Ed Lacy - Strip For Violence

I saw Laurie running to help me—and almost laughed with relief as Saltz grabbed her, pushed her aside. She certainly would have ruined things!

Letting go of Franklin's hand, I grabbed his coat lapels, prayed for a split second he'd put his arms around me. He did—and brought his knee up to my groin as I dug my feet into his stomach—and fell back.

We landed on the dock with a crash, the wooden splinters tearing into my bare back—as I kicked up with both feet. Franklin's big body started to arc over my hand. I slid my hands up to his thick neck and held on with every ounce of strength I had.

His head and neck were still held vertically in my arms... when the rest of his heavy body landed... the weight of his body breaking his neck. There wasn't any sharp sound, but between my hands I felt something in his bull neck give... like a banana breaking... I let go of him, rolled over next to his head. His mouth was open in an agonized gasp and his eyes were half out of his head.

Placing my lips next to his ear, I tried to pry my jaw open as I said—or tried to say—“That's for Anita... and Louise! And... for me. They say curiosity... killed the... cat. Yeah... 'Cat'... it was my curiosity... to see could... snap your... lousy... neck...”

The dock shook under me as Saltz and the cops lumbered up. Turning to look up at him, all I saw was the black sky overhead... black without stars or moon, and it seemed to come down and gently blanket me.

The blackness was lush and soft and felt wonderful. I let it cover me and relaxed, rested. Then I wanted Laurie to share this dark softness with me. I started running through the velvet black, softly calling her name. At times I'd simply lay on the darkness, float along as though it was a lukewarm river.

I floated for great distances, calling for Laurie. Then I started to swim, with strong clean strokes. And the black slowly changed to gray, then to a bright day, and I opened my eyes.

I was in a bed.

Opening my eyes wider, a nurse came into focus, then Laurie's worried face, and even Saltz's ugly puss. We were in a hospital room. Bobo was standing by the window, grinning at me. I tried to smile at Laurie, but could hardly move my lips. My entire face felt numb. I raised my hands and the nurse pushed them back under the covers.

Laurie said, “Oh Hal... Hal!” and began to cry.

I tried to speak. “Where's Franklin?” The words came out pretty good.

“Dead. You broke his neck, you goddamn, strong little shrimp,” Saltz said. “We got there a second...”

“It was self-defense, he went for me with a knife,” I said, talking fast, happy to be able to talk again. “You can't...”

“Relax, you're not charged with anything. I saw him with the knife. But why didn't you tell me this was hooked up with the Frisco job, let me in on it? Playing it alone only...”

“Didn't know till...”

“Stop it, you sent the insurance company a letter two days ago. They been here every hour, waiting to ask...”

“Two

days ago?”

Laurie bent down over me, looking so pretty and smelling all cool and clean. “Darling, this Saturday. You've been out since Thursday night. Your jaw is all wired like an old radio set. Had to pull one of your teeth so they can feed you through a straw. But the doctors say you'll be fine in a few weeks.”

I tried grinning at her but my lips didn't move. Nor could I turn my head—it was in a cast. “Saltz,” I called out, hearing my voice grow weak.

Laurie pulled back and he stuck his hairbrush noggin into view. “Get the killings squared away?” I asked.

“All tied up with a neat ribbon. Miss Shelton gave us an affidavit that Franklin admitted killing Anita Rogers. And Lefty is talking all over himself. And I thought he was tough. Why...”

“Tough. Tough,” I said, feeling angry. “All you hear these days. People worship toughness. Only frightened people are tough, they act tough to forget how scared they are. How about the Frisco deal, did you...?”

“That's in the bag. Franklin acted as a sort of fence and big brain. They've pinched most of the hoods who did the job out on the Coast yesterday, and we're digging through the 'Cat's' bank vaults now for the rest of the dough. Wish you'd told me about that angle—made me look like a sap.”

“You mean a big man like you, a big-league copper can look like a sap?” I asked faintly.

Saltz shook his head, or maybe I was losing focus. “Can't figure you, Darling. But you and the girl and Bobo will get that two hundred grand reward, so I guess you played your cards right You were lucky as hell, but you got the big payoff.”

“The payoff is going to be a lot of sleep and rest, normal, peaceful living. Saltz, only a moron goes for this rough stuff... this slugging and violence. All I want now is to get a good agency going again—me and Bobo. But only guard stuff... the hell with being a bully-boy and crime. Only want a lot of peace... and rest... enjoy... living.”

I felt myself floating off into that gentle darkness again. The light seemed a long ways off and fading.

I heard the nurse say, “No more talking, he's tired.”

Laurie said, “And we'll get a bigger boat... can't raise a family in one room.”

Saltz said, “So it's that way with you and him? Well, with his luck, maybe you'll raise a family of midgets and make a fortune.”

I started to swim back toward the light, get that bastard Saltz, but I heard Laurie bawling him out, saying, “You big, stupid ox, I've a good mind to bang your empty head against the wall—only I don't want to disturb Hal!”

And then Bobo growled something and Saltz said, “Miss Shelton, I swear I didn't mean nothing, merely a corny joke that...”

I thought I heard her laughter as I stopped swimming. And now there was music too; distant, loud, brassy music. Laurie's laughter sounded as soft and inviting as the darkness I was floating on. I sighed. It would be great to have her there when I woke up... all the mornings of my life... and the music... it was growing a little louder, but not too loud.

Then I knew what that was... the merry-go-round had stopped... I was just hearing the old tinny carrousel music.

It sounded lively and peaceful.