Реймонд Маршалл - Lady — Here’s Your Wreath

Katz pushed his hat at the back of his head and leant against the wall. He put a finger and thumb in his vest-pocket and took out a toothpick. He put the toothpick in his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully.

‘If you don’t like to talk straight,’ he said, ‘it’s goin’ to be tough for you.’

I said: ‘Be your age, Katz. You can’t get that way with me. I could make this town so hot for you that you’d have to take a powder quick.’

Katz shifted the toothpick. ‘You’re all washed up,’ he said. ‘You ain’t nothin’. Suppose you get wise an’ talk? What are you doin’ here?’

I shrugged. ‘I guess I’ll be on my way,’ I said, getting to my feet.

Katz said: ‘Sit down.’ There was a threat in his voice.

‘We won’t get anywhere,’ I said. ‘I’m goin’.’

Katz shifted a little, so that his back was against the door. ‘Don’t start anything’,’ he said. ‘I ain’t ready to plug you yet, but don’t rush me.’

I said: ‘You better get out of the way.’ I was getting mad with this gunman. I guessed he’d think twice about letting the gun off. After all, we were on a main street, and guns can make a noise.

Maybe Katz gave Blondie a signal, or maybe she acted on her own initiative. I had been keeping my eyes on the gun, making up my mind whether I could jump Katz or not, and for a moment she was out of the picture. Well, I deserved what came to me, because I had had a taste of her before.

Something hard and heavy hit me on the side of my head, and I went down on my knees. The room tilted and the lights began to spin.

Dimly I heard Katz say: ‘Don’t hit him again... I wantta talk to this bird.’

Someone grabbed my arms and twisted them behind me and a hard, cold strap bit into my wrists. I felt myself tossed on the bed. My head cleared and I struggled to sit up, but a hand, out of the mists, closed over my face and slammed me back on the pillow. I lay still until I could focus the lights properly, then I raised my head cautiously and looked at them. They stood at the end of the bed, watching me.

Blondie had her arms crossed over her breasts. Her face was indifferent, but her eyes smouldered. Katz chewed the toothpick and held the automatic loosely.

Without taking his eyes off me, he said to Blondie: ‘What’s it all about?’

‘He’s crazy. He came up here an’ said I’d taken five grand off him.’

Katz shrugged. ‘Well, didn’t you?’ he said. He moved round the bed and sat down close to me. ‘Listen, punk,’ he went on, ‘I’m goin’ to tell you somethin’... then you’re goin’ to tell me somethin’. We’ve got your jack all right. Blondie lifted it, like you thought she did...’

Blondie made a move forward. ‘What the hel...’ she began.

Katz turned his head. ‘Shut up,’ he said. ‘I’m handlin’ this. I want this guy to know where he gets off.’

He turned his head back to me. ‘We’ve been watchin’ you for some time. You went to Vessi’s bump-off, didn’t you?’

I said: ‘What of it?’ It struck me that if this guy talked enough, I might learn something.

‘We’re interested to find who sent you... get this right, we don’t care about you... we just want to find who’s paying you; get it?’

I looked at Blondie. I was getting a little of the angle. ‘I thought you were Vessi’s side-kick,’ I said. ‘I see I’m wrong. Vessi was framed, an’ you know it. This guy’s no pal of Vessi’s... what the hell are you playin’ ball with him for?’

Blondie said viciously: ‘You lay off that. Who sent you that five grand... that’s what you gotta tell us.’

I shook my head. ‘I can’t tell you that... I don’t know myself. I just got a note offerin’ me five grand to bust the frame-up open, an’ I was interested. I went along to see Vessi die... I didn’t learn anythin’, and the five grand turned up to encourage me, an’ you knocked it off. That’s the history as far as I’m concerned.’

I was careful not to tell them I had my instructions by ’phone, because I didn’t want to give them a lead that it was a woman. I reckoned I’d given them just enough information without telling them more than they knew.

Katz scratched his jaw with his thumbnail. ‘That all?’ he said.

I nodded.

Blondie said suddenly: ‘What the hell’s the matter with you, Earl? Why don’t you rough this guy around. You won’t get anywhere talkin’ soft to him.’

Do you get the idea now? This dame was real poison ivy. I said quickly: ‘What more do you want me to say? I can’t tell you somethin’ I don’t know.’

Katz still sat there scratching his chin with his thumbnail. He kept his eyes fixed on my face, and I don’t mind telling you that I didn’t like the look in his eye. This guy was as tough as Blondie, only in a different way. He wasn’t all wind. When he started something, you’d know about it all right.

He said at last: ‘Okay, I guess you can beat it. You better keep clear of this place. You won’t find that five grand, an’ you’d better not go to the cops about it... get it?’

Blondie pushed forward. ‘You’re crazy,’ she said. ‘Look what this heel’s done to me. You ain’t lettin’ him get away with that?’

A sudden flash jumped into Katz’s eyes. He looked mean. ‘Listen, Roundheels,’ he said, ‘You lay off. I’m handlin’ this... so shut your trap.’

Blondie stepped away, shrugged, and walked into the bathroom. Katz watched her go and then turned back to me. ‘She’s mad with you,’ he said, chasing holes in his teeth with the pick. ‘I’d watch my step with her. Once she gets mad with a guy, she stays mad.’

Katz leant against the chest of drawers. He still held the automatic limply at his side. ‘Take my tip, bozo,’ he said, looking at me from under his hat, ‘you lay off this Vessi business... it ain’t healthy. We don’t want to get a guy like you into trouble. We know all about you. You ain’t bad. The boys think you’re an all-right guy. Okay, that suits me, but stay an all-right guy.’

I raised my head and shot him a look. ‘Meanin’?’

‘Just forget about Vessi, an’ go on with your pen-pushin’. Forget about everythin’ an’ forget you ever seen me or Blondie.’

‘Suppose I don’t; what happens then?’

‘Well, things happen, you know. The guys who run this show are big guys. They could make a smear of you if they wanted to. They could run you outta town. They could turn on the heat. Yeah, I guess plenty would happen.’

I scratched my head. ‘You sure got this thing worked out,’ I said. ‘I guess I’d better think it over.’ I got to my feet and hunted around for my hat. I found it lying by the door. Someone had trodden on it. I stood there working it into shape. ‘You better kiss Blondie good night for me... I don’t think I could trust myself to do it.’

Katz compressed his lips. He didn’t seem to think much of my humour. ‘Sure,’ he said, ‘I’ll tell her you’ve gone.’

I opened the door and took a step on to the landing. ‘I guess I’ll see you some time,’ I said, and pulled the door to.

I wanted a drink badly. My nose was feeling like hell, and my right eye was beginning to close. I thought a stiff drink might set me up.

When I got into the street I walked rapidly to the end of the block, hailed a taxi and directed him to a bar near my apartment.

I was glad the bar was empty. The barman gave me a long look, but he didn’t say anything. After the second bourbon I began to feel better. I had a third and took that one more slowly.

My mouth was feeling sore, but I lit a cigarette and held it in my lips without much trouble. Fighting dames was going to be struck off my list of hobbies.

Although I hadn’t got my five grand, I had learnt a lot. It looked to me that Vessi had been properly double-crossed. If his girl friend had joined the other side, he’d had a raw deal all round. It was over Blondie that the shooting was supposed to have happened. Maybe they had given her enough dough to fix the trial. I would have a look into this angle. Then I paused. Or should I? This guy Katz was dangerous, and I was bucking a big outfit. Was it worth going on? What had I got out of it up to now? I felt my nose and eye thoughtfully.