John MacDonald - Slam the Big Door

“So you think somebody is after the Jamison land?”

“I do.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Because he had too much bad luck for it to all be accidental. Dredge broke down. The work crew dug a whole canal in the wrong place and had to fill it up. They put fill too high around tree trunks and lost a lot of good trees. All this adds up to money, and he didn’t start with enough at first. Then there’ve been rumors about how he couldn’t give you a good deed to a lot there, and how it never would be finished. I tell you, when you’re in the selling business, rumors like that can hurt bad. Somebody wants it. I don’t know who.”

“I was talking about this project of mine to a young lawyer named Raines. He said the whole thing would fall through, that Jamison couldn’t save it. Was that an example of these rumors?”

Her shrewd eyes narrowed. “Hmmm. Rob Raines. Dee Raines’s boy. Now what in the world reason would he have to bad-mouth Jamison? He’s seeing Mary’s daughter, I hear. Nice-looking boy, but he’s got an awful cold-looking pair of eyes on him. You know, if he could work his way in with... Say, he has been doing some law work for Corey Haas. Jamison took Corey in with him on account of Corey being so close to Mary’s father and Bernard Dow a long time ago. And taking Corey in with you is just about like carrying a snake in your pocket. He’s a slippery one, that Corey. I must be getting old and stupid. I didn’t add that up before. Sure. Corey would love to ease Jamison out of there, and I’ll bet he hasn’t put in a dime over and above what it cost him when they set up the corporation. Corey isn’t real dishonest, but he’s so close to it you can’t hardly tell the difference. Corey goes into things with old Purdy Elmarr sometimes, and this is just the sort of thing to catch Purdy’s eye. Yes sir. It would be Purdy working with Corey, and Rob Raines sticking close to that Debbie Ann to keep in close touch with what’s going on. Nice law work that is!” She gave an evil snicker.

“I guess I better pick a different development.”

“Oh, this one will move fast enough soon as old Purdy gets his hooks into it. I’m sort of glad it’s Purdy instead of Wink. Or Corey Haas all alone. Purdy pushes hard, but he isn’t merciless. He’ll set it up so Jamison and Mary Kail won’t lose everything.”

“I’m grateful to you, Miss Spranger.”

“All I’ve done is talk. It didn’t cost me a thing.”

The day was gone. He went back to Riley Key. The Chrysler was gone. Debbie Ann was prone on a poolside mattress, her sun top unlatched, her sun shorts rolled and tucked to expose the maximum area. As she was entirely in shadow, it was obvious she had fallen asleep. The scuff of his shoe on the patio stone awakened her. She lifted her head, then sat up, holding the bra top against her, craning her arms back and latching it. Her face was puffy with sleep, her light hair tangled.

She yawned widely and said, “Wow! I folded. Where’ve you been all day? I got back at two. I’m going out to dinner with Rob so I sent Durelda home. No point in her staying around. You wouldn’t mind eating out, would you? Just go down to the Key Club and sign Mommy’s name.”

“I’m thirsty,” he said. “Bring you a beer?”

“Sounds good.” He opened two cans, brought her one, and folded himself into a bronze and plastic chaise longue. “I’ve been a tourist today. Was Troy gone when you got back?”

“Durelda said he went out about noon.”

“Did you get Mary settled?”

“Yes. A very nice place up on Longboat Key. Corny name. Lazy Harbor. The phone number is in my purse. What’s going on, Mike?”

“What did she tell you?”

“She said she had to get away for a little while to think things over. I asked her if she was going to think about divorce. She said no. She was pretty quiet on the way up.”

“So I guess she told you as much as she wants you to know.”

“My God, you’d think I was eleven years old. I’m an elderly divorced type, remember?”

“It’s probably a good idea to get away, get some perspective.”

“While Troy works himself up to being a genuine alcoholic, keeps some tramp on the string, and loses the family fortune. It wasn’t a big fortune, but it was comforting while it lasted.”

He studied her. “Is there anything you really give a damn about, Debbie Ann? Anything that really concerns you seriously and deeply?”

“No, thank God! I don’t want to be involved in anything but kicks.”

“Any plans at all?”

“Nothing that isn’t frivolous. What got you on this sober dedication routine anyhow?”

“Are you concerned about Mary’s happiness?”

“I’d like her to have it. She had it and now she hasn’t. Nothing I can do is going to turn it back on, like a switch.”

“True.”

“Speaking of frivolous, why don’t we make Rob take us both out? He’d hate every minute of it. We could be very flirtatious and he wouldn’t dare yelp. For some reason he’s being terrible good. A real little gentleman. I suppose he’s figured out a new approach, but I don’t know what it is yet. Won’t you come along?”

“No thanks. I’ve got a little work to do.”

“Work?”

“Sorting some notes.”

“Writing a book?”

“I might.”

“Oh, I forgot! Two letters came for you. Durelda put them in your room.”

He got up quickly. “Excuse me,” he said. “Probably the boys.”

One was from the boys, two letters traveling with one airmail stamp. Micky told him Tommy had been very homesick, but he was getting over it. They seemed to like the school well enough. One of the boys had taken to calling Micky Round-End-Ski and the fight had been broken up. They were taken to the headmaster, who turned them over to the athletic instructor, who had put gloves on them and let them work it out. Now they were good friends. The work was hard. They were way behind the others, but they were getting special help so they could catch up.

The other letter was from a friend on the paper. After he read it, he reread the boys’ letters. Poor lonely devils. He heard Debbie Ann in the bathroom, heard the shower running.

A few minutes after the shower stopped, his bathroom door opened. She stood in the doorway, artfully draped in a big chocolate and white towel, her smile wide and utterly innocent. “Was it from your boys? Are they all right?”

“They’re fine, thanks.”

“That’s nice.”

“I’d ask you in,” he said, “but they got a tough house detective in this joint.”

She made a face at him. “Poo! It’s just friendship, Mike.” “You can’t trust me. I’m queer for towels.”

“I could take it off.”

“That’s enough kidding around, Debbie Ann,” he said gruffly. “There’s no sense in it and no future. So back up and shut the door.”

She widened her eyes. “My goodness! The man can’t take a joke.” She backed into the bathroom and shut the door, firmly.

“Have to beat them off with clubs,” he grumbled. “Little old irresistible me.” But he decided his second reaction was right. It would do no good to try to joke with her on her level. She would just become bolder. And then, in a parody of enticement, in a burlesque of seduction, she would manage to wind up in his arms, and then it wouldn’t be parody or burlesque any longer, and she would have had her opportunity to not only satisfy her curiosity and make her soiled and ordinary little conquest, but also to save her own pride by faking great consternation and saying, afterward, in a stricken way, “But I didn’t mean this to happen, darling! I was only joking! Really I was. And suddenly everything got... out of control.”

Or, if she was a little more vicious, and it was quite possible she was, she would go only far enough to be certain that he committed himself, that he made the unmistakable pass, and then scramble away from him and be very upset about the whole thing. They had the right words long ago. Trollop. Baggage. Wench. He wondered if Dacey Whatsis knew how lucky he was to get rid of her. And he hoped Mary would never see her daughter clearly. Mary deserved a hell of a lot more than she was getting.