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8 5 A starry night, no coastal fog, called for the Mission Bay, on duty under the bayshore road, I have a letter from Danute, one of the free Canadians, disciple of the goddess Kali, who sleeps with men to enlighten them. La Llorona, vampire at the crossroads, she calls me her little pumpkin flower. I read the words by the overhead in my truck, zip up my Carhartt coat, step into the Mexican night, Lake Chapala in the moonlight, Danute walking a brace of Shitzus and swearing like a stevedore as they wrap her legs with their leashes. Her eyes don’t match, it makes her vulnerable, that’s the lure. The sucker punch follows. “I like to wait until they think it’s all going their way,” she said, “and then I destroy them.” Their retaliation was also sweet. She won either way. “I lay on a park bench in Antigua,” she said. “He would decide who could have me and who could not.” I went into the shanty and met the crew, the old head foreman just nods, hands me the list. “Get the engine out of the house and get a hold of track 3. Send them to me and line the crossovers for the main. I’m getting permission now.” Istepoversteelrails,countingawayfromtheshack,thehoghead already aboard, checking the power. I put him on the cars, send him back to the old man, who will hang FRED on the rear. I kissed Danute one time, a year ago, before the ordeal. “WhydoyouimagineIwouldsleepwithyou,awomanlikeme?” “Some women who like sex, like sex with women, too.” Counting, I step across the rails, open the locks, pry the levers down with my foot. I have us lined across number 2 and tailing into number 1 on the main. Danute pulls away, her hand traces my scar. She is not intrigued, but now the letter. “Back ’em up,” I say, and thirty hoppers of cement fly past me in the night. “That’ll do,” the conductor’s growl. He’s walking up. Not a good sign. “Youleaveyourbrainsathome?”hesays.“Youlinedusintostorage . Go see if we’re still on the rails.” Not into one track after all. But still on the rails. Put the goddess into her box. Be here now. A S T A R R Y N I G H T 11 RailroadNoir.indb 85 12/17/09 2:03 PM H O T S H O T . L U D L O W , C A L I F O R N I A . RailroadNoir.indb 86 12/17/09 2:03 PM ...

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