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an' says, 'Yeah, man! Only ain't no sweat! Y'oughta seen her when ...'"
I just about died right there. I knew what Will could tell them!
But Mark went on. "All of a sudden Will quit talkin'. Eric's starin' at 'im real quiet, like he's got an
iceberg up 'is butt. An' when Will's voice peters out, Eric says, 'Sometimes they don't have time for the
law to settle loose talk. Sometimes somebody just gets tired of a big-mouth and does something about it
on the spot.' An' then he looks down at his plate an' mutters. Maybe he wants me to hear, I don't know.
He says, 'Seems like she's a damn sight better than most; at least she doesn't have a mouthful of garbage
to tell about everybody else."
"He said that? Marky, he really said that?"
"Yeah. Too low for anybody else but me to hear. But he said it."
Well, let me tell you! I was floating on air! When I started downstairs and Duane stuck his head out into
the hall and asked me if today was the day I just told him to go fuck himself and kept right on going. I
couldn't help hearing his voice, though, all low and poisonous.
"Can't help feeling this is going to be the day," he murmured. "Got to get rid of some of that sass."
There was something utterly self-confident ringing in his voice, as if he already had me all tied up in his
apartment. It was such a distinct quality I shivered all over. And there was Eric, right at the bottom of the
stairs! I was running down them so fast I nearly ran over him. He reached out as if he thought he was
going to have to catch me, but when he saw I wasn't going to lose my balance he pulled his hand back.
"Kill yourself that way, someday." He growled at me.
"Eric!" I was all out of breath and scared. "Eric, please!" Even then I didn't dare say anything louder than
a whisper.
"What? What's wrong?"
"I ... Duane ... I mean ..." I kept trying to catch my breath.
He seemed to be withdrawing. I mean, he didn't really move or anything, but it was like pulling a shell
shut around himself. Maybe that was what Mark had meant when he'd said "an iceberg up his butt."
I tried again. "He's going to do something awful! Eric, he really is! I have to keep running away from him
at the alleys and he just said ... I mean ..." I got hold of myself and made the words quit tumbling over
each other. "Eric, he did! He just stuck his head out and whispered something about today was the day!
He's going to! ..."
He didn't even let me finish. His face twisted up as if he were having some kind of argument with himself.
"Jesus, Lee!" He looked disgusted. "You, too? Why don't you stop being a cashier and start writing
thrillers?"
"ERIC!" I felt like he'd kicked me in the belly.
"I suppose Fowler's a white slaver or something! For God's sake, Lee, get a hold of yourself! He's got a
responsible job! Think he's going to flush it down the tubes just like that?" He snapped his fingers.
"But, Eric! ..." I didn't try to say any more. He was the one person at Ma Conner's who could really hurt
me. And he just had.
Chapter 7
I didn't even eat breakfast. I simply went back to my room and cried. Maybe it isn't worth fighting, I
thought. Why the hell make Duane mad at me when he's my boss? He might give me a raise or
something if I put out. I shivered and sat up. You know why you fight, don't you, Lee! Because you're
scared to death of him! Because he's not just talking about balling you ... not that sonofabitch!
Just about that time, Mark came back from breakfast and said something about going out to kick around
a football with some of the kids. Said he wouldn't be in until about lunch time. So I reminded him how it
pissed Ma off for anybody to be late for a meal and he took off.
About fifteen or twenty minutes later, Will was knocking at the door. "Hey! That kid brother of yours!
He's in deep shit, Lee! You better come quick!"
"Where? What's the matter with him? What is it, Will?"
"Come on! Don't yak about it all day!"
I rushed after him, slamming the door on the way through. "Will! What is it?"
"Something of Duane's ... Duane thinks he took it. Says he's gonna get to th' bottom of it if he has to skin
'im alive!"
"That lousy bastard! Mark wouldn't take anything!"
We were already at Duane's door ... it was only the length of the hall from mine. Will hung back, but I
didn't. I yanked the door open and burst into the room.
"Where is he?" I yelled. Christ, I was scared! ... And mad! "Where's Mark, you bastard?"
Duane pretended to be completely innocent. "What? God, Lee, control yourself!"
"Where is he, damn you? Where is he?" I was beside myself by then, and his bland grin infuriated me. I
decided I wasn't going to take any more of that shit. I threw myself on him, kicking and clawing. "Get
him out here! You sonofabitch, get him out here!"
Well, he was a lot stronger than me. I don't know if I hurt him at all. And all of a sudden I was on the
floor with him sitting on top of me. I mean, he didn't hit me or anything ... just threw me on the floor, face
down, and sat on the middle of my back. He jerked my hands behind me and tied them. I don't even
know what with. He tied each wrist to my belt and then got up and pulled me to my feet.
"You sassy little shit!" He snarled at me. "What the hell do you mean busting in here and attacking me?"
"I did not! You've got ..."
"DON'T STAND THERE AND LIE!" He shouted and I shut up. "For Christ's sake, I've got a
witness!" And he turned to where Will was standing just inside the door. "Isn't that what she did, Will?"
"Yeah!" Will grinned and licked his lips. "Sure did!"
"Okay. Just remember that." Duane went over to Will and took something out of his pocket. He handed
it to Will. "Now, get lost."
Will looked startled, "What! I'm gonna ..."
Duane just looked at him, real deadly-like. "Gonna haul-ass! That's what you're going to do! NOW,
MOVE!"
Will took off as if he thought Duane was about to set him on fire. And Duane shut the door and bolted it.
He turned around and grinned at me. "Well, let's talk about it, baby.
What was it you wanted to see me about?"
"Where's Mark? Damn it, where is he?"
"How the hell should I know? Think I keep track of every pimply-faced kid in town?" [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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