Read Online Comfort to the Enemy (2010) by Elmore - Carl Webster 03 Leonard - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elmore - Carl Webster 03 Leonard
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g i t. They'd skip the show and have something to eat.
When he told her how he handled the Joe Tanzi business, Louly said, "The new guy didn't understand what you were doing? I don't understand it either, how you can decide to let the guy go. What're you, a parole board?"
"They got mad 'cause they couldn't find the money and gave Joe twenty-five years.
"'Cause he hid it."
"You think he should do another twenty?"
"What I think--what's that got to do with it? I don't have a say in it and you don't either."
"But I said something, didn't I, whether I had a say or not. I said this isn't the guy we're looking for. I let him grow his cotton. You know what I wanted to ask him? What happened to his wife? The one left him when he robbed the bank. But I couldn't think of how to put it."
The first thing they talked about in the hotel suite while they were taking off their clothes--then held up on that conversation for a while, until they had their highballs and cigarettes--was Carl introducing Gary to Jurgen.
Carl said Gary eyed the Kraut officer in his short pants sitting across his cot with his back against the wall, Jurgen showing no interest in Gary until Carl introduced him as a former rodeo bullrider from Kosse, Texas, no t f ar from Waco. And Jurgen said, Kosse? Do you know Bob Wills? He's from there. Gary said no, but he's heard him enough on the radio.
Gary said Bob was great but he preferred the down home sound of his favorite, Roy Acuff. It got Jurgen sitting up, Jurgen saying Roy Acuff, it was Acuff who tuned his ear to hillbilly music. He'd started listening when he lived in Detroit. Saturday nights he'd tune in the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts.
Carl said once they got into the music, and started talking about, Uncle Dave Macon, The Carter Family, Pee Wee King, the war between Gary and Jurgen was over. Jurgen hadn't yet heard of Eddie Arnold, a new singer, so Gary said he'd bring over some records. "That's how it went," Carl said. "Toward the end Jurgen was asking Gary, 'What's this about riding bulls?'"
*
"Guess who I saw in the lobby, when I got back from selling war bonds.
They were in the bathroom now getting ready to go out, Louly plucking her eyebrows, Carl patting Aqua Velva on his face.
"Teddy Ritz. I forgot to tell you. He was talking to a couple of gangsters.
"Why do you think they're gangsters?" "They look like gangsters, and they weree with Teddy."
"You talk to him?"
"He looked over, but he wouldn't of recognized me in my uniform.
I'm surprised you didn't go up to him.
"If he doesn't remember me, what's the point? But listen, Teddy wasn't checking in, the two hoods were checking out. With big suitcases they wouldn't let the bellboys get their hands on. But now I didn't see Teddy. The two guys were leaving the hotel.
Carl said, You followed them.
To see if Teddy was outside. He was standing by a Packard, the high-priced one. The two guys put their grips in the trunk ... The car was delivered by a hotel valet, he's standing there waiting for a tip. Teddy and the two guys got in, one of them driving, and took off. The valet still waiting for the tip they didn't give him. I went over and asked him, 'You know where they're going?'
No beating around the bush, Carl said. The valet said Okmulgee. I gave him a quarter.
Chapter Eight
Tutti and Frankie Bones
Shemane took a sip of her martini, placed it on the cocktail table and picked up the Tulsa paper, the World.
NAZI CHIEF ESCAPES DEATH IN BOMB PLOT
Shemane said, "Mom, the paper you're reading is three months old." The edition about Hitler escaping death and FDR accepting the nomination for a fourth term; she laid it on the stack of newspapers between them on the sofa.
Her mom was holding her martini and reading a Sunda y e dition's Society page. On her lap and on the sofa she ha d t he World as far back as summer, even older ones in her room, Gladys keeping up with the Tulsa money people, once her neighbors. She didn't know how the paper got to
When he told her how he handled the Joe Tanzi business, Louly said, "The new guy didn't understand what you were doing? I don't understand it either, how you can decide to let the guy go. What're you, a parole board?"
"They got mad 'cause they couldn't find the money and gave Joe twenty-five years.
"'Cause he hid it."
"You think he should do another twenty?"
"What I think--what's that got to do with it? I don't have a say in it and you don't either."
"But I said something, didn't I, whether I had a say or not. I said this isn't the guy we're looking for. I let him grow his cotton. You know what I wanted to ask him? What happened to his wife? The one left him when he robbed the bank. But I couldn't think of how to put it."
The first thing they talked about in the hotel suite while they were taking off their clothes--then held up on that conversation for a while, until they had their highballs and cigarettes--was Carl introducing Gary to Jurgen.
Carl said Gary eyed the Kraut officer in his short pants sitting across his cot with his back against the wall, Jurgen showing no interest in Gary until Carl introduced him as a former rodeo bullrider from Kosse, Texas, no t f ar from Waco. And Jurgen said, Kosse? Do you know Bob Wills? He's from there. Gary said no, but he's heard him enough on the radio.
Gary said Bob was great but he preferred the down home sound of his favorite, Roy Acuff. It got Jurgen sitting up, Jurgen saying Roy Acuff, it was Acuff who tuned his ear to hillbilly music. He'd started listening when he lived in Detroit. Saturday nights he'd tune in the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts.
Carl said once they got into the music, and started talking about, Uncle Dave Macon, The Carter Family, Pee Wee King, the war between Gary and Jurgen was over. Jurgen hadn't yet heard of Eddie Arnold, a new singer, so Gary said he'd bring over some records. "That's how it went," Carl said. "Toward the end Jurgen was asking Gary, 'What's this about riding bulls?'"
*
"Guess who I saw in the lobby, when I got back from selling war bonds.
They were in the bathroom now getting ready to go out, Louly plucking her eyebrows, Carl patting Aqua Velva on his face.
"Teddy Ritz. I forgot to tell you. He was talking to a couple of gangsters.
"Why do you think they're gangsters?" "They look like gangsters, and they weree with Teddy."
"You talk to him?"
"He looked over, but he wouldn't of recognized me in my uniform.
I'm surprised you didn't go up to him.
"If he doesn't remember me, what's the point? But listen, Teddy wasn't checking in, the two hoods were checking out. With big suitcases they wouldn't let the bellboys get their hands on. But now I didn't see Teddy. The two guys were leaving the hotel.
Carl said, You followed them.
To see if Teddy was outside. He was standing by a Packard, the high-priced one. The two guys put their grips in the trunk ... The car was delivered by a hotel valet, he's standing there waiting for a tip. Teddy and the two guys got in, one of them driving, and took off. The valet still waiting for the tip they didn't give him. I went over and asked him, 'You know where they're going?'
No beating around the bush, Carl said. The valet said Okmulgee. I gave him a quarter.
Chapter Eight
Tutti and Frankie Bones
Shemane took a sip of her martini, placed it on the cocktail table and picked up the Tulsa paper, the World.
NAZI CHIEF ESCAPES DEATH IN BOMB PLOT
Shemane said, "Mom, the paper you're reading is three months old." The edition about Hitler escaping death and FDR accepting the nomination for a fourth term; she laid it on the stack of newspapers between them on the sofa.
Her mom was holding her martini and reading a Sunda y e dition's Society page. On her lap and on the sofa she ha d t he World as far back as summer, even older ones in her room, Gladys keeping up with the Tulsa money people, once her neighbors. She didn't know how the paper got to
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