do.”
“Don’t. He’s got to go to the trouble of coming out to Johannesburg himself if he wants you back and I doubt if even you’re worth the trouble that’d cause him.”
“But supposing …”
“Listen. I’ve told you. Stein knows. He’ll back me. I’m valuable to him. What I know means money to him. That’s what he’s paying for.”
There was a silence.
“You know what Gerald would do, don’t you? If he ever caught me?”
“Well, he won’t because he’d have to do it to me too. So drop it.”
There was another silence.
“Will you be back Sunday?”
“I don’t know. You may have to collect the stuff from Maurice yourself if I’m not.”
“When will you let me know?”
“I don’t know. Saturday. I’ll phone Maurice.”
“What about Doreen?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Do you want her to come with us, Jack?”
“I don’t know.”
“I hope you’ve thought about it, Jack.”
“I’ve thought,” I said. “Anyway, I’ll phone Saturday.”
“Jack, you’d better be careful. Gerald just might drop you in the cart.”
“I know that. What do you think I am?”
“All right,” she said. “But try and make it Sunday. You never know.”
“I’ll try,” I said and put the receiver down.
I knocked on the door of the boarding house. When she came to the door I said:
“Hello, I hope you don’t mind, but I’m a bit earlier than I expected. I hope it’s okay.”
“It makes no difference to me,” she said.
“Oh, good,” I said.
I went in and she watched me go up the stairs.
“I expect you’ll need some rest,” she said.
I played along with her. I turned at the top of the stairs.
“Well, you know,” I said.
Her face cracked for the first time since we’d met. She obviously liked to think what she was thinking.
“I’m making a cup of tea,” she said. “Would you like one?”
“Oh, yes, please,” I said. “That’s very kind of you.”
I went into my room and lay down on the bed and lit cigarette. A few minutes later the door opened. She walked over to the table by the bed and put the tea down. I leaned up on my elbow and took the tea. She sat down on a chair opposite the bed. She folded her arms and crossed her legs. I could see her stocking tops and she knew I could so I looked at them over the top of my tea.
“Ah,” I said, “that’s better.”
“You’ll be needing that,” she said.
“Too true,” I said. “Too true.”
She smirked again. She sat there smirking for a long time. Then she uncrossed her legs so that I could see up her knickers. They were loose-legged and bright green with white lace. They looked new. She watched me watch her. Slowly she got up, her arms still folded.
“Well,” she said, “I’ll let you get your rest.”
“Thanks,” I said.
She opened the door.
“Will you be going out tonight?” she said.
“Yes, probably,” I said.
“Because if you’re back at a reasonable hour I’ll do you some supper if you like.”
“That’s very kind of you,” I said.
She didn’t say anything and then she closed the door.
Six-thirty and Friday night. Too late for people going home from work and too early for people coming out to get drunk. Except for the workmen who were already in the pubs splashing their pay packets about.
I drove down the High Street. There was hardly any traffic. The remains of the sun were blustered into long shadows by the thin wind. I drove past Woolworth’s and British Home Stores and Millet’s and Willerby’s. I drove past the Essoldo and the Pricerite and past the dead buildings at the end of town and abruptly I was out in the country. I followed the road as it rose up towards the top of the wolds. On either side of me, the steelworks darkened against the raggy, saffron sky. The road got steeper. I began to slow down, keeping to the crown, looking out on my right. There. There it was. I pulled the car over to the left and stopped and got out.
The air was not as noisy as I
“Don’t. He’s got to go to the trouble of coming out to Johannesburg himself if he wants you back and I doubt if even you’re worth the trouble that’d cause him.”
“But supposing …”
“Listen. I’ve told you. Stein knows. He’ll back me. I’m valuable to him. What I know means money to him. That’s what he’s paying for.”
There was a silence.
“You know what Gerald would do, don’t you? If he ever caught me?”
“Well, he won’t because he’d have to do it to me too. So drop it.”
There was another silence.
“Will you be back Sunday?”
“I don’t know. You may have to collect the stuff from Maurice yourself if I’m not.”
“When will you let me know?”
“I don’t know. Saturday. I’ll phone Maurice.”
“What about Doreen?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Do you want her to come with us, Jack?”
“I don’t know.”
“I hope you’ve thought about it, Jack.”
“I’ve thought,” I said. “Anyway, I’ll phone Saturday.”
“Jack, you’d better be careful. Gerald just might drop you in the cart.”
“I know that. What do you think I am?”
“All right,” she said. “But try and make it Sunday. You never know.”
“I’ll try,” I said and put the receiver down.
I knocked on the door of the boarding house. When she came to the door I said:
“Hello, I hope you don’t mind, but I’m a bit earlier than I expected. I hope it’s okay.”
“It makes no difference to me,” she said.
“Oh, good,” I said.
I went in and she watched me go up the stairs.
“I expect you’ll need some rest,” she said.
I played along with her. I turned at the top of the stairs.
“Well, you know,” I said.
Her face cracked for the first time since we’d met. She obviously liked to think what she was thinking.
“I’m making a cup of tea,” she said. “Would you like one?”
“Oh, yes, please,” I said. “That’s very kind of you.”
I went into my room and lay down on the bed and lit cigarette. A few minutes later the door opened. She walked over to the table by the bed and put the tea down. I leaned up on my elbow and took the tea. She sat down on a chair opposite the bed. She folded her arms and crossed her legs. I could see her stocking tops and she knew I could so I looked at them over the top of my tea.
“Ah,” I said, “that’s better.”
“You’ll be needing that,” she said.
“Too true,” I said. “Too true.”
She smirked again. She sat there smirking for a long time. Then she uncrossed her legs so that I could see up her knickers. They were loose-legged and bright green with white lace. They looked new. She watched me watch her. Slowly she got up, her arms still folded.
“Well,” she said, “I’ll let you get your rest.”
“Thanks,” I said.
She opened the door.
“Will you be going out tonight?” she said.
“Yes, probably,” I said.
“Because if you’re back at a reasonable hour I’ll do you some supper if you like.”
“That’s very kind of you,” I said.
She didn’t say anything and then she closed the door.
Six-thirty and Friday night. Too late for people going home from work and too early for people coming out to get drunk. Except for the workmen who were already in the pubs splashing their pay packets about.
I drove down the High Street. There was hardly any traffic. The remains of the sun were blustered into long shadows by the thin wind. I drove past Woolworth’s and British Home Stores and Millet’s and Willerby’s. I drove past the Essoldo and the Pricerite and past the dead buildings at the end of town and abruptly I was out in the country. I followed the road as it rose up towards the top of the wolds. On either side of me, the steelworks darkened against the raggy, saffron sky. The road got steeper. I began to slow down, keeping to the crown, looking out on my right. There. There it was. I pulled the car over to the left and stopped and got out.
The air was not as noisy as I
Similar Books
