Read Online Devil Red by Joe R. Lansdale - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joe R. Lansdale
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snoring like a water buffalo.
“Well,” Leonard said. “Reckon that’s our cue.”
16
We went back into the hall and the maid met us there. She was friendlier now and her voice was less gruff. She said, “She drunk yet?”
“Yes, but she went down a pretty clear talker,” I said.
“Passed out?” the maid asked.
“Yep,” Leonard said.
“She’s like that. Talks almost like she hasn’t had a drink, then she’s snoozin’. You got to watch sometimes so she doesn’t bump her head, she’ll go down so fast.”
“We’ll take that under advisement,” Leonard said.
“You know, in spite of what she says, she loved her brother very much.”
“So, you been listening in?” I said.
“Absolutely. I knew she wanted another drink too, but I didn’t bring it. She didn’t need it.”
“We heard she was pretty upset about her mother leaving the money to the brother,” Leonard said.
“Not really,” the maid said. “She was worried that Mini would get her hands on it. She didn’t want that to happen, and that’s all there was to that. I’ve worked for her for five years, and she’s not as heartless as she can sound when she’s drunk. She and her brother didn’t get along, but she loved him. She just didn’t know how much until he was dead. I’ll walk you gentlemen out.”
Outside, Leonard said, “That’s some story.”
“Actually,” I said, “I remember hearing about the case on the news. I don’t remember the details, but I remember hearing about it.”
“Me too,” Leonard said. “But it happened before Mini bit the big one, and before she was dating Ted, so I’m not sure it means anything, even if those girls could actually change into bats.”
“No one said they could change into bats,” I said.
“I know, but that would be way cool, wouldn’t it?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said, and we bumped fists. “Do you think Mini telling June about all that in such detail means anything other than they were both drunk?”
“Got me,” Leonard said.
Back in the car Leonard put on the deerstalker.
“You’re just jackin’ with me, aren’t you? You know you look like a moron, but you’re wearing that thing to get my goat and all its children, aren’t you?”
Leonard leaned over and adjusted the car mirror and looked at himself. “I think it fits my personality.”
“What personality?”
“That’s just mean, Hap.”
I put the mirror back the way I liked it. “We’ll take back streets,” I said.
“I want a Sonic burger.”
“You have money?”
“Not on me … You have money?”
“Yes.”
“Will you buy me a burger?”
“Will you take off the hat?”
“You can eat in the car at Sonic.”
“Yes, but the waitress who brings it out will see you and know I’m with you.”
“No one will know you.”
“It’s not a chance I’m willin’ to take.”
“I hate you,” Leonard said.
17
In Marvin’s office, Marvin looked up some things on the Internet and made a few calls to cops, a warden, some prison guards, and other people, including a sandwich shop that delivered.
He didn’t offer us a sandwich, nor did he offer to let us order our own.
Leonard, wearing the deerstalker, sat in a client chair reading one of Marvin’s fishing magazines. I sat with my hands on my knees feeling like a bored kid.
After a long while, Marvin put the phone down, scribbled some notes, said, “Okay, I remember this vampire case. I checked some of the details, and it appears June is pretty accurate in her story. I just didn’t put Mini together with it, didn’t remember her name and Mrs. Christopher didn’t mention it.”
“It seemed too coincidental to ignore,” I said.
“It damn sure looks like the vampire killings and Mini go together,” Marvin said. “It also appears that—”
Marvin paused and looked at Leonard. “You know, Leonard, if I’m going to talk seriously, and you’re going to listen seriously, you have to take off that goddamn shitty
“Well,” Leonard said. “Reckon that’s our cue.”
16
We went back into the hall and the maid met us there. She was friendlier now and her voice was less gruff. She said, “She drunk yet?”
“Yes, but she went down a pretty clear talker,” I said.
“Passed out?” the maid asked.
“Yep,” Leonard said.
“She’s like that. Talks almost like she hasn’t had a drink, then she’s snoozin’. You got to watch sometimes so she doesn’t bump her head, she’ll go down so fast.”
“We’ll take that under advisement,” Leonard said.
“You know, in spite of what she says, she loved her brother very much.”
“So, you been listening in?” I said.
“Absolutely. I knew she wanted another drink too, but I didn’t bring it. She didn’t need it.”
“We heard she was pretty upset about her mother leaving the money to the brother,” Leonard said.
“Not really,” the maid said. “She was worried that Mini would get her hands on it. She didn’t want that to happen, and that’s all there was to that. I’ve worked for her for five years, and she’s not as heartless as she can sound when she’s drunk. She and her brother didn’t get along, but she loved him. She just didn’t know how much until he was dead. I’ll walk you gentlemen out.”
Outside, Leonard said, “That’s some story.”
“Actually,” I said, “I remember hearing about the case on the news. I don’t remember the details, but I remember hearing about it.”
“Me too,” Leonard said. “But it happened before Mini bit the big one, and before she was dating Ted, so I’m not sure it means anything, even if those girls could actually change into bats.”
“No one said they could change into bats,” I said.
“I know, but that would be way cool, wouldn’t it?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said, and we bumped fists. “Do you think Mini telling June about all that in such detail means anything other than they were both drunk?”
“Got me,” Leonard said.
Back in the car Leonard put on the deerstalker.
“You’re just jackin’ with me, aren’t you? You know you look like a moron, but you’re wearing that thing to get my goat and all its children, aren’t you?”
Leonard leaned over and adjusted the car mirror and looked at himself. “I think it fits my personality.”
“What personality?”
“That’s just mean, Hap.”
I put the mirror back the way I liked it. “We’ll take back streets,” I said.
“I want a Sonic burger.”
“You have money?”
“Not on me … You have money?”
“Yes.”
“Will you buy me a burger?”
“Will you take off the hat?”
“You can eat in the car at Sonic.”
“Yes, but the waitress who brings it out will see you and know I’m with you.”
“No one will know you.”
“It’s not a chance I’m willin’ to take.”
“I hate you,” Leonard said.
17
In Marvin’s office, Marvin looked up some things on the Internet and made a few calls to cops, a warden, some prison guards, and other people, including a sandwich shop that delivered.
He didn’t offer us a sandwich, nor did he offer to let us order our own.
Leonard, wearing the deerstalker, sat in a client chair reading one of Marvin’s fishing magazines. I sat with my hands on my knees feeling like a bored kid.
After a long while, Marvin put the phone down, scribbled some notes, said, “Okay, I remember this vampire case. I checked some of the details, and it appears June is pretty accurate in her story. I just didn’t put Mini together with it, didn’t remember her name and Mrs. Christopher didn’t mention it.”
“It seemed too coincidental to ignore,” I said.
“It damn sure looks like the vampire killings and Mini go together,” Marvin said. “It also appears that—”
Marvin paused and looked at Leonard. “You know, Leonard, if I’m going to talk seriously, and you’re going to listen seriously, you have to take off that goddamn shitty
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