by Peter Rabe
Emilson had said don't let him out of your sight! The way Fell acted there was no reason to hold him back, and he had made no attempt to go alone. Fell told Rita he'd be back in an hour and if Mrs. Fell should return she should wait in the house. Then Fell and Cripp left.
Cripp drove downtown without knowing where Fell wanted to go. No need to ask until they got to the center.
“Pull over,” said Fell. “I just saw something.”
Cripp stopped and looked around quickly. There was some traffic, a few pedestrians, a department store. Cripp didn't see anything.
“Where are you going?” said Cripp.
“Windbreakers growing on trees,” said Fell. “Ever see anything so crazy?”
Cripp followed Fell out of the car quickly, but Fell was waiting for him, and behind Fell, in the store window, were windbreakers growing on a tree.
“That's crazy all right,” said Cripp, and even laughed. “Come on back in the car. You didn't say yet where you wanted to go.”
“Wait a minute,” said Fell.
He walked into the store and found the counter with the windbreakers, as if he had been there before. Fell shook his head. Crazy thought. He bought a windbreaker and gave the clerk the jacket he had been wearing.
“Tom,” said Cripp. “Wait a minute.”
Fell walked out of the store. “Tom, where are you going?”
“Come on, this is it.”
“Listen to me....”
“His place is around the corner.” Cripp grabbed Fell's arm because he couldn't keep up.
“Come on,” said Fell, “this is it. A visit to Pander.”
To check, Fell had said. What better place to check but with Pander. Cripp tried to keep up, breathing hard, not noticing that Fell was breathing hard too, as if in a rage. But Cripp's bad leg didn't give him a chance. He didn't catch up with Fell until he came to Pander's door, and there was Fell, standing by the door, waiting for Cripp.
“This is it,” said Fell and drove his foot into the door. It crashed open.
When Fell saw only Pander and the slight man it confused him.
And the day before he had been confused, forgetting to go back to the office, where Brown and the other three had been waiting till late. And now, he didn't even recognize Mound.
Chapter Twenty-six
The way some can smell a cop Cripp could spot a professional. He slammed the door shut and had out his gun. Then he blocked Fell.
“Move and you're dead,” said Cripp.
Pander stopped, halfway up from his chair, and Mound held still.
“Move,” said Fell. “This is it, move!” and with a sudden slam of his arm knocked the gun out of Cripp's hand. The physical act was like a tonic to Fell and he jumped free of Cripp to stand crouched in the center of the room.
The gun had scuttled under a chest.
That's how they stood. Pander afraid to make a dash for it because Fell was too close. Cripp not daring to move because it would take him too far away from Mound. Mound sat still and Fell stood waiting. Cripp caught it, watching, and relaxed a little.
Cripp had no gun. Pander had no gun. And Mound, sitting, he had no gun.
“You guys stay put,” said Cripp. “I got something to say.”
Fell watched. The situation had gotten away from him and he had to gather himself.
Mound got up from his chair and straightened his suit with small movements.
Pander was grinning.
“Talk all you want, Cripp. Talk and watch this.”
“The first guy that moves gets his back broken. You remember how, Pander?”
Then Pander stopped grinning. He tore his mouth open and yelled.
“Now, Mound! Your setup! Those bastards, both of them, now, Mound!”
Mound coughed.
“I'm leaving,” he said.
“Are you out of your mind? You crazy hopped-up bastard, are you out of your mind? The hit! Come on, Mound, thehit!”
Cripp saw he had been right. No gun. He even saw that Mound might not have done it if there had been a gun. This was not his way of doing business.
A hit was a secret and personal craft, done alone, with no one around.
“This is not my way,” said Mound.
He ignored Fell, because Fell was crazy. He ignored Pander, because Pander was nothing. And Cripp, he saw, was a cripple.
Mound walked to the door.
But Cripp was faster than expected, lunging for the door, missing Mound by no fault of his own. Fell was there, wrestling with Cripp, and hissing in his face.
“The wrong one, Cripp. I want Pander. Let this turd be and then Pander—”
So Mound, as if he hadn't been there, got away.
Fell was no longer confused. Pander was his focus and there was nothing to interfere. Cripp couldn't leave. Stick with Fell, stick close and keep him safe.
When Pander saw Fell come across the room he got up and moved back.
“Your nose,” said Fell. “It's broken. A fighter with heart. Cripp, look at the fighter.”
“Tom. Hear me,” said Cripp and reached for his arm. “He's nothing, Tom. Leave the bum.”
Pander had stopped, flat by a wall. He looked worn.
“Listen to him, Fell. You hear what he says? Not me, Fell, I'm a bum, just a bum.”
Fell had stopped moving.
“Fell, listen to Cripp. He says I'm nothing, he's right, dead right.”
“Stop yammering,” said Fell.
“Tom, did you hear—”
“Stop yammering, Pander, or I'll throw up.”
Then Cripp let go of Fell's arm because it looked safe. He took a deep breath only it didn't help. Fell was again radiating an edgy tension, a strong nervous force without aim. So far, everything held.
“Cripp,” Pander was still by the wall. “Is he safe?”
“Just don't move.”
“He isn't looking at me, Cripp. Just the chair. Let me get to the chair.”
“Stay there.”
“Let him sit,” said Fell. “I don't step on worms.”
Cripp, between two poles, had to hold both of them. With Pander it would be easy.
“You stay put, Pander, or you'll never—”
“All right!” Pander held still. He watched Cripp stop without coming nearer, saw the deep line down one side of the mouth disappear. Pander breathed again but didn't move.
For the moment Fell seemed controlled. How to keep him that way, how to make him turn his attention for good. Steer him outside, perhaps.
“Tom,” said Cripp. “We're through here.”
“That bastard just moved,” said Fell and came closer.
Cripp spun around but Pander stood still.
“I tell you, Cripp, that bastard just—”
“Tom, don't bother. We've got to go now,” but Fell was holding the lip in his teeth, hardly listening. “Tom, I've been looking for Janice.”
“Janice,” said Fell.
“We'll find her, Tom.”
“I know.”
There was nothing laughable about it, because at that moment Fell was sane again. His face was quiet and he ran one hand over his eyes the way anyone would, anyone with his heavy troubles. Anyone anxious to find his wife.
“I tell you, Cripp—”
Cripp was listening.
“The bastard!”
Fell's shout was mad. He grabbed Cripp as if to get him out of the way and spinning Cripp saw where Pander dived for the gun under the chest. Fell tried to go after him, with Cripp reaching out, when Pander was up, quick like a jack-in-the-box but this one a killer. The gun came around and there was just time for Cripp to toss himself forward making Fell bounce to the wall when the shot crashed out, then another one, and Cripp took them both.
He rolled on the floor waiting for the pain, even seeing the blood on his leg, the good one, and then he saw what was happening to Pander.
Fell was an animal and the gun didn't matter a damn, scudding across the floor out of reach.
&
nbsp; When Fell got up he breathed hard and seemed tired. He paid no attention to what was left on the floor. What was left wasn't worth living for.
“Cripp,” he said, “are you all right?”
“Run, Tom—”
“Cripp, are you all right?”
Fell reached down to pick up the wounded man and it hurt Cripp so badly he clawed his hand into Fell's side. It tore the pocket, making the envelope fall to the floor.
First Fell lowered Cripp gently, then he wiped the sweat from his face, then he waited for Cripp to relax and open his eyes.
“Lie still,” said Fell.
Cripp turned more, staring to see.
“Lie still and relax. I'll get you—”
“Tom, what is it?”
Fell looked down, where Cripp was trying to reach the envelope, then reached for it, tore it open.
The message was very brief.Please come for me, Tom, and an L.A. address and a phone number.
“What is it?”
“Janice,” said Fell, and gave the sheet to Cripp.
“When did you call her? Tom, answer me! When did you call her?”
“I didn't.”
“The phone over there, Tom, hurry up!”
Fell brought the phone over to Cripp but the cord didn't reach. He put it down on the floor and said, “I'll call her.” He read from the sheet and told the operator the number. Then he sat on the floor, holding the phone, and stared out of the window. Cripp saw no movement, no expression, and he began to tremble without control.
“Hello, yes?” said Fell. He was silent and then he said, “I want Janice. Janice.” He looked over to Cripp who was straining to get nearer the phone.
“Oh?” said Fell. Then he hung up.
There were red and grey swirls in front of Cripp's eyes and his jaw hurt from clamping his teeth, fighting to stay conscious.
“What—” he said. “You hung up....”
Fell walked to the door.
“She was gone. She wasn't there any more,” and walked out.
The rain was coming for sure now. The night was cool. Small gusts of wind pushed it closer, moving the clouds together so they piled over the town. It was too dark to see the clouds but they were there, almost ready.
He held the letter in his hand and every time there was a wind he walked faster. He stopped when he saw his house. Because of the wall he couldn't see much but he saw the upstairs. The window was lit.
“I'm back,” he said.
He crossed the street and went up the drive. He would look up again. Step under the window and look up. He walked to the middle of the lawn, watching his step. There was some light where the front door window let it through from the hall. Fell saw dust under his feet where the lawn had disappeared. He kicked at the spiky things that had started to spread there.
“Must be a disease,” he said. “It needs rain.”
He looked up and called, “Janice?”
He waited a while and then he turned. He couldn't see it, by the drive, but he knew it had moved.
“Janice?”
If Fell would move just a little he would be more in the light.
“Over here,” said Mound.
He saw Fell step into the light and he saw his face brighten.
“Are you there?” said Fell.
Mound didn't answer. He had wanted to say, yes, it's me, or something like that. He didn't say it.
“I can see you!” said Fell. He waved, a big wave with both arms and any moment he was going to laugh.
Mound hadn't wanted to say anything, but when he was closer he said, “No. She's not there.”
“Oh?”
“I'm Mound.”
His gun was up.
“Oh,” said Fell.
He lowered his arms and the shot killed him.
There had been some thunder and then the rain burst down. Janice stepped to the window. She looked down at the dead lawn, soaking up rain, but it was too dark to see anything there. She turned to the room, sat down, and held her head in her hands. She sat like that, as if she were waiting to cry.
THE END
Table of Contents
Beginning
Peter Rabe
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
