Read Online Now and on Earth by Jim Thompson - Free Book Online
Authors: Jim Thompson
Tags: Crime
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the recruiting station, trying to join the army.
It was the day Mike had been released under 50,000-dollar bond on a criminal syndicalism charge, and he undoubtedly had many things on his mind. But he stopped to inquire into my troubles, regardless.
"I don't think a change of scenery is going to help you, Dill," he said. "But-but if you've just got to go some place, how about the West Coast? Our attorney borrowed a car from his brother at San Diego when he was out there on vacation, and he's got to send it back. If you want to take it, your transportation won't cost you anything."
It sounded pretty good. If I got out there on a limb, sort of, maybe the foundation would extend my fellowship. Or maybe I could connect with one of the Hollywood studios. I went home.
"Well," said Roberta, "where's your uniform? I thought you'd be on the way to Fort Sill, by now. They didn't turn you down because you had a wife and three children, did they?"
"Jimmie was probably afraid they'd make him sleep on the ground," said Mom. "I never saw such a boy always to be afraid he'd get an ant or a little worm on him or something."
"You ought to join the Foreign Legion, Jimmie," said Frankie. "You could get some good material for stories."
I said, "Get my things packed. I'm going to California."
"Ho-hum," said Roberta. "Can you folks eat macaroni and cheese for lunch?"
"I'm going in a car. Mike Stone's lawyer is going to give me his car to go in."
Roberta came alive then. So!-I'd been chasing around with those filthy Reds again. Well, she hoped they'd send me over the road with the rest of the crowd; it'd serve me right.
"Jimmie, you mustn't have anything to do with them," Mom said. "We've already got about all the trouble we can stand."
Frankie said, "I always liked Mike. What's the deal? Maybe I'll go along. I'm getting doggoned tired of cashiering for fifteen a week and getting docked for shortages I don't make."
"I'm going by myself," I said. "As soon as I get settled and see how things are, I'll send for the rest of you. Roberta, when my check comes, wire me forty and keep the rest."
"You're not going any place but to jail," said Roberta. "I warn you, James Dillon: If you even look like you're going to-"
"I don't know, Roberta," said Mom. "It might be all right. There's really nothing I've got to stay here for, and Frankie ought to get away from Chick. I don't see how she stands him slobbering and sulking around all the time."
"Oh, Chick's all right, Mom," said Frankie. "He just doesn't know quite how to take you people. And he gets blue and disgusted because he doesn't have a better job."
"If he goes, I'm not," said Mom. "The reason he doesn't get anywhere is because no one likes him. He's just a big sulking calf."
"No one's going but me," I said.
"Don't be such a pig, Jimmie," said Frankie.
"You wouldn't want us to stay here, just barely getting by, if we could do well out there, would you?" asked Mom.
"I've been trying to think what I could wear," said Roberta. "I guess my green slack suit would be the best."
"Now, look here!" I said. "You folks just can't get up and tear off like this. It's absolutely crazy!"
"Well, of course if you don't want us-" said Mom. "He's always trying to get away from me, Mom," said Roberta. "Ever since we got married. He's not going to, though."
Well-we came to California.
I felt pretty sorry for Chick. Chick is an expert mechanic on pin-ball machines and other gambling devices; it's probably the only thing he's any good at. Since they were outlawed in the Southwest, he's had to work at anything he could get at about a fourth of what he used to make. There really wasn't room for him in the car, and we did promise we'd look out for him. But, after we got here, we were so busy looking out for ourselves that we couldn't be bothered a great deal. He wrote Frankie a rather nasty letter, then one to the family in general. So now none of us knows quite what to do. Frankie wants to see him, I'm
It was the day Mike had been released under 50,000-dollar bond on a criminal syndicalism charge, and he undoubtedly had many things on his mind. But he stopped to inquire into my troubles, regardless.
"I don't think a change of scenery is going to help you, Dill," he said. "But-but if you've just got to go some place, how about the West Coast? Our attorney borrowed a car from his brother at San Diego when he was out there on vacation, and he's got to send it back. If you want to take it, your transportation won't cost you anything."
It sounded pretty good. If I got out there on a limb, sort of, maybe the foundation would extend my fellowship. Or maybe I could connect with one of the Hollywood studios. I went home.
"Well," said Roberta, "where's your uniform? I thought you'd be on the way to Fort Sill, by now. They didn't turn you down because you had a wife and three children, did they?"
"Jimmie was probably afraid they'd make him sleep on the ground," said Mom. "I never saw such a boy always to be afraid he'd get an ant or a little worm on him or something."
"You ought to join the Foreign Legion, Jimmie," said Frankie. "You could get some good material for stories."
I said, "Get my things packed. I'm going to California."
"Ho-hum," said Roberta. "Can you folks eat macaroni and cheese for lunch?"
"I'm going in a car. Mike Stone's lawyer is going to give me his car to go in."
Roberta came alive then. So!-I'd been chasing around with those filthy Reds again. Well, she hoped they'd send me over the road with the rest of the crowd; it'd serve me right.
"Jimmie, you mustn't have anything to do with them," Mom said. "We've already got about all the trouble we can stand."
Frankie said, "I always liked Mike. What's the deal? Maybe I'll go along. I'm getting doggoned tired of cashiering for fifteen a week and getting docked for shortages I don't make."
"I'm going by myself," I said. "As soon as I get settled and see how things are, I'll send for the rest of you. Roberta, when my check comes, wire me forty and keep the rest."
"You're not going any place but to jail," said Roberta. "I warn you, James Dillon: If you even look like you're going to-"
"I don't know, Roberta," said Mom. "It might be all right. There's really nothing I've got to stay here for, and Frankie ought to get away from Chick. I don't see how she stands him slobbering and sulking around all the time."
"Oh, Chick's all right, Mom," said Frankie. "He just doesn't know quite how to take you people. And he gets blue and disgusted because he doesn't have a better job."
"If he goes, I'm not," said Mom. "The reason he doesn't get anywhere is because no one likes him. He's just a big sulking calf."
"No one's going but me," I said.
"Don't be such a pig, Jimmie," said Frankie.
"You wouldn't want us to stay here, just barely getting by, if we could do well out there, would you?" asked Mom.
"I've been trying to think what I could wear," said Roberta. "I guess my green slack suit would be the best."
"Now, look here!" I said. "You folks just can't get up and tear off like this. It's absolutely crazy!"
"Well, of course if you don't want us-" said Mom. "He's always trying to get away from me, Mom," said Roberta. "Ever since we got married. He's not going to, though."
Well-we came to California.
I felt pretty sorry for Chick. Chick is an expert mechanic on pin-ball machines and other gambling devices; it's probably the only thing he's any good at. Since they were outlawed in the Southwest, he's had to work at anything he could get at about a fourth of what he used to make. There really wasn't room for him in the car, and we did promise we'd look out for him. But, after we got here, we were so busy looking out for ourselves that we couldn't be bothered a great deal. He wrote Frankie a rather nasty letter, then one to the family in general. So now none of us knows quite what to do. Frankie wants to see him, I'm
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