Read Online The Man With the Getaway Face by Richard Stark - Free Book Online Page B

supposed to take over here for me tomorrow morning."
    "I know."
    –There he goes!" He pointed the pencil at the road. "See him? The light green Merc with the white top. He's either law or on a case."
    Parker squinted at the Mercury as it faded away down the road, southward. "Law, I guess. Shows up when the traffic's heavy?"
    "Right. The same two guys in it every time." Handy made a mark in the notebook. "I don't think he'll be working Monday, but just the same." He looked out at the road again. "What kind of truck you got?"
    "I don't know. A bomb, I think."
    "Just so it's big."
    "You can use the Ford while I'm gone. I'll leave it with Skimm."
    Handy nodded. "I'll see you Monday."
    "If the truck doesn't break down." If you don't show, I'll take care of Stubbs." Right."
    Handy went back to his own car and Parker drove north into Irvington and stopped at Skimm's house. Skimm was dressed but he hadn't shaved. His beard grew in straggly and grey, making him look more like a wino on the bum. "Come on in, I'm making coffee," he said.
    Skimm went back to the kitchen and Parker called Newark Airport. He could get a plane at two-fifty, change over in Washington and go from there to Raleigh. After that he'd take a bus to Goldsboro. He made the reservation, and then went out to the kitchen.
    Skimm was standing by the stove, watching a battered tin coffee pot. He'd spent so much of his life jungled up he didn't know how to make coffee any other way but in an old beat-up pot. There were two heavy china mugs on the table, and steel spoons, but no saucers. A pint of Old Mr Boston stood next to one mug.
    "Sit down," Skimm said, "she's almost ready."
    Parker sat down at the table and lit a cigarette. "You got an ashtray?"
    "Yeah, wait a second." Skimm looked around and then what kind of truck you brought a saucer over to the table. "Here you are."
    "Thanks." Parker dropped the match on to the saucer.
    Skimm went back over to the stove and watched the coffee pot some more. Over his shoulder, he said, "Things comin' along, huh?"
    "Yeah."
    "I guess you were right, Parker. We only needed three men. Even with that Stubbs to louse things up."
    "You want to watch him this afternoon. Yesterday, he started to throw a two-by-four at me."
    Skimm bobbed his head and grinned. "Getting stir-crazy, huh?"
    "Just another week," Parker said. He shrugged. "I'm going south today, be back Monday. Picking up a truck. Come out to the airport with me and take the car. Use it when you go walk Stubbs and then let Handy have it."
    "Okay." Skimm turned the fire off under the coffee pot and poured them two cups of coffee. He set out milk and sugar for Parker, and poured a belt of Old Mr Boston in with his coffee. Then he sat down. "You got a truck, huh?"
    Parker nodded.
    "A good one?"
    "How do I know till I see it?"
    "That's right, ain't it?" Skimm sipped at his coffee, and made a face. "You say it's down south?"
    "North Carolina."
    "North Carolina," repeated Skimm. "And you going to fly down, huh?"
    "Shut up a while," Parker said.
    Skimm blink rapidly for a few seconds, and then looked down at his coffee cup. He took another sip, and made a face again. Then he coughed, and looked slant-eyed at Parker. Parker just sat there, smoking a cigarette and drinking coffee, waiting for it to be time to go to the airport.
    After a while, Skimm coughed again. "You getting nervous about it, Parker?"
    Parker focused on him slowly. He'd been miles away. "Nervous about what?"
    "You know. The job."
    "No."
    "I thought – you acted jumpy."
    "Irritated," Parker answered. "The job isn't clean, there's too much to watch." v "You mean Stubbs?"
    Parker shrugged.
    "Listen," Skimm said. "I know you don't like Alma. She's kind of bitchy sometimes, I know that. But she's okay, Parker, she really is. You got to get to know her. I wish you'd try to get to know her."
    Parker looked at him, his mouth dragging down at the corners. "You offering her to me?"
    Skimm got confused then, and looked at his