The bartender bared discolored teeth in what passed for a smile, selected a larger glass, tilted the bottle over it. “Ain’t seen you around here before.” There was a trace of a lisp in his simpering tone. “Looking for somebody special?”
Liddell picked up his glass, turned his back to the bar, glanced out over the tables.
“If it’s not somebody special, there are a lot of nice little—” the bartender persisted.
Liddell swung around to him. “Look, friend. I’m looking for somebody special. You’re not it. Leave the bottle here. I’ll call you when I need you.”
The fat man’s eyes receded behind their discolored pouches; a muscle flicked in the side of his throat. The fat, wet lips puffed in and out in indignation, leaving a little bubble between them. For a moment Liddell thought he was going
