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It'd been six weeks since Lou had seen Gittes, six weeks since that woman had been gunned down. It wasn't right. Gittes was like a rat, crawling through others scraps. always turning up where he ain't wanted. Loach was crowing, never failing to mention the PI, laughing about the man.
"Never thought Gittes would be that way over a broad," there were tears threatening to spill. It made Lou's stomach quiver. Of all the men why did it have to be Gittes.
Man didn't even attend the funeral.
It had been ritzy, Cross was eager to show just how much he loved his little girl. Granddaughter looked on edge, as though she was minutes from scampering away. Lou had wanted to keep an eye on the happy family, but the wealthy man had split.
Didn't sit right with Lou at all, which is why he was now standing on Gittes doorstep, knocking on the door. He rocked side to side, as though his feet were itching. He tried again, the door was wrenched open.
"What's the big idea?" Gittes sounded hoarse and smelt worse. He looked as if he hadn't showered for weeks, likely he hadn't.
"Gittes," Lou nods. "What's with you?"
"What's with me?" Gittes face creases, he's snarling. "Yer a wise guy now, Escobar?" He coughs loudly as he goes to close the door. Lou shoves himself into the apartment and looks around, it's a stinker. "Lotta nerve, Escobar."
"Put a sock in it, Gittes," Lou bites back. "Don't burn up."
"Yer a crumb," Gittes snarls as he turns and flops on the double bed.
The apartment is a dump, a rat hole. Despite his uncharitable thoughts about Gittes, Lou doubted it actually looked like this six weeks ago. Gittes old apart was always clean.
"When was the last time you cleaned the joint?" Lou asked.
Gittes let out a loud guffaw. "Like to say six weeks."
Lou's heart sank, he could tell Gittes was gutted at the time. But not like this. Not over some dame.
"Gittes," Lou approaches cautiously, his footsteps sounded heavy. "You knew the broad for less than a day."
Gittes barely lifted his head. "More like a week."
"Ain't like you to be dizzy with a dame," Lou continues as he finds himself sitting on the bed beside the broken man.
A bitter laugh escapes. "Ain't like me at all."
Lou had no clue what to say, what to do. Not for the man sprawled in front of him, who wore his opinions out for the world to see. Who even when they were partners would let his eyes had roamed over Lou in a way that made his stomach turn. The man who still let them roam, even when he felt the need to voice his disdain for the cops, since he'd left. Lou was a simple man, he liked booze, a hot meal, and going to bed at the end of the night.
He was a cop to help people, how could he help Gittes when he was like this?
"Gittes," the name felt dry in his throat. "Jake." That sounded better. "You need help?"
"Don't we all?"
It was Lou's turn to chuckle. "We sure do." He looks around the apartment, and notes a small bathroom off the side. "Take a shower, Jake," he murmurs. "I'll see what what I can do about the mess." Gittes, no Jake, rolls over and bats his hand. "Before I make ya."
Jake looks at him, and just cocks a brow, as if daring Lou to lay hands on him. Lou just shakes his head, reaches over, and begins to unbutton the dirty button-down. Jake tries to shake him off, but Lou ain't having a bar of that.
"Escobar—"
"No," Lou says as he finishes the button-down and tries to push it over Jakes shoulders as he squirms. "Lay off!"
Lou finds himself straddling a now shirtless Jake, unsure of how he got himself in this jam. He never noticed that Jake's eyes were hazel, he'd always thought them brown. Even back when they were partner's he'd never noticed the flecks of green—
"Kiss off, Escobar," Jake snarls at him, bucking his hips.
"All right," Lou slides off. "Go wash your neck, I'll be waitin'."
Jake flashed one last scowl at Lou and stalked over to his bathroom and slammed the door behind him. Lou allowed himself to flop back onto the bed, it stank, that would be his first job then. He heard the shower turn on followed by the familiar sound of Jake's warbling. Lou couldn't but smile, he had missed that awful sound.
When Jake had left the force, he had left a hole in Lou's heart, one he rarely acknowledged. Now it was time to square things with Jake, to lend an old friend a much needed hand. And making the bed? That was a good start.