Read Online A Moment to Prey by Harry Whittington - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Harry Whittington
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of her neck, wanting to touch them.
She straightened the pillow, stepped back. She glanced at me, as if faintly astonished that I had not grabbed for her.
She should have looked at my fists, knotted under the bed covers.
"Is that all you want?" she asked.
I just looked at her. I did not answer. The faintest smile touched at her eyes and she turned away. "I'll bring you some breakfast."
I stared at the ceiling some more and listened to the flies against the screens. I tried to think about Marve Pooser and that money, but all I could think about was the faint fragrance of her that was never bought in any store and that made you drunk when she got too close to you. Poor Charlie Bullock. All of a sudden I understood him one hell of a lot better.
She came back in and moved the basin of water. She placed a tray of fried eggs, hominy grits, pork sausage and coffee beside me. I looked at the food and felt sick. I knew I wasn't going to be able to eat it.
There was just one thing I wanted.
She walked over, looked out the window, watching something on the river, or maybe seeing nothing out there at all.
She glanced over her shoulder. I had not moved. "Eat," she said.
"I'm not hungry."
"Eat anyway. We don't waste food out here."
"No. AD. you waste out here is yourself, isn't it, Lily?"
She turned on her heel. "What are you talking about?"
"You."
"I'm all right. Don't you worry about me." Her gaze moved over the bruises I'd picked up.
I sat up, damned if I'd let her see that I was hurt any more. I started to sweat. My stomach trembled and I wanted her to get out of there before I lost it all.
"Where are you from?" she asked.
I told her. She wanted to know how big the town was and when I told her she looked slightly disappointed. She wanted to know what movies I had seen, what plays I'd attended, what music I liked. I felt warm because I knew the answers I was giving her were not what she was looking for. She was hungry for something too.
But it wasn't even in the same world with what I wanted.
***
About noon some of the boats returned along the river and I heard them tying up next to the dock. Old Henry Sistrunk came into the room and sat down in the chair beside my bed. He did not smile.
"You feeling better, mister?"
"Yes."
"You was in pretty foul shape when the girl found you. We didn't know last night what had happened to you."
"But you know now?"
"Been some talk along the river."
"I guess you want me out of here?"
"I don't take no sides in any trouble they have out this way, mister. I used to be a farmer, but there is no living in farming in this country. It's dead. For a while there, I made shine and sold it. That ain't no living either for a man that don't like trouble. I started this here fish camp. I stay out of trouble, I git along with folks. I just hope to make a little money." He looked around the small room. "Whenever a room is being used and I ain't making no money from it-"
"Will you hand me my wallet?"
He got it from my trousers. It looked as though he knew just where it was, what was in it. I gave him three fives and he nodded.
"Reckon how long you'll be staying here?"
Lily walked by the door, moving along the narrow hallway. She did not glance into the room. "I don't know," I said, still watching that doorway.
"From a man that hates trouble something fierce," Sistrunk said, "why don't you plan to leave pretty soon?"
"I came out here looking for Marve Pooser. I haven't found him yet."
"How much more you prepared to take, mister?"
"Why, is there some law against finding Marve Pooser?"
Sistrunk smiled. "There might be. If'n there is, you can bet Marve Pooser made it hisself. He'll git
She straightened the pillow, stepped back. She glanced at me, as if faintly astonished that I had not grabbed for her.
She should have looked at my fists, knotted under the bed covers.
"Is that all you want?" she asked.
I just looked at her. I did not answer. The faintest smile touched at her eyes and she turned away. "I'll bring you some breakfast."
I stared at the ceiling some more and listened to the flies against the screens. I tried to think about Marve Pooser and that money, but all I could think about was the faint fragrance of her that was never bought in any store and that made you drunk when she got too close to you. Poor Charlie Bullock. All of a sudden I understood him one hell of a lot better.
She came back in and moved the basin of water. She placed a tray of fried eggs, hominy grits, pork sausage and coffee beside me. I looked at the food and felt sick. I knew I wasn't going to be able to eat it.
There was just one thing I wanted.
She walked over, looked out the window, watching something on the river, or maybe seeing nothing out there at all.
She glanced over her shoulder. I had not moved. "Eat," she said.
"I'm not hungry."
"Eat anyway. We don't waste food out here."
"No. AD. you waste out here is yourself, isn't it, Lily?"
She turned on her heel. "What are you talking about?"
"You."
"I'm all right. Don't you worry about me." Her gaze moved over the bruises I'd picked up.
I sat up, damned if I'd let her see that I was hurt any more. I started to sweat. My stomach trembled and I wanted her to get out of there before I lost it all.
"Where are you from?" she asked.
I told her. She wanted to know how big the town was and when I told her she looked slightly disappointed. She wanted to know what movies I had seen, what plays I'd attended, what music I liked. I felt warm because I knew the answers I was giving her were not what she was looking for. She was hungry for something too.
But it wasn't even in the same world with what I wanted.
***
About noon some of the boats returned along the river and I heard them tying up next to the dock. Old Henry Sistrunk came into the room and sat down in the chair beside my bed. He did not smile.
"You feeling better, mister?"
"Yes."
"You was in pretty foul shape when the girl found you. We didn't know last night what had happened to you."
"But you know now?"
"Been some talk along the river."
"I guess you want me out of here?"
"I don't take no sides in any trouble they have out this way, mister. I used to be a farmer, but there is no living in farming in this country. It's dead. For a while there, I made shine and sold it. That ain't no living either for a man that don't like trouble. I started this here fish camp. I stay out of trouble, I git along with folks. I just hope to make a little money." He looked around the small room. "Whenever a room is being used and I ain't making no money from it-"
"Will you hand me my wallet?"
He got it from my trousers. It looked as though he knew just where it was, what was in it. I gave him three fives and he nodded.
"Reckon how long you'll be staying here?"
Lily walked by the door, moving along the narrow hallway. She did not glance into the room. "I don't know," I said, still watching that doorway.
"From a man that hates trouble something fierce," Sistrunk said, "why don't you plan to leave pretty soon?"
"I came out here looking for Marve Pooser. I haven't found him yet."
"How much more you prepared to take, mister?"
"Why, is there some law against finding Marve Pooser?"
Sistrunk smiled. "There might be. If'n there is, you can bet Marve Pooser made it hisself. He'll git
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