Read Online Mourn the Hangman by Harry Whittington - Free Book Online Page B

damn it, I am talking sense. Dickerson was in the driver’s seat. He had plenty of money and he hired us. Then all of a sudden, Arrenhower was crying to a few senators and the government withdrew its tacit support of Dickerson. And Dickerson was left holding the bag. Only we were left holding the bag. They came around to me. From Arrenhower. Somebody was working for Dickerson and I had just so long to make up my mind. I could tell them, Steve, or, well, damn it, they’d have put us under. And they could do it if they wanted to!”
    “That figures. But there is still something you’re not telling me.”
    Bricker was sweating. “Look, Steve. I know you’re upset. My God, it’s a wonder you ain’t crazy. Stella dead and all — ”
    “I know how bad you feel, Bricker. I heard you grievin’ when you came into the office.”
    “I am sorry, Steve. Sorry as hell. But the police are after you — ”
    “I’m still waitin’, Bricker. How about it? How much? Arrenhower’s men weren’t crude enough to threaten you. How much did they offer you — ” his jaw tightened; he felt the muscles in his belly constrict — “to see that I was in that plant yesterday?”
    “I tell you we’d have been finished!” Bricker whined. “License revoked. Clients gone. Trouble. Trouble.”
    “How much, Bruce?”
    “All right, Steve. Ten thousand. Prue and I talked it over — ”
    “Prue and you talked it over! Prue and you! Since when have you been partners with Prue Quincy?”
    “I had to talk to somebody! I was worried crazy!”
    “And I wasn’t around — ”
    “No, Steve, you weren’t around — ”
    “Bricker, you’re a son-of-a-bitch — ”
    “All right, Steve-”
    “You’re a dirty son-of-a-bitch — ”
    “I said, all right, Steve!”
    Blake stood up.
    “So you sold me out to Arrenhower? What would you have done if I’d been accidentally killed walking out of his plant? That happened to Roberts, remember? That’s how we got this job in the first place. Suppose I’d been hit by a hit-and-run driver. That happens, doesn’t it, Bricker? Especially to guys who don’t know they’ve been sold out! Would you have sent flowers, Bricker? Is that why you tried so hard to get me to go back over there yesterday?”
    Bricker mopped at his face with his handkerchief. “It wasn’t like that, Steve. They just wanted you out of the plant.”
    “Yeah. Sure. Lucky for me I was worried about Stella and got out of there before they could put Operation Exterminate to work!”
    Bricker came forward slowly. “Why don’t you go to the police, Steve? You didn’t kill Stella — ”
    “Do you think I can prove it?”
    “You don’t have to prove it! They’ve got to prove that you did!” Bricker cried. “You know that. At least, Steve, you’d be safe from Arrenhower — ”
    “What do you care if I’m safe from Arrenhower or not? You got your ten grand, didn’t you? Besides, you just got through saying you knew nothing was going to happen to me! Remember? Arrenhower didn’t want to hurt a hair on my head. Remember? Wasn’t that what you said?”
    “Yeah! Sure, Steve. That’s what I thought. God almighty, I’d have never gone along with them if I’d thought anything else. You know that!”
    “The world’s flat, Bricker. Ends at the North Pole. I know that.”
    “Stop, Steve. Good God, don’t you think it’s hard enough for me?”
    “I think it ain’t started being hard for you, Bricker. I think you got out of your warm bed, patted Prue Quincy’s tight little behind and came down here to destroy two letters that you meant to destroy last night. But I came along and you didn’t get a chance to. I think if that had happened, you’d have smiled in my face and told me you didn’t know a goddamned thing about it. You’d have smiled at me all the way down the river. Because that’s the kind of sneak you are!”
    “Be reasonable, Steve! I did what I thought I had to do. But I’m trying to make it up to