Read Online The Amboy Dukes by Irving Shulman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Irving Shulman
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Frank asked sharply.
“No,” the Tigers agreed. “We’ll take him to our place and straighten him out.” They turned to Benny. “Can we take him in your car?”
“Sure,” Benny said, “if you watch out that he doesn’t bleed on the upholstery. Load him in. Coming, Frank?”
Frank shook his head. “No. I’ll see you later.”
“Will you call the babes?”
“That’s an idea. What time’ll we pick them up?”
“Say nine o’clock. Then we can take them for a drive and over to my place.”
“Hey,” one of the Tigers interrupted, “let’s get started.”
Benny started the car with a roar, and Frank stood there until the Dodge turned the corner. Then he walked to the candy store on the corner and called the girls. His date had a nice voice over the telephone and said that nine o’clock was all right with her, and because he wanted to kill time he talked to her two nickels’ worth. Then he hung up and strolled out into the late afternoon sunshine and headed toward Brownsville.
He had hardly spoken a word to Alice in the morning because his head was splitting, and he had yelled at her. Now he was sorry and he wanted to make it up to the kid.
She was really a good kid, not like Fanny Kane. He was sure to find her at the Center, and when he was directed to the basket-weaving room and saw Alice working on a red-and-blue basket he couldn’t help but step behind her and kiss her on the cheek.
“Hello, baby.” He smiled at her. “You’re not sore at me?”
“No.” She stood up. “Girls,” she said shyly to the group who was looking at them, “this is my brother Frank.”
“Not your boy friend?” One of the little girls giggled.
Alice blushed. “He’s my brother!”
“I’m going to the gym,” Frank said hastily. “Call for me when you want to eat.”
Frank took off his hat and jacket and carefully placed the gun inside one of the jacket sleeves. Then he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, took a basketball from one of the racks, and went out on the court. He wished he were wearing sneakers so that he could do some dribbling. It had been a long time since he had played any ball.
Poised at the foul line, he aimed carefully for the basket and was pleased when his first shot went through without touching the rim. He missed the second and third shots and then took careful aim and watched the ball drop through the hoop again. It had been at least a year since he had shot any baskets, and the knack was not easy to regain. Rhythmically he dipped and swung his arms upward and watched the ball sail in a true arc to the backboard and into the basket. More often now he was ringing them, and he was pleased with himself.
“That’s pretty good shooting, Frank,” a voice behind him said.
Frank flipped the ball upward and then turned around. Without looking he knew the ball was going through the basket. “Thanks, Mr. Alberg,” he said.
“My name’s Stan.”
“O.K.,” Frank said without smiling.
Stan Alberg bounced the basketball. “I haven’t seen you in the gym for almost a year.”
“I’ve been busy,” Frank said.
“Too busy to come here for a workout? Or maybe you’re going to another gym?”
Frank smoothed his hair with his hands. “No. I’m just busy.”
“Oh.”
“Maybe I’ll start coming around again,” Frank said. “I think I could use a workout.” He walked to the bench and buttoned his sleeves.
“Sure thing,” Stan said with professional heartiness. “We’re trying to get some teams up. Softball and handball, and later on basketball. We could use you, and it would do you a lot of good. Why don’t you get some more of the Dukes to come down?”
Frank looked at him suspiciously. “How’d you know I’m a Duke?”
Stan sat down on the bench and sighed. “You can’t keep that a secret, can you?”
“They’re a swell bunch of guys.”
“I know.”
“You don’t think much of us?”
Stan shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t get me wrong,
“No,” the Tigers agreed. “We’ll take him to our place and straighten him out.” They turned to Benny. “Can we take him in your car?”
“Sure,” Benny said, “if you watch out that he doesn’t bleed on the upholstery. Load him in. Coming, Frank?”
Frank shook his head. “No. I’ll see you later.”
“Will you call the babes?”
“That’s an idea. What time’ll we pick them up?”
“Say nine o’clock. Then we can take them for a drive and over to my place.”
“Hey,” one of the Tigers interrupted, “let’s get started.”
Benny started the car with a roar, and Frank stood there until the Dodge turned the corner. Then he walked to the candy store on the corner and called the girls. His date had a nice voice over the telephone and said that nine o’clock was all right with her, and because he wanted to kill time he talked to her two nickels’ worth. Then he hung up and strolled out into the late afternoon sunshine and headed toward Brownsville.
He had hardly spoken a word to Alice in the morning because his head was splitting, and he had yelled at her. Now he was sorry and he wanted to make it up to the kid.
She was really a good kid, not like Fanny Kane. He was sure to find her at the Center, and when he was directed to the basket-weaving room and saw Alice working on a red-and-blue basket he couldn’t help but step behind her and kiss her on the cheek.
“Hello, baby.” He smiled at her. “You’re not sore at me?”
“No.” She stood up. “Girls,” she said shyly to the group who was looking at them, “this is my brother Frank.”
“Not your boy friend?” One of the little girls giggled.
Alice blushed. “He’s my brother!”
“I’m going to the gym,” Frank said hastily. “Call for me when you want to eat.”
Frank took off his hat and jacket and carefully placed the gun inside one of the jacket sleeves. Then he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, took a basketball from one of the racks, and went out on the court. He wished he were wearing sneakers so that he could do some dribbling. It had been a long time since he had played any ball.
Poised at the foul line, he aimed carefully for the basket and was pleased when his first shot went through without touching the rim. He missed the second and third shots and then took careful aim and watched the ball drop through the hoop again. It had been at least a year since he had shot any baskets, and the knack was not easy to regain. Rhythmically he dipped and swung his arms upward and watched the ball sail in a true arc to the backboard and into the basket. More often now he was ringing them, and he was pleased with himself.
“That’s pretty good shooting, Frank,” a voice behind him said.
Frank flipped the ball upward and then turned around. Without looking he knew the ball was going through the basket. “Thanks, Mr. Alberg,” he said.
“My name’s Stan.”
“O.K.,” Frank said without smiling.
Stan Alberg bounced the basketball. “I haven’t seen you in the gym for almost a year.”
“I’ve been busy,” Frank said.
“Too busy to come here for a workout? Or maybe you’re going to another gym?”
Frank smoothed his hair with his hands. “No. I’m just busy.”
“Oh.”
“Maybe I’ll start coming around again,” Frank said. “I think I could use a workout.” He walked to the bench and buttoned his sleeves.
“Sure thing,” Stan said with professional heartiness. “We’re trying to get some teams up. Softball and handball, and later on basketball. We could use you, and it would do you a lot of good. Why don’t you get some more of the Dukes to come down?”
Frank looked at him suspiciously. “How’d you know I’m a Duke?”
Stan sat down on the bench and sighed. “You can’t keep that a secret, can you?”
“They’re a swell bunch of guys.”
“I know.”
“You don’t think much of us?”
Stan shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t get me wrong,
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