Read Online Canvas Coffin by William Campbell Gault - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: William Campbell Gault
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nasty reasons, Harry.”
He looked at her for seconds. “Yuh.” He took a breath, and glanced down toward the girl at the far end. “What’ll you have to drink? Oh, you wanted champagne, I remember.”
He reached into a refrigerated cabinet, took out a bottle, and started to peel the foil. His eyes were on the wall behind us.
“The law was here. The nosy newspaper knuckle-heads were here. Even a stinking sob sister. I told ‘em Mary was a clean kid with lots of talent looking for a break in a rough town. That’s what the papers like, anyway.” He reached for a corkscrew and began to turn it into the cork.
“Well, maybe none of it was true. The way she was strange, I got the idea she
liked
being kicked around. You know, there’s people like that. Remember, Champ, that Arty Retard?”
“I remember,” I said. “There’s a name for the type.”
“Masochist,” Sally said. “They live to suffer.”
Harry shrugged. He had removed the corkscrew and was working the cork out with a thumb the size of a fifty-cent cigar.
There was a
pop
and the cork went over our shoulders to bounce on the floor.
“Real good vintage,” Harry said. “1952. Hah!” He winked at me. “How about Giani?”
“Is he one of your relatives? Why worry about him?”
“I don’t, Champ.” His big frame shook in a chuckle. “I won’t be fighting him. Good boy, right?”
“That’s what I hear. That’s his claim, anyway.”
Harry nodded. “Sure. Cocky. All the real brawlers are cocky. Bad boys, too, all of ‘em.”
He poured the champagne into a glass, and brought out another for himself. Then he lifted his in a toast.
“To better days,” he said.
“And honest refs,” I said.
“And real friends,” Sally said.
Behind us, the door opened, and I glanced that way. I made out the peaked cap of a cab driver and then he was fully into the room and he saw me.
He stopped short and stared. He looked pale, suddenly, and then his eyes slid off me and went questioningly to Harry.
Harry’s voice was too calm. “Nobody called for a cab, that I know of.” He looked toward the two men in the booth. “Either of you gents call for a cab?”
To my knowledge, I’d never seen the man before. But the atmosphere was too charged for me to let this go by. I said, “Hello. Haven’t seen you for two days. Come on over and have a drink.”
Chapter V
H E WAS A SMALL MAN , no more than a bantam. He looked at me without recognition, and then said, “Never turn down a drink, Mac. But what’s this about two days?” He came slowly over to the bar.
I said, “Didn’t you carry me the other night?”
The man looked at Harry. “Whisky.” And then at me. “I get a lot of fares, mister.”
“From the Palisades, late, night before last?”
He shook his head. He looked at me blankly and said, “You could check the trip tickets. Haven’t been out there for a week.”
Harry, pouring the whisky, said, “Leave it lay, Champ. I think I know what you’re talking about.”
“Well, I sure as hell don’t,” the small man said. There was a touch of belligerence in his tone.
“Simmer down, Noodles,” Harry said. “Have a drink.” Then he smiled at me. “I know a couple of the boys was at the party, Champ. I get a word here and there. Relax. Have another beer.”
Sally said, “Then you
did
have him in your cab, but didn’t make an official record of it. Why?”
Harry stared at her blankly. “Miss Sally, you’ve got everything mixed up. I don’t follow you at all.”
Sally’s chin was out again. “Exactly how stupid do you think we are?”
Harry spread both hands palm upward, like a praying oak tree. “Ma’am, what’s going on? What’re you getting all riled up about?”
Noodles said, “Well, I’ve got to be moving. Can’t make any money in here. Thanks for the drink, Major.”
He’d taken one step when I grabbed him by the shoulder. “Just a minute. We hadn’t finished talking, Noodles.”
He looked at the
He looked at her for seconds. “Yuh.” He took a breath, and glanced down toward the girl at the far end. “What’ll you have to drink? Oh, you wanted champagne, I remember.”
He reached into a refrigerated cabinet, took out a bottle, and started to peel the foil. His eyes were on the wall behind us.
“The law was here. The nosy newspaper knuckle-heads were here. Even a stinking sob sister. I told ‘em Mary was a clean kid with lots of talent looking for a break in a rough town. That’s what the papers like, anyway.” He reached for a corkscrew and began to turn it into the cork.
“Well, maybe none of it was true. The way she was strange, I got the idea she
liked
being kicked around. You know, there’s people like that. Remember, Champ, that Arty Retard?”
“I remember,” I said. “There’s a name for the type.”
“Masochist,” Sally said. “They live to suffer.”
Harry shrugged. He had removed the corkscrew and was working the cork out with a thumb the size of a fifty-cent cigar.
There was a
pop
and the cork went over our shoulders to bounce on the floor.
“Real good vintage,” Harry said. “1952. Hah!” He winked at me. “How about Giani?”
“Is he one of your relatives? Why worry about him?”
“I don’t, Champ.” His big frame shook in a chuckle. “I won’t be fighting him. Good boy, right?”
“That’s what I hear. That’s his claim, anyway.”
Harry nodded. “Sure. Cocky. All the real brawlers are cocky. Bad boys, too, all of ‘em.”
He poured the champagne into a glass, and brought out another for himself. Then he lifted his in a toast.
“To better days,” he said.
“And honest refs,” I said.
“And real friends,” Sally said.
Behind us, the door opened, and I glanced that way. I made out the peaked cap of a cab driver and then he was fully into the room and he saw me.
He stopped short and stared. He looked pale, suddenly, and then his eyes slid off me and went questioningly to Harry.
Harry’s voice was too calm. “Nobody called for a cab, that I know of.” He looked toward the two men in the booth. “Either of you gents call for a cab?”
To my knowledge, I’d never seen the man before. But the atmosphere was too charged for me to let this go by. I said, “Hello. Haven’t seen you for two days. Come on over and have a drink.”
Chapter V
H E WAS A SMALL MAN , no more than a bantam. He looked at me without recognition, and then said, “Never turn down a drink, Mac. But what’s this about two days?” He came slowly over to the bar.
I said, “Didn’t you carry me the other night?”
The man looked at Harry. “Whisky.” And then at me. “I get a lot of fares, mister.”
“From the Palisades, late, night before last?”
He shook his head. He looked at me blankly and said, “You could check the trip tickets. Haven’t been out there for a week.”
Harry, pouring the whisky, said, “Leave it lay, Champ. I think I know what you’re talking about.”
“Well, I sure as hell don’t,” the small man said. There was a touch of belligerence in his tone.
“Simmer down, Noodles,” Harry said. “Have a drink.” Then he smiled at me. “I know a couple of the boys was at the party, Champ. I get a word here and there. Relax. Have another beer.”
Sally said, “Then you
did
have him in your cab, but didn’t make an official record of it. Why?”
Harry stared at her blankly. “Miss Sally, you’ve got everything mixed up. I don’t follow you at all.”
Sally’s chin was out again. “Exactly how stupid do you think we are?”
Harry spread both hands palm upward, like a praying oak tree. “Ma’am, what’s going on? What’re you getting all riled up about?”
Noodles said, “Well, I’ve got to be moving. Can’t make any money in here. Thanks for the drink, Major.”
He’d taken one step when I grabbed him by the shoulder. “Just a minute. We hadn’t finished talking, Noodles.”
He looked at the
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