Diamonds and Rust
Chapter One: Living After Midnight
Of course there was always another bar. This one had fake wood paneling, and red plastic stools, and enough alcohol to keep Spike Spiegel in a seated position for the time being.
He finished the drink in front of him. He'd certainly be sick in the morning, but he could only consider so many things at once. Right now he considered ordering another one. Was there any point in pacing yourself when your end goal was liquor oblivion?
He glanced at the bartender, who gave an insincere smile, clearly seeing no one new and different in Spike Spiegel. The man walked toward him as if to start a conversation. Spike sighed. Would he have to change barstools, or even bars?
Wiping glasses, the man leaned over the bar. "Bounty hunter?"
"I'm not working tonight," muttered Spike, trying to sound as unfriendly as his slightly fuzzy mind would allow him to.
"We don't get much crime here on Io," the man continued. "Not much need for you."
"Bounty hunters move around. That's part of the job." He wondered how incoherent his brain would have to get before this conversation would seem to have a point.
The bartender was looking past Spike at something now though. "Oh, looks like you have a lady friend."
Spike felt a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm not looking for a woman," he muttered.
He heard a laugh. "And if you were, somehow I bet you wouldn't be looking for me."
Spike recognized the voice and spun the stool around. "Victoria!"
She nodded. "I still stick with V.T. But I guess you have the right to call me that."
"I guess I do. You have time for a drink, too?" He pointed at the neighboring bar stool, then looked at the bartender and reconsidered.
"Let's get a table, maybe?" he continued.
"Sure, why not," she replied, her usual even smile on her face.
They sat down and Spike looked over the table at her.
"I'm glad you remember me," V.T. began.
"It hasn't been long. And you still have the same hat."
"Yeah, I haven't changed much. Just based on Io now is all. You seem the same yourself, but I guess you can't always tell by looking."
He weighed the accuracy of the comment. "Yeah, I'm a real man of mystery."
A waitress came over to take drink orders. Spike asked for another gin, but V.T. only wanted plain tonic water.
"You don't drink, Victoria?"
"Not much. I like to keep my wits about me. I did enough drinking while my husband was alive."
The drinks arrived and Spike sipped his slowly. Oblivion seemed marginally less appealing for the moment.
"So, you're still hooked up with your partner," she said.
"Jet? Yeah, the old man's still hanging around."
"I don't think I met Jet. I meant that woman in the shiny shorts who preferred mellower tunes."
"Oh, Faye. She's still on the ship too, being a pain in the ass as always," he muttered.
"You don't like her much?" asked V.T. in a slightly teasing tone.
"What's to like?" Spike murmured into his drink. "Just another female; what good are they?"
He glanced up at his companion, realizing that might have been a mistake.
"I'm not counting present company," he told her.
"As female? I can't exactly say I love you for that."
He looked at her for a minute. Faye had told him later that she could easily have mistaken V.T. for a man. He could see what Faye meant, but he really hadn't ever done that. She was just herself, Victoria Terpsichore, stocky and blonde and loyal to her friends.
He shook his head to clear it. "Nah, I just meant you don't count as a pain in the ass, OK?"
She laughed again. "You may not say that when I tell you why I'm here."
"What do you mean? I thought you wandered in here for a drink like me."
"Not exactly. I heard you were in town," she said.
"Who did you hear that from? I know you don't spend your time with cowboys."
"Well, don't tell anyone this, but I keep up, just for old time's sake. Used to tune into Big Shot when that was on, and there's still the net. I heard your name a couple times, and when I saw you caught your last bounty head here I kept an eye out for you. The thing is, I need help."
"Help?"
V.T. nodded. "What do you know about syndicates?"
Spike held up a hand. "Too much. And I can't possibly..."
She looked surprised. "I struck a nerve, huh? But this is old news, a group that died out when you were a kid. Except someone remembers something. And now I'm not safe."
Spike felt an awkwardness that was almost like guilt. He and V.T. had come through for each other before. But it was even between them. And anyway, people like him didn't owe anyone.
"Somebody has to be able to help, V.T. The police, your friends..." He winced as he said it.
"The police won't touch a syndicate matter, or much else here on Io. My friends don't deal with criminal types, and I don't want to drag this to their doorsteps. But hey, if you can't help, I understand. Just thought I'd ask."
She seemed honest, not resentful. She smiled at him and got up to leave. "Take care of yourself, Spike."
He stopped her. "Look, you should at least tell me about it. But not here. I doubt that bartender's connected but you never know."
She shrugged. "All right. Come on then, we'll go to my place and I'll tell you what little I know."
They paid up and stepped out the door.