Эд Макбейн - Learning to Kill - Stories

“Not an argument, really. Just a discussion, sort of.”

“About what?”

“About what to eat.”

“What!”

“About what to eat. I wanted to eat Chink’s, but Marcia wanted a glass of milk and a piece of pie. So we were trying to decide whether we should go to the Chink’s or the cafeteria. That’s why we were parked on the Concourse.”

“We found a wallet in your coat, Pete. It wasn’t yours, was it?”

“No.”

“Whose was it?”

“I don’t know.” He paused, then added hastily, “There wasn’t no money in it.”

“No, but there was identification. A Mr. Simon Granger. Where’d you get it, Pete?”

“I found it in the subway. There wasn’t no money in it.”

“Did you find all that other stuff in the subway, too?”

“No, sir, I bought that.” He paused. “I was going to return the wallet, but I forgot to stick it in the mail.”

“Too busy planning for the Denver trip, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“When’s the last time you earned an honest dollar, Pete?”

Pete grinned. “Oh, about two, three years ago. I guess.”

“Here’re their records,” the Chief of Detectives said. “Marcia, 1938, Sullivan Law; 1939, Concealing Birth of Issue; 1940, Possession of Narcotics — you still on the stuff, Marcia?”

“No.”

“1942, Dis Cond; 1943, Narcotics again; 1947 — you had enough, Marcia?”

Marcia didn’t answer.

“Pete,” the Chief of Detectives said, “1940, Attempted Rape; 1941, Selective Service Act; 1942, Dis Cond; 1943, Attempted Burglary; 1945, Living on Proceeds of Prostitution; 1947, Assault and Battery, did two years at Ossining.”

“I never done no time,” Pete said.

“According to this, you did.”

“I never done no time,” he insisted.

“1950,” the Chief of Detectives went on, “Carnal Abuse of a Child.” He paused. “Want to tell us about that one, Pete?”

“I... uh...” Pete swallowed. “I got nothing to say.”

“You’re ashamed of some things, that it?”

Pete didn’t answer.

“Get them out of here,” the Chief of Detectives said.

“See how long he kept them up there?” Skinner whispered. “He knows what they are, wants every bull in the city to recognize them if they...”

“Come on,” a detective said, taking Skinner’s arm.

Stevie watched as Skinner climbed the steps to the stage. Those two had really been something, all right. And just looking at them, you’d never know they were such operators. You’d never know they...

“Skinner, James, Manhattan two. Aged fifty-one. Threw a garbage can through the plate-glass window of a clothing shop on Third Avenue. Arresting officer found him inside the shop with a bundle of overcoats. No statement. That right, James?”

“I don’t remember,” Skinner said.

“Is it, or isn’t it?”

“All I remember is waking up in jail this morning.”

“You don’t remember throwing that ash can through the window?”

“No, sir.”

“You don’t remember taking those overcoats?”

“No, sir.”

“Well, you must have done it, don’t you think? The off-duty detective found you inside the store with the coats in your arms.”

“I got only his word for that, sir.”

“Well, his word is pretty good. Especially since he found you inside the store with your arms full of merchandise.”

“I don’t remember, sir.”

“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”

“I don’t remember, sir.”

“What do you do for a living, James?”

“I’m unemployed, sir.”

“When’s the last time you worked?”

“I don’t remember, sir.”

“You don’t remember much of anything, do you?”

“I have a poor memory, sir.”

“Maybe the record has a better memory than you, James,” the Chief of Detectives said.

“Maybe so, sir. I couldn’t say.”

“I hardly know where to start, James. You haven’t been exactly an ideal citizen.”

“Haven’t I, sir?”

“Here’s as good a place as any. 1948, Assault and Robbery; 1949, Indecent Exposure; 1951, Burglary; 1952, Assault and Robbery again. You’re quite a guy, aren’t you, James?”

“If you say so, sir.”

“I say so. Now how about that store?”

“I don’t remember anything about a store, sir.”

“Why’d you break into it?”

“I don’t remember breaking into any store, sir.”

“Hey, what’s this?” the Chief of Detectives said suddenly.

“Sir?”

“Maybe we should’ve started back a little further, huh, James? Here, on your record. 1938, convicted of First-degree Murder, sentenced to execution.”

The assembled bulls began murmuring among themselves. Stevie leaned forward eagerly, anxious to get a better look at this bum who’d offered him advice.

“What happened there, James?”

“What happened where, sir?”

“You were sentenced to death? How come you’re still with us?”

“The case was appealed.”

“And never retried?”

“No, sir.”

“You’re pretty lucky, aren’t you?”

“I’m pretty unlucky, sir, if you ask me.”

“Is that right? You cheat the chair, and you call that unlucky. Well, the law won’t slip up this time.”

“I don’t know anything about law, sir.”

“You don’t, huh?”

“No, sir. I only know that if you want to get a police station into action, all you have to do is buy a cheap bottle of wine and drink it quiet, minding your own business.”

“And that’s what you did, huh, James?”

“That’s what I did, sir.”

“And you don’t remember breaking into that store?”

“I don’t remember anything.”

“All right, next case.”

Skinner turned his head slowly, and his eyes met Stevie’s squarely. Again there was the same mute pleading in his eyes, and then he turned his head away and shuffled off the stage and down the steps into the darkness.

The cop’s hand closed around Stevie’s biceps. For an instant he didn’t know what was happening, and then he realized his case was the next one. He shook off the cop’s hand, squared his shoulders, lifted his head, and began climbing the steps.

He felt taller all at once. He felt like an actor coming on after his cue. There was an aura of unreality about the stage and the darkened room beyond it, the bulls sitting in that room.

The Chief of Detectives was reading off the information about him, but he didn’t hear it. He kept looking at the lights, which were not really so bright, they didn’t blind him at all. Didn’t they have brighter lights? Couldn’t they put more lights on him, so they could see him when he told his story?

He tried to make out the faces of the detectives, but he couldn’t see them clearly, and he was aware of the Chief of Detective’s voice droning on and on, but he didn’t hear what the man was saying, he heard only the hum of his voice. He glanced over his shoulder, trying to see how tall he was against the markers, and then he stood erect, his shoulders back, moving closer to the hanging microphone, wanting to be sure his voice was heard when he began speaking.

“...no statement,” the Chief of Detectives concluded. There was a long pause, and Stevie waited, holding his breath. “This your first offense, Steve?” the Chief of Detectives asked.

“Don’t you know?” Stevie answered.

“I’m asking you.”

“Yeah, it’s my first offense.”

“You want to tell us all about it?”

“There’s nothing to tell. You know the whole story, anyway.”

“Sure, but do you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Tell us the story, Steve.”

“What’re ya makin’ a big federal case out of a lousy stickup for? Ain’t you got nothing better to do with your time?”