Mikko Lawrence

The garden at Arizona Center was one of Mikko’s favorite places in the city.  It was a public green space, meaning anyone could go there, and it was the most green he usually saw in the city.  A brick plaza enclosed a long pond, palm trees standing at the edges.  Grasses and bushes dotted the garden at different levels.  He thought they were called “terraces” or something like that. 

Someone had obviously put a lot of effort into the design of the garden, and it was so calm.  Small fountains bubbled in the pond and the chatter of people shopping buzzed in the air. 

Footsteps sounded behind him.  It wasn’t until he felt the weight of someone sitting on the bench next to him that he looked up.

A fifteen-year-old girl in jeans and a fuzzy brown sweater sat next to him.  Her golden-brown eyes were bright, and she was almost buzzing with excitement.  Her smile was crooked.  “I won.”

He raised an eyebrow, smiling in challenge at Genie.  “Oh?  What’s up?”

“You know that coffee shop two block over?  I was sitting across from it, and a woman sat down next to me.  She had a bag from a jewelry store.  She got distracted, and I got what was in the bag.”  She grinned, reaching into her pocket and pulled out a ring box.  She opened it, her movements fast and fluid.  She only showed him inside for a second before snapping it shut and putting it back in her pocket.

Mikko’s eyes almost bugged out of his head.  A white gold diamond ring, with a huge rock in the center and small gems on either side.  “What?”

“The tag says it’s over eight thousand dollars.  Almost one and a half carats.”  She grinned triumphantly.  “I win.”

He shook his head, chuckling.  “You’re right.  I think I got maybe a thousand in cash?  And a few gift cards.”

“You just stole wallets?”  The look on her face told him she had expected more.

He shrugged.  “It’s almost Christmas.  Way more cash than any other time of year.  How much cash did you get?”

She scowled because he had there.  “Like two-fifty.”

“So, if you hadn’t hit the jackpot, I would have won.”

She shrugged.  “I stole the ring, and after that, it was hard to care.”

“Fair enough.”

Doing one of these little operations so close to Christmas was always tricky.  Their normal plan when it wasn’t Christmas was to go to an indoor mall and spend the day pickpocketing and stealing.  It usually netted them five or six hundred dollars.  It was usually a slow process because they worked together to keep people distracted while they stole wallets and jewelry.  They always put the wallets back because there was less of a chance of people realizing they had lost their cash.  Most people assumed they had less cash than they had initially thought.  It meant that no one would be reporting the theft to security, and they could fly under the radar better. 

But security was usually tighter because theft was high during the holidays, and it was much easier to get caught.  So, this time of year they had to avoid malls and spend a lot of time in the outdoor shopping districts. It wasn’t normally as lucrative as mall theft, but it was Christmastime, and the sales were everywhere.

 He and Genie had made the plan the day before.  Normally they would do this during the summer, but it had been a hard year for them all and Mikko and Genie wanted to surprise everyone with an expensive dinner and some fun presents.

Thus, the plan to rob people blind by stealing anything even remotely valuable had been born.  They weren’t even returning wallets.

But when it came down to it, Mikko had resorted to lifting wallets.  He wasn’t good at taking jewelry off people like Genie was, and he wasn’t good at lifting things larger than a wallet.  Trying to take purses was tricky and stealing whole shopping bags got unwieldy fast.

“If you want, we can go through lifting jewelry again,” Genie signed as they got off the bus.  “I know you hate it, but it’s so fun!”

“I’m good at lifting wallets!” he argued.  “Why do I need to get better at jewelry?  You and Frankie can do jewelry, I’ll stick to lifting wallets and scamming people.” 

She scowled.  “We’d make more money if you lifted jewelry.”

“We’d be in jail if I lifted jewelry.  You do that, I’ll stick to making the techs from the power company feel bad for us, so we don’t lose power.”

She shrugged but dropped it. “Fine.  Where’s this pawn shop?”

They were about a mile from Mira’s house, on a short boulevard filled with strip malls.  This was where knock-off stores and budget salons lived amidst pawn shops and loan sharks disguised as payday loan services.

He pointed ahead to a pawn shop squished between a Mediterranean restaurant and a “bank”. It was called “Cash & Diamonds”.

“Is that . . . a picture of a diamond instead of the word ‘diamond’?” Genie asked, staring at the sign.

She was right.  In place of where it would say “diamonds” was a simple graphic of a diamond.

“How do you think they filled out the paperwork for their business with the city?” he asked.

She shook her head.  “Diamond emoticon on the application.”

He snorted. 

They stopped at the edge of the strip mall, and Genie pulled out the ring.  She tore off the price tag before stooping down and scraping the band against the ground a few times.  She checked it and scraped it again. 

When she was satisfied, she wiped the ring against her shirt to get any asphalt dust off and put it back in her pocket.  She was making the ring look like it had been worn.  Some pawn shops wouldn’t accept something obviously stolen.

They started off for the shop.  “Did you say this was Carlos’s brother?” she asked.

“Carlos’s brother’s prison cell mate or something.”

She nodded, but he could see the wariness settle in her shoulders.  Dealing with new Hearing people always put her on edge. 

Inside was the cluttered chaos Mikko had come to expect from pawnshops over the years.  TVs and DVD players were at the forefront—the big-ticket items that brought people in.  What a lot of people didn’t know what that it was almost always a rip-off to buy big electronics at a pawn shop unless they offered some sort of warranty.  And most didn’t.  It was too risky.

Along the wall to their left was a glass counter with jewelry on display sandwiched between two pillars.  On either side of the pillars were metal gates that extended from the pillar to the wall, a safety feature to keep people from getting behind the counter. 

A short, barrel-chested man with a large belly straining against a stained, white tank top stood behind the counter display, drinking a glass of ice water.  His hair curled around his ears like dark, wispy clouds avoiding the summit of his bald head.  The clouds moved with the fan that was oscillating on the counter next to him.

He eyed them suspiciously, putting down his water.  A nineteen-year-old beanpole and a fifteen-year-old girl always resulted in furtive, distrustful glances.

“Are you Javier?” Mikko asked tentatively.  He wished his voice didn’t sound as weak as it did.  He envied how strong Sloane or Annie always sounded when they were dealing with new people.

“Yes,” he said, the suspicious look intensifying.  “And you are . . . ?”

“I’m Mikko.  We’re friends of Carlos.  He sent us over to you to sell something off.”  That wasn’t exactly what happened, but he doubted that Carlos would mind.  He always let them use his authority, as long as it didn’t come back to bite him in the ass.

The suspicious look disappeared.  “Oh?  Carlos Vásquez?”  He said Carlos’s name with a Spanish inflection.  VAS-kez, not VAS-kwez.

“Yeah,” Mikko replied, relaxing a bit.  “He said you and Luis served time together.  Told us you opened a new shop and that you were our best bet for fair prices.”  He glanced down at the jewelry display and immediately looked away.  A ring with a tooth set where a gem would go sat front and center in the display.

Javier puffed up, his beady eyes sparkling.  “Well, he told you right.  What can I do for you two?”

“Well—”

“Can you stop that with your hands?” Javier interrupted.  “It’s distracting.”  The sparkle in his eyes had dimmed, a slight frown of annoyance in the corners of his mouth.

Mikko glanced down at his hands.  He had been signing as he spoke—sim-comming—without thinking about it.  “Um . . . I can’t.  My friend is Deaf.”  He normally would have called Genie his sister, but he was already beginning to see that this man would be intrusive and rude if he did.  Why don’t you look alike?  Oh, foster kids?  And sometimes finding out they were foster kids would get them kicked out.  Even if Mikko wasn’t even a foster kid anymore. 

“Deaf?”  He eyed Genie.  “She don’t look deaf.”

Mikko didn’t interpret that, but it didn’t matter.  Those words had been spoken enough in front of Genie that she could read them on people’s lips. 

“What does Deaf look like?” Genie snapped back, glaring at Mikko.

“What did she say?” Luis asked.

“She said Deaf people look like everyone else,” Mikko answered.

“No, I didn’t,” she replied.  But she didn’t push it.  She just reached into her pocket and slapped the ring down on the class counter.  It made a sharp noise.  “How much?”

Mikko interpreted for her.

“Aww, que linda,” Javier said, smiling at Genie in a way that was normally reserved for puppies or children.

“What?” Mikko said, raising an eyebrow.

“Just, she’s so cute, you know?”

Mikko didn’t reply, just looking from Javier to the ring in a way that told him to move along.

Javier shook his head before finally looking at the ring.

His tune immediately changed.  His wide eyes betrayed his shock and surprise before he spoke.  “Where did you find a nice piece like this?”

Mikko was already feeling exhausted talking to this man.  “Does it matter?  We have it.  We want to sell it.”

Javier didn’t respond, examining the diamond.  He reached under the counter, below the glass, and came back up with one of those magnifying glasses that jewelers had.  After a moment of looking it over, he said, “I could take it off your hands for . . . maybe two-fifty?”

Mikko didn’t even have time to finish interpreting before Genie’s hand shot out and snatched the ring back.  “Fuck this guy,” she snapped.  “Trying to fucking rip us off and treating me like a goddamned infant.”

Javier didn’t know what Genie had said, but he knew it wasn’t good.  “Hey, what’s she so mad for?” he demanded.  “The gold is nice, but those diamonds aren’t real.”

Mikko blinked at him for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a lighter.  Taking the ring from Genie, he bunched up the hem of his shirt and held the bottom of the ring through the shirt for protection before flicking the lighter and holding the flame to the diamond.  Sloane had taught him this trick for determining a real diamond.  He had already tested it himself on their way to the bus stop.  And he had checked to make sure the ring sank in water.  The inside of the ring itself was stamped with 24K, telling him it was real gold.

After almost a minute, Mikko dropped the ring into Javier’s ice water.

The diamond did not shatter.

“The retail value on that is over eight thousand dollars.  You should be giving me five thousand  minimum,” Mikko said, grabbing the water before Javier could.  He pulled the ring out and set the water back on the counter.

Something on the shelf behind Javier caught Mikko’s eye, and he almost gasped.  He held it back and forced himself to look back at Javier without reacting.

Javier hadn’t caught Mikko’s momentary distraction.  He was too busy pushing the water away from him, a disgusted look on his face.  He glared at Mikko.  “Was that necessary?”

“You’re trying to rip us off,” Mikko said, keeping his voice even and nonconfrontational.  He didn’t need to use this particular pawn shop, but he subscribed to the honey-versus-vinegar school of thought.

Javier eyed Mikko, and Mikko held his gaze.  He kept his eyes soft—he wouldn’t bend, but he also wouldn’t challenge Javier.  Mikko didn’t think Javier was a magic of any kind, but it didn’t hurt to be careful.  And letting Javier think he was in charge would keep him underestimating Mikko.

Finally, Javier cracked a smile.  “Can’t pull one over on you.  It was a test, you see.  I had to make sure that you wouldn’t get ripped off.  Look out for a friend of Carlos’s, you know.”

“How altruistic,” Genie said. 

“Hush,” Mikko replied without interpreting to Javier.  He put on a warm smile.  “Of course.  Thanks.  So, five grand?”

He shook his head.  “Unfortunately, I don’t have that much liquid.  I can offer you four thousand five hundred and your pick of anything in the store.”

Genie bristled.  “How does a pawn shop not have five thousand onsite right now?”

“Hold on.”

She eyed Mikko suspiciously, but she didn’t reply.

He allowed himself to turn from Javier, eyeing the rest of the store.  There were four aisles.  The first had been TVs and big electronics, but as you went further into the store, the shelves changed from electronics to tools and antiques.  Pawn shops were one of the best places to get nice silverware and plates.  And usually the tools were old, but well put-together. 

Mikko made a show of appraising everything he could see.  He even stepped over to one of the aisles, looking over a flat screen TV.

“You can’t go wrong with that LG,” Javier said, his smile a little too wide.  Something about it told Mikko he could absolutely never buy electronics from here.

Mikko continued, turning slowly.  He looked over the jewelry in the case, carefully refusing to look at the tooth ring.  He realized there was a matching tooth bracelet laid next to it.  Why would anyone ever want to make something like that?  Or buy something like that?

He continued, looking up at the two long shelves behind the counter.  A low stack of open boxes sat below it.  On the shelf behind Javier were a few of those display busts for necklaces.  There were a couple of nice necklaces, with sapphires and emeralds and small diamonds.

But the one he saw that he wanted was plain with a black leather cord.  A large, bright chocolate brown gem, smokey quartz the size of a golf ball, hung from the cord.  It was set into a simple silver plate.  In the center of the silver plate, just barely visible from where Mikko stood, was a rune.

He eyed it before looking at the dark blue necklace next to it.  

After a moment, he pointed at the smokey quartz necklace.  “I want that.”

Javier looked behind him.  “Ah, yes, a nice choice.”  He reached for the dark blue necklace. 
“Sapphire in a white gold—”

“No, the brown stone.  Next to that.”

Javier turned to stone.  He didn’t just pause—his entire body stopped, tense.

“Uh, my apologies.  That is unavailable, on hold for another customer.  I thought I put that away.”  He pulled the necklace and its display down, setting it into one of the open boxes.  He was stiff as he moved, as if he didn’t want to touch it. 

“But—” Mikko started.

“You know what,” Javier interrupted, “I may actually have enough cash in the back.  Follow me.”  He turned back to them, reaching to one side of the counter where there was an extending metal gate installed into one of pillars.  He pulled it across the counter and latched it into the other pillar, keeping anyone from getting behind the counter while he wasn’t there.

Javier exited from behind the counter through the metal gate on the right.  He latched it behind him with a lock, slipping the key into his pocket.  Several boxes were piled next to the gate, one of which he strained to push out of his way as he moved. 

Mikko moved to follow Javier to the back.  He glanced back to see Genie lagging behind, looking at the jewelry in the case.  He tried to get her attention, but she ignored him.

“It’s fine,” Javier said. 

Mikko looked up to see Javier waiting for Mikko.

“She can look at the jewelry.  If she finds anything she likes, she can have it.”  He turned from Mikko, heading to the back.

Mikko didn’t say anything.

“You know, I used to have a dog that was deaf,” Javier said as they reached a door in the back of the room.  He opened it to show a small office the size of a bathroom.  A huge safe was built into the wall. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.  But he died.”

Mikko blinked.  How was he supposed to respond to that?

“Wait here,” Javier said.  He stepped into the room, letting the door close halfway behind him.

A couple minutes passed.  Mikko noticed he couldn’t see Genie anymore.  She was too far away to hear, too.

“Something wrong?”

He started, turning to face Javier.  Searching for Genie had distracted him, and he had turned his good ear from Javier toward Genie.

“Nope,” he said, looking down to see Javier holding three stacks of cash.  Two were twenties with a purple band, the third was a stack of tens with a yellow band.  Five thousand dollars straight from the bank.  Genie had been right—he was full of shit about his cash flow.

“Here’s your five grand,” Javier said, holding out the stack.

Mikko held out the ring, and they exchanged money for ring.

“Thank you,” Javier said, holding up the ring to the light before nodding.  “Perfect.”

Mikko nodded, shoving the money into his pockets and pulling his shirt down so no one saw the bulge.

He followed Javier back to the front.

“Where’s the niñita?” he asked, heading toward the gate to go back behind the counter.

As if on cue, Genie stepped out from behind the next aisle over.  She had a telescoping baton in her hand, and she was grinning.

Javier blinked in surprise before laughing.  “Ah, okay.  Tell her she can have that.”

Mikko interpreted and she grinned, pocketing the baton.  She signed thank you to Javier.

“You’re welcome,” he said, opening the gate and getting behind the counter.  “Pleasure doing business with you.”

“You, too,” Mikko said.

Genie waved at him, and they left the pawn shop.

It wasn’t until they were a block away, out of sight from the shop, before Mikko stopped, turning to face Genie.  “What did you do?”

She pouted.  “What do you mean?”

He gave her a look.  “You live to fuck with Hearing people.  What did you do?”

She continued to pout but when he didn’t drop it, the pout turned to a grin.  She reached into her shirt and pulled out the necklace that Mikko had wanted.

Mikko’s jaw dropped, and he inhaled sharply, putting his hands to his mouth.

The devilish grin disappeared, replaced with concern.  “What’s wrong?”

He reached out slowly for the pendant, closing his hand around the stone.  It was warm from being in Genie’s bra. 

Genie let go of it and the leather strap fell against the back of his hand.

He opened his hand to look at the necklace.  Smokey quartz.  Rune in the silver beneath the stone.  He turned it over to see an inscription in the back.  My love.

“Hey.” Genie waved her hand to get his attention.  “What is it?”

“This was Mira’s grandmother’s.”

Genie’s brow furrowed in confusion.  “What?  How do you . . .”  Her eyes widened as she realized.  “You’re why it was in a pawn shop.”

He bit his lip, unable to meet Genie’s eyes.  “This is the thing I regret the most.  Sacrificing this necklace for cocaine.” He smiled bitterly.  “They only gave me ten dollars for it.”

Genie wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug so tight, it was difficult to breathe.

He hugged her back awkwardly.  He didn’t think he deserved this sympathy, but he also wouldn’t reject Genie’s embrace. 

“You have it now,” Genie said when she pulled away.  “I’m sure Mira would love this as a Christmas gift.”

He smiled.  “Thank you so much for taking it.”

She grinned.  “Of course.  That guy was a fuckhead, and he deserved it.”

He chuckled, handing her back the necklace.  He didn’t have the space in his pockets for it.  “How did you get it anyway?  All those gates—you don’t have your lockpick on you, do you?”

She shook her head.  “All those boxes he had stacked next to the gate?  They went up high enough that I just climbed up on them.”  She rolled her eyes.  “What an idiot.”

He remembered how Javier had struggled to move one of those boxes out of the way.  They must have been heavy enough to support her weight.

Genie took his hand, and they started walking in the direction of Mira’s house.

“He told me he had a dog that was deaf.  But it died.”

Genie stared at him in confusion.  “Why?”

Mikko threw his hands up.  “I’d say I wish I knew, but I really don’t want to know why he felt the need to tell me.”

She shook her head.  “Fucking Hearing people.”

“Seriously.”