he told me last night he was down

"Ok, so," Livingston grew even

dat dere was someone inside de

"Probably a squatter," Livingston irately hollered.

wasn't a squatter, mon." Philippe's

at the very threshold of tolerance, rolled his eyes and stared at Philippe before an unsettling growl settled down inside his own stomach. Ever so steadily the

"Is it a bloke?" Livingston meekly

"Yeah...yeah,

his forehead which had suddenly exploded into a violent sweat before saying, "Okay...I

"But what

"Do as I tell you!" Livingston screamed. "You take care

Livingston kept his eyes on the

at the hazy sky before putting the truck in gear and driving

brown weeds and several abandoned warehouses were located. His truck bumped up and down across various potholes that lined the lonely road until he came to a stop just a hundred yards shy of

truck for at least five whole minutes before mustering both the energy and bravery to get out and tread ever so carefully towards the broken down building. His stride was methodical if not wary. He had his gun in his right hand

which consisted of two large floors, smelled

liquid that was lying on the floor in front of him. He knelt down and poked at it with the

mon?" A deep voice echoed clear from

the ground. In the process of falling he accidentally dropped his weapon to the floor, but before he could even attempt to reach for it he managed to gain

appeared as if he were in his late seventies. He had a grey beard and a pair of bare, crusty feet that looked as though they had walked from one end of the earth to the other. Livingston squinted as hard as he could. The sunlight

there,"

feet away from Livingston. Both men stood opposite the other in what was

it really you, my friend?"

that moment. The shaking gun that was inside his hand

the bleeding hell is this?" He gasped

mon."

Livingston stared more and more at Arthur's stunning appearance in the most flabbergasted manner. "What happened to you, for Christ's sake?" The man's

the way to

"Where the hell have you been?" Livingston