get him to put through a pardon…Did I say something wrong?”
“I don’t have any friends,” I said. “Doc got me out on his own.”
“Huh?” She gestured with her hand. “You mean just like that?”
“Just like that.” I told her about the letter I’d written him. “I’d never seen him before.”
“But, why? Pat! You didn’t agree to—you didn’t promise—”
“What could I promise?” I said.
“But—”
“I know,” I said. “There’s a reason. But the only one I can think of doesn’t make sense. That I’m valuable or will be valuable to him just by being what I am. That he thinks I will be.”
“Thinks?”
“It’s just a hunch,” I nodded. “He had a reason for getting me out; someone else had another. His plan isn’t going to come off…and the other will.”
“Now, that doesn’t make sense,” she said. “Believe me, Pat, that guy knows what he’s doing. Always. I’ve worked for him for years, and I’ve been on the inside of every crooked deal he’s pulled. I—I—”
“Don’t feel bad about it,” I said. “For a person who hasn’t had to work at it to stay alive, you’re pretty good.”
“What…I don’t understand.”
“Lying. Pretending. You’re Doc’s right hand. You knew that he was getting me out of Sandstone. You know why he got me out. Why don’t you tell me? What has he got on you that makes you afraid to talk?”
“Is that why you came here today, Pat, to pump me?”
“I didn’t think I’d have to pump you. I thought you had some of the same feeling for me that I have for you. I—”
“Oh, I do, Pat!” She thrust herself upwards and clung to me tightly. “You must believe me, honey. I do feel that way!”
“Tell me, then.”
“Don’t—don’t let him make you do anything, Pat! Talk to me first! Don’t do anything without talking to me. Will you promise that?”
“I—” My scalp crawled suddenly. “Did you lock that hall door?”
“I probably didn’t. No one ever comes up here during the day.”
“Someone did,” I said, and I nodded at the glass panel of the connecting door.
Just as he looked through it, grinning.
12
H e was about my height, though heavier; and he had a lipless tobacco-stained mouth and little red-rimmed pig eyes and a nose that might have been made out of soiled putty. He wore a blue serge suit, without a vest, a snap-brimmed gray hat, and black high-topped shoes. Shoes and hat were spotless. The suit wasn’t.
I knew what he was before he ever spit the toothpick out of his mouth and showed his credentials.
I nodded and handed them back to him.
“This gentleman is with the probation department, Madeline,” I said. “He’s caught me in a pretty serious violation of my parole.”
“Huh!” She stared at him fiercely. “That doesn’t give him a license to housebreak! Where’s your warrant, you—”
“You don’t understand, Madeline. This gentleman can have me sent back to Sandstone. Now just close the door, and lock it this time. We don’t want to be disturbed while we’re talking, do we, sir?”
He grinned and the caution in his pig eyes disappeared.
“Now,” I said, smiling, staring straight into his eyes. “What did you have in mind, sir? How would a couple of C-notes do?”
“Two C’s?” His ugly face lit up, then contorted into a scowl. “Huh-uh. Ain’t half enough. Make it five.”
“Would that be enough?”
“I said so, didn’t I? For five it’s a deal.”
“You’re making a mistake,” I said. “It’s worth much more than five hundred for me to stay out of Sandstone. I’m afraid I can’t tell you how much it is worth to me. I’d have to show you. Now, don’t be alarmed, sir…”
He was alarmed, or beginning to be. But I was smiling, and holding his eyes; and so he stood and watched while I slid out of my coat and shirt and undershirt.
I heard Madeline gasp.
He gulped and whistled softly. “My God!” he whispered.
“You were looking at those
“I don’t have any friends,” I said. “Doc got me out on his own.”
“Huh?” She gestured with her hand. “You mean just like that?”
“Just like that.” I told her about the letter I’d written him. “I’d never seen him before.”
“But, why? Pat! You didn’t agree to—you didn’t promise—”
“What could I promise?” I said.
“But—”
“I know,” I said. “There’s a reason. But the only one I can think of doesn’t make sense. That I’m valuable or will be valuable to him just by being what I am. That he thinks I will be.”
“Thinks?”
“It’s just a hunch,” I nodded. “He had a reason for getting me out; someone else had another. His plan isn’t going to come off…and the other will.”
“Now, that doesn’t make sense,” she said. “Believe me, Pat, that guy knows what he’s doing. Always. I’ve worked for him for years, and I’ve been on the inside of every crooked deal he’s pulled. I—I—”
“Don’t feel bad about it,” I said. “For a person who hasn’t had to work at it to stay alive, you’re pretty good.”
“What…I don’t understand.”
“Lying. Pretending. You’re Doc’s right hand. You knew that he was getting me out of Sandstone. You know why he got me out. Why don’t you tell me? What has he got on you that makes you afraid to talk?”
“Is that why you came here today, Pat, to pump me?”
“I didn’t think I’d have to pump you. I thought you had some of the same feeling for me that I have for you. I—”
“Oh, I do, Pat!” She thrust herself upwards and clung to me tightly. “You must believe me, honey. I do feel that way!”
“Tell me, then.”
“Don’t—don’t let him make you do anything, Pat! Talk to me first! Don’t do anything without talking to me. Will you promise that?”
“I—” My scalp crawled suddenly. “Did you lock that hall door?”
“I probably didn’t. No one ever comes up here during the day.”
“Someone did,” I said, and I nodded at the glass panel of the connecting door.
Just as he looked through it, grinning.
12
H e was about my height, though heavier; and he had a lipless tobacco-stained mouth and little red-rimmed pig eyes and a nose that might have been made out of soiled putty. He wore a blue serge suit, without a vest, a snap-brimmed gray hat, and black high-topped shoes. Shoes and hat were spotless. The suit wasn’t.
I knew what he was before he ever spit the toothpick out of his mouth and showed his credentials.
I nodded and handed them back to him.
“This gentleman is with the probation department, Madeline,” I said. “He’s caught me in a pretty serious violation of my parole.”
“Huh!” She stared at him fiercely. “That doesn’t give him a license to housebreak! Where’s your warrant, you—”
“You don’t understand, Madeline. This gentleman can have me sent back to Sandstone. Now just close the door, and lock it this time. We don’t want to be disturbed while we’re talking, do we, sir?”
He grinned and the caution in his pig eyes disappeared.
“Now,” I said, smiling, staring straight into his eyes. “What did you have in mind, sir? How would a couple of C-notes do?”
“Two C’s?” His ugly face lit up, then contorted into a scowl. “Huh-uh. Ain’t half enough. Make it five.”
“Would that be enough?”
“I said so, didn’t I? For five it’s a deal.”
“You’re making a mistake,” I said. “It’s worth much more than five hundred for me to stay out of Sandstone. I’m afraid I can’t tell you how much it is worth to me. I’d have to show you. Now, don’t be alarmed, sir…”
He was alarmed, or beginning to be. But I was smiling, and holding his eyes; and so he stood and watched while I slid out of my coat and shirt and undershirt.
I heard Madeline gasp.
He gulped and whistled softly. “My God!” he whispered.
“You were looking at those
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