by Barbara Paul
New York, New York, it’s a wonderful town.
I found a place in the West Village and moved in with the cockroaches and the hooker down the hall and the brothers shooting up on the stairway and the drunks peeing in the vestibule. I locked myself in my room and right away I start wishing I have a gun. Or a knife or a baseball bat or something to defend myself with. But I can’t go out looking for no weapon—what if I bump into Charlie on the street corner? Will he snuff me right there? Will he say Hi, buddy, gladaseeya before he lets me have it? I have to go out sometime, a guy hiding in his room all day every day is gonna draw attention to hisself and I don’t want to do that and I don’t know what to do. Just a few days, thass all I need, until my beard grows out and my clothes gets grubby and I start to looking like everbody else around here. All I need is a little time. Some kid I’m paying to go get groceries, he’s the only one knows I’m here but kids talk and I ain’t really safe yet.
So I sit by my one window looking out over Charles Street and watching everbody that passes by, thass all I do. Watching for Charlie on Charles Street. Good old Charlie Bates. My buddy. Earl, you’re the only friend I ever had, whine whine whine. If I’da just said Piss off, Charlie, I wouldn’t be hiding in this dump now. Friendship, ain’t it wonderful.
Charlie and Nedda, what a pair. How’d she do it? How’d that mattressback find out about Charlie? I remember, I remember she tole him to call her when he got back from one of his jobs, one of them see-what-a-man-I-am jobs he likes so pissing much. But I laid down the law, I did, I tole her I dint want Charlie Bates in my house, she understood that. So what’s she do, she asks him over anyways, sometime I’m not there, for lunch maybe at first, thass it. She thinks it’s funny, sneaking Charlie in behind my back, thass just the kinda thing she does for kickies. I wonder did they sleep together? Naw, even Nedda wouldn’t go to bed with Charlie Bates. I make a picture in my head of Nedda and Charlie screwing away and I laugh out loud it’s so funny.
So then what happens? She tells him my husband he don’t understand me, it’s so sad, I got nobody to turn to. Wisht I knew a strong man to help poor little me, yeah, thass the line she’d use. And dumb old Charlie he’d eat it right up, big comic book hero saving the helpless broad. Helpless my ass. Like, like that Italian bitch way back when that kept getting rid of her lovers by putting poison on her lips.
Or maybe it dint go that way. Maybe she saw through him right off, maybe she said can you give me a name, somebody to do a job for me. And he give her a name all right, his name, his own, and the deal’s made. I shoulda knew they’d get together, my best friend and my loving wife, happens on tee vee alla time.
Nedda I understand, she’s like that, nobody’s important to her besides herself I mean. But Charlie, Charlie don’t have no call going after me, not even for money not even especially for money. Charlie he’s my best friend and a man don’t go around putting holes in his best friend. He shouldna took the contract, he shoulda just pulled out that old automatic and popped Nedda one two three just like that. Thass what friends do. They help. Alla times I helped him, giving him math answers, writing his book reports for him and remembering to spell a word wrong now and then so the teach wouldn’t suspect nothing. He owes me.
He owes me a helluva lot, come to think of it. I got him outa scrapes, I was always there when he needed me. One time in school there was this big black dude went around taking money off people. He always had three or four other dudes with him so there wasn’t nothing to do except hand it over. One day I have twenty-five cents in my pocket, my last quarter, two bits to my name. This dude says if I don’t give it to him he’s gonna break my head for me. So I give it to him, my last two bits. Now when you get ripped off to the tune of ten bucks, well thass crime and you gotta live with crime these days. But when a guy takes your last quarter just to show you he can do it, he’s only doing it to make you feel small. I couldn’t let him get away with that no sir.
So I tell Charlie to break his arm and Charlie done it. Then you know what that six-foot black musclehead does? He goes home and tells his momma. And his momma she calls the school principal and the principal calls in Charlie and all hell breaks loose. Charlie don’t talk so good and this principal he don’t want to listen nohow, he don’t wanta hear nothing about no dudes taking money off other guys. So I goes in and I says the whole thing was a accident, I seen it all. I got this guy with all his college degrees believing this black dude tripped and Charlie threw out an arm to help him and the dude goes down thinking Charlie hit him. This smartass principal ends up apologizing to Charlie.
And Charlie’s hanging on me and saying Earl you’re the best friend a guy could ever have and all that shit and I tell him to go break the dude’s other arm and he done it. And this time the dude he don’t go crying to his momma, he got the message this time. None of them dudes bothered us after that. And Charlie’s dancing around and calling me buddy and thanking me for making everthing work out. Charlie wouldna made it through school without me helping him along.
But that ain’t nothing, the real thing he oughta remember is I saved his life. He was wanting to die and he woulda gone on and popped his own cork if it hadna been for me. I stopped him, I made things easier I put the gun in his hand. I shown him a way to go on living and be a big man and live good and, and, and I saved his life. He should oughta save mine. Fair’s fair. He owes me. Why, if I hadna sent him out to get old Amos Speer, Charlie Bates would be dead hisself right now.
Charlie’d be dead and Speer’d still be alive and still married to that bitch and she wouldn’t have no need to send Charlie after me. Goddam you Amos Speer I hope you’re roasting in hell. You old cocksucker if you’da just give me a partnership when I needed it none of this woulda happened, it’s your own fault you’re dead you shoulda cut me in.
The kid I’m paying to get stuff for me come in for a minute. I send him to get groceries, much as he can carry and then not come back for a coupla days. He don’t need to come ever day, just oncet in a while.
But if Charlie Bates gets me, I’m gonna get him too. I won’t be around to see it, but it’s gonna happen. Goddam fucking right it’s gonna happen. Lieutenant D’Elia, he’ll take care of it for me. I tole him, I tole him all about it dint I? I give him Charlie’s name and said it clear how Nedda hired him and D’Elia he’s gonna get them both, he won’t let them get away with it. He’ll even get the lover boy, whatsisname, Arthur something. D’Elia’s a good man, he cares about the law, he likes catching people he’ll find a way he’s tricky. He’s got three of them to go after now, he’s gonna have a fine old time playing good guy tracking down the baddies. He’ll do it, he’ll do it, he almost got me dint he? You gotta have faith in something I believe in Lieutenant D’Elia he’s a good man, he’ll get them.
Charlie and Nedda don’t know I tole him. They think they’re safe, ain’t they in for a surprise! Shit, I wisht I could see it, how I’d love to see their faces when he tells them he knows. Nedda don’t like having police around, it don’t look right, too bad cookie you shoulda thought of that. Charlie’s gonna be harder, he knows how to disappear but he don’t know they’ll be waiting on him when he gets back. He’ll go back to Pittsburgh for sure, he don’t know no place else. I shoulda tole Valentine afore I left yeah the two of them together, Valentine and D’Elia what a team, they’ll get them Valentine’s smart he can help D’Elia—
Where’s the goddam kid with my groceries? I’m hungry and I gotta keep my strength up. I’m thinking something that makes me laugh. Those two bloodsuckers out in San Frisco if I die they ain’t gonna get nothing. Nothing! Out, in, the, cold. Freeze your ass Whiteman. And the broad too—April? I can get all my enemies just by dying thass all I have to do.
There’s the kid but he ain’t carrying nothing where’s my groceries? He said he’d get them he promised. Looka him walking along the street big as life talking to that guy like he don’t have nothing better to do. I gotta eat fore Charlie gets here and he stands there talkin
g to that guy and pointing—
God. Oh god.
He’s here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barbara Paul is the author of numerous short stories and novels in both the detective and science fiction genres. Born in Maysville, Kentucky, she went on to attend Bowling Green State University and the University of Pittsburgh, earning a PhD in theater history and criticism. She has been nominated for the Shamus Award for Best PI Short Story, and two of her novels, In-Laws and Outlaws and Kill Fee, have been adapted into television movies. After teaching at the University of Pittsburgh for a number of years, she retired to write full-time. Paul currently resides in Sacramento.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 1980 by Barbara Paul
Cover design by Jason Gabbert
ISBN: 978-1-5040-3239-1
This edition published in 2016 by MysteriousPress.com/Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
180 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038
www.openroadmedia.com
EBOOKS BY BARBARA PAUL
FROM MYSTERIOUSPRESS.COM
AND OPEN ROAD MEDIA
These and more available wherever ebooks are sold
MYSTERIOUSPRESS.COM
MYSTERIOUSPRESS.COM
Otto Penzler, owner of the Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan, founded the Mysterious Press in 1975. Penzler quickly became known for his outstanding selection of mystery, crime, and suspense books, both from his imprint and in his store. The imprint was devoted to printing the best books in these genres, using fine paper and top dust-jacket artists, as well as offering many limited, signed editions.
Now the Mysterious Press has gone digital, publishing ebooks through MysteriousPress.com.
MysteriousPress.com. offers readers essential noir and suspense fiction, hard-boiled crime novels, and the latest thrillers from both debut authors and mystery masters. Discover classics and new voices, all from one legendary source.
FIND OUT MORE AT
WWW.MYSTERIOUSPRESS.COM
FOLLOW US:
@emysteries and Facebook.com/MysteriousPressCom
MysteriousPress.com is one of a select group of publishing partners of Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
The Mysterious Bookshop, founded in 1979, is located in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood. It is the oldest and largest mystery-specialty bookstore in America.
The shop stocks the finest selection of new mystery hardcovers, paperbacks, and periodicals. It also features a superb collection of signed modern first editions, rare and collectable works, and Sherlock Holmes titles. The bookshop issues a free monthly newsletter highlighting its book clubs, new releases, events, and recently acquired books.
58 Warren Street
[email protected]
(212) 587-1011
Monday through Saturday
11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
FIND OUT MORE AT:
www.mysteriousbookshop.com
FOLLOW US:
@TheMysterious and Facebook.com/MysteriousBookshop
Open Road Integrated Media is a digital publisher and multimedia content company. Open Road creates connections between authors and their audiences by marketing its ebooks through a new proprietary online platform, which uses premium video content and social media.
Videos, Archival Documents, and New Releases
Sign up for the Open Road Media newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.
Sign up now at
www.openroadmedia.com/newsletters
FIND OUT MORE AT
WWW.OPENROADMEDIA.COM
FOLLOW US:
@openroadmedia and
Facebook.com/OpenRoadMedia
