William Gaddis - Carpenter's Gothic

— No but Liz, look…

She did and dropped her eyes. He was standing there in one brown sock brandishing striped shorts clutched in a wad. — The shower's running, when does your car come.

— Half an hour look, got some things to go over come in while I…

— I'll be downstairs.

From the table where he'd dropped it the newspaper assailed her in black letters the size of her fist

TEARFUL MOM: 'PRAY FOR LITTLE WAYNE'

She was still staring at it when he came plunging down the stairs tucking his shirt in. — See that? The Post comes through they really come through, you read it?

— Read what, tearful…

— The story the story, front page story the Post comes through for you they really come through. Liz…? from the kitchen. The refrigerator door banged against the counter. — The mail?

— It's right there… she came in emptyhanded. — Do you want something to eat?

— Get it on the plane… he had the bottle forcing its neck down over a glass — God damn snack flight coming up here you get Squirt and a cookie, is this all? He scattered the mail with one hand, had the phone up in the Other. — Got to make some calls. Liz?

— I'm right here.

— Said you saw the doctor, what did he come up with. Hello…? Hey, is old Elton there? This here's Paul… Talked to Grissom he said these pretrial hearings are coming up any day now, get this doctor in there with the bad news or you're dropped from the case and mine goes down the drain with it, I tell you Grissom wants a thousand dollars retainer? Hello…? Holding on here for Elton yes, lose the case and the thousand goes with it just like the last one, you beat that? How he could lose that appeal? She's out there living openly with this guy right out in the open, he tells Grissom he won't marry her because I'm paying her more alimony than he could if he married her and things didn't work out tells Grissom that right to his face, bastard makes light boxes couldn't pay her a dime so I pay for his light boxes, God damn judge gets up there and hello…? No when did he leave… No no don't bother, I'll see him down there. I'll be talking to you. God damn disability check in one pocket and out the other, where was I.

— Buying light boxes.

— Look Liz this is serious, clear up these little things before I go down there may sit around a week waiting to be called, I tell you Adolph said Sneddiger's offering me legal counsel? Bastards trying to set me up all running scared with these God damn leaks going on, hello? Calling Mister McFardle, this is… Jim McFardle yes this is Paul Booth calling, trying to tie the can to your old man's corpse they want to bury me with it, get him under the Logan Act there goes the whole God damn estate, two million in lump sum retirement benefits, three hundred thousand accumulated vacation pay, two hundred more in the stock bonus plan and an option on another five hundred thousand shares at twenty percent below the market, life insurance, Bedford, Longview every God damn thing in sight, I tell you Adolph's selling Long-view? Knows God damn well I've been trying to raise the investment for this media center down there if your pal Orsini comes through in time we may still nail down an option and get the, hello? Hello? who… Left for the day? Well look, let me talk to his sec… what? You mean everybody's left for the day? Well who do you… you're the what…? No well why did you answer the, never mind… I said never mind! God damn cleaning woman picks up the phone so I pay for the call, way they do things down there Senator's out of town so his whole staff's pulled out by what time is it, car coming for me any minute look what did he say.

— Who Paul.

— The doctor, said you saw the doctor I've been trying for five minutes to find out what happened when you saw the doctor.

— I waited for forty minutes until his nurse took me in and left me naked on a table with my knees pulled up under my chin and a paper sheet over everything but my ass, twenty minutes later he came in behind me and said how do you do Mrs Booth to my shivering ass and then he put a finger…

— No now wait Liz, you… He put his glass down, — what the hell are you talking like that for you don't…

— I wanted to see if you heard me.

— I heard you! He got the glass again, — no God damn reason to talk to me like some wiseass DI what did he say.

— He wants me to have some more tests, he's sending me to…

— Look Liz can't keep stringing it out. I just told you this crash suit comes up the doctor's not in there with all your bad news my companion suit goes out the window, half a million right out the window did you tell him to get his report in fast?

— You don't tell somebody like this what to do Paul, you don't…

— Why don't you! Works for the God damn insurance company doesn't he?

— He does not work for the God damn insurance company, no. The insurance company's doctor is Doctor Terranova, I'm seeing him next week. This is a specialist Jack Orsini sent me to for my…

— Wait did Orsini call me? or his lawyer? Said he was looking into this investment I lined him up for, little cash he wants to lie low for a while did I tell you he just billed the estate forty thousand dollars? Tried to squeeze out that hundred thousand for his foundation when Adolph said no dice he bills him forty for your father instead, professional services rendered last two years of his life? The bottle came down sharply on the rim of the glass, — professional services finally sends the old man right over the side so Adolph just bills it to the estate, forty thousand scribbles a check like he scribbles checks to Yale covering his ass every time he turns around, did he call?

— Adolph?

— Orsini Liz, you don't listen! He wrenched the ice tray, — just asked you if he'd…

— He didn't call no. I told you who called. Chick called. Orsini's still away, I think he's with Edie she said they might go to Acapulco from Mont…

— Now well Christ! The ice tray came down with a crash. — Sitting right here you were sitting up there phone ringing when I came in why the hell didn't you tell me! Told you I've been waiting to hear from him, I pick up the God damn phone you heard me turn down a call from Acapulco why didn't you wait, where you…

— I'm going in to sit down. When is your car conning.

— Be here any minute what time is it, he came on without turning for the clock, picking up ice cubes, sweeping up the mail — Liz…? Shiatsu, Reflexology and The Creative You joined The American Cancer Society in the trash, — this all the mail? Halt by the abrupt blank of the locked door, — those letters for McCandless they were stuck in the door here, what happened to them.

— He came for them.

— What do you mean who came for them.

— Mister McCandless… She was sitting in the wing chair turning pages of Natural History.

— But he, you mean he was here?

— He, yes he came for some things in his room he, and he couldn't get in… she smoothed a tremor through Warriors with their girlfriends and mothers participating in song and dance, — the new lock, he was quite upset.

— Why didn't you tell him the plumber gave the keys to…

— I wasn't here Paul. I went into New York for the doctor, I think I mentioned it.

— Fine great and you lost your purse at Saks how do you know he was here, walks right in I told you to keep the doors locked didn't I?

— It's his house Paul. I'm sure he has a key.

— Walks right in nobody here look I don't like it Liz, a criminal the man's a criminal, yesterday's paper didn't I show you? did I? Up for sentencing next week for felony he grabbed a plea, brought it down sknow what he was doing? No nickel and dime pickpocket he was in there peddling these infrared nightscopes on the wrong side of the fence, kind of guy you want walking in the front door?