79 Park Avenue

by Harold Robbins

  Mike stared into her face. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothin’,” she repeated. “I just wanna go.”

  “Okay.” He took her arm. “We’re goin’, Ross,” he called.

  Ross waved his hand at them. It was doubtful that he even understood what Mike had said. He was shaking the dice again.

  The orchestra was playing as they walked through the dance hall. “Dance?” Mike asked.

  She shook her head and kept walking. A man blocked the exit in front of her. “Hello, baby.”

  Without looking up, she started around him. He stepped in front of her. “Runnin’ out on your boy friend?” he asked.

  She looked up into Joker Martin’s face. Her eyes were cold. “I’m tired an’ I’m leavin’,” she said.

  The smile disappeared from Martin’s lips. He looked at Mike. Mike shrugged his shoulders. Martin stepped out of the doorway. She started past him, but he stuck out a hand and stopped her.

  She looked at him.

  There was a strange glint in his eyes as he looked down at her. “I don’t know what’s eatin’ yuh. kid,” he said. “But when yuh get over it, I got a job waitin’ here at the Golden Glow for yuh.”

  For the first time her expression changed. “Thanks, Mr. Martin,” she said. “I might come back an’ take you up on it.” She turned and started down the stairway.

  Chapter Thirteen

  SHE STOPPED IN front of her house and turned to Mike. “Thanks for bringin’ me home,” she said.

  Mike smiled. “My pleasure.”

  “I didn’t mean to break up your evening,” she said.

  He didn’t answer.

  She started up the stoop. His voice stopped her. “When ’m I going to see you again?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, hesitating.

  He came up to the step below her. “Why?” he asked. “Because you’re Ross’s girl?”

  Her eyes met his. “I’m not Ross’s girl,” she said. “I told you that before.”

  “Then when will I see you?” he repeated.

  She shook her head. “I really don’t know. School will be over next week an’ I gotta get a job. It’s hard to say.”

  A twinge of jealousy irked him. “But you’ll make time to see Ross,” he said sarcastically. “He’s got a buck to spend.”

  Her temper flared. “I’m not gonna see him either. He can take his dough an’ shove it. An’ you can tell him I said so.”

  He was surprised. It showed in his voice. “Why me? You can tell him yourself.”

  Her eyes stared coldly down at him. “You know damn well why. You both took me there, you both knew what Ross was goin’ to do.”

  “You knew it, too,” he said angrily. “You knew he was going to shoot craps, not play tiddleywinks. So what’re yuh sore about?”

  “Yeah,” she answered sarcastically. “I knew he was goin’ to gamble after he told me, but I didn’t think he was goin’ to switch dice. I don’t go for that.”

  “Switch dice?” he asked, puzzled.

  “Yeah,” she answered. “When I blew on ’em. He knew they’d be watchin’ me. I don’t like bein’ made the patsy.”

  He let out a breath. Now he knew why she had suddenly decided to leave. “Yuh may not believe it, but I didn’t know about that either.”

  She stared at him sceptically.

  “I don’t play like that,” he said.

  She was still for a moment. “I don’t know,” she said, hesitating. “I could understand it if you played like that. You could use the dough. But Ross? He don’t need nothin’.”

  He reached for her hand. “I didn’t know about it, Marja,” he said earnestly.

  She looked down at his hand, then up into his face. “Okay,” she answered finally. “I’ll buy.” She pulled her hand from his grasp. “Good night.”

  “Good night, Marja.” He watched her go inside the house before he turned towards home.

  He turned between the houses into the alleyway that led to his family’s apartment in the basement of the large apartment building.

  Ross stepped out of the darkness toward him. “Mike,” he called.

  Mike stopped. “Yeah?”

  “Where the hell did you disappear to?” Ross asked. “I won almost a hundred and twenty dollars.”

  “Marja wanted to go home,” Mike answered.

  Ross ignored his statement. He took a roll of money from his pocket. “I wanted to give you your cut,” he said, peeling off some bills. “Here’s twenty.”

  Mike looked down at Ross’s outstretched hand, but made no motion to take the money.

  “What’s the matter with you?” Ross demanded. “Take it.”

  Mike looked at him. “No thanks. I want no part of it. It’s all yours.”

  Ross peered into his face. “Don’t be a jerk. Take the dough. Is it poison or something?”

  “Keep it, Ross,” Mike said. “It’s all yours. You earned it.”

  A sudden light came into Ross’s eyes. “Oh! Maria’s been talkin’.”

  Mike didn’t answer.

  Ross grinned suddenly. “It was easy. Like takin’ candy from a baby. They were so busy watching Marja when she bent forward that it was a cinch.”

  Mike still didn’t speak.

  Ross clapped him on the shoulder. “Here, boy,” he said patronisingly, “take the money. It’ll all look better in the morning.”

  “I don’t want it!” Mike’s hand made a flashing motion, and the money fluttered out of Ross’s grip.

  Ross stared at him. “What’s got into you?”

  “Nothin’,” Mike answered angrily. “I just don’t like it, that’s all. You played the kid for a sucker. If you got caught, we’d all have to pay off. Her, too. That wouldn’t uh been so pretty, would it?”

  “But we didn’t get caught,” Ross protested. “So why the beef?”

  Mike didn’t answer.

  Ross knelt to pick up the money. “I don’t know what the hell got into you,” he muttered. He looked up at Mike, his eyes suddenly growing suspicious. “Where did you take her?” he asked, clambering back to his feet.

  “Home, I tol’ yuh,” Mike answered.

  “You took long enough,” Ross said. “I’ve been waitin’ here over an hour for you.”

  “We walked,” Mike said succinctly. “My old man never gave me a Buick.”

  “You didn’t stop off in the park for a little?” Ross asked.

  “Maybe you stopped in some dark corner an’ she gave you the treatment. The little whore likes that.”

  Mike could feel the pulse in his temples explode. His arm flashed up and pinned Ross against the brick wall. “Don’t talk like that about her,” he snarled.

  There was a wild excitement in Ross’s eyes. “I was right,” he said triumphantly. “She did get to you.” A grin came to his lips. “She’s the greatest action there is, boy, but don’t let it fool you. It’s there for everybody.”

  Mike’s hand was a blur in the night. Ross’s head snapped back and he slowly slid toward the ground, blood coming from a corner of his mouth. Mike stepped back and looked down at him. “Next time you’ll keep your mouth shut,” he said.

  Ross sat dully on the ground for a moment. Then he raised his hand slowly and held it to his mouth. The blood seeped into his fingers. He looked up at Mike, his eyes growing cold behind their mask of pain.

  “I’ll pay you back for this, Mike,” he mumbled through achiag lips. “Pay you back double.”

  “Try it any time you want,” Mike taunted.

  Ross still sat on the ground, looking up. “The time will come,” he said slowly. “Don’t worry.”

  “I ain’t worryin’,” Mike said. He went on down the alley toward his apartment.

  Chapter Fourteen

  ROSS BOUGHT A fistful of tickets at the door. He stopped a moment as he entered the dance hall to let his eyes get used to the light. He looked around.

  She was there. Sitting with the girls in the corner. Even in one of
the cheap gowns that Martin supplied to his girls, there was something about her that made her stand out from the others. There was an excitement about her. A man-and-woman kind of excitement that few women ever had.

  He walked down the steps and stopped in front of her. “Hello, Marja,” he said.

  She looked up at him. “Hello, Ross.” Her eyes were masked. He couldn’t read any expression in them.

  “Want to dance?” he asked awkwardly.

  “Got tickets?” she replied.

  He held out his hand silently.

  She got to her feet. “We’ll dance,” she said, leading him to the floor.

  She slipped into his arms, but it was as if he were holding a total stranger. Automatically they picked up the rhythm of the orchestra.

  “It’s been two weeks since school closed, Marja,” he said. “Three weeks since I saw you.”

  “Time flies, doesn’t it?” she said.

  “You’ve been ducking me,” he accused.

  “I’ve been busy,” she said politely. “I gotta work for a living.”

  “You haven’t given me a chance to explain,” he said.

  “You don’t owe me no explanation,” she retorted swiftly. “You’re a big boy. You run your own life.”

  “Then why don’t you want to see me?” he asked.

  She looked up into his eyes. There was something about him that reminded her of an animal. Wild and uncontrollable. Completely selfish. “I don’t like bein’ used,” she said.

  The music stopped and she started for the tables. His hand stopped her. There was another ticket in it. She took the ticket and stood waiting until the music started again before she came back into his arms.

  “I thought you liked me, Marja,” he said.

  “I did,” she answered. “But you didn’t level with me.”

  “I’m sorry.” He smiled. “But everything worked out. Nobody got hurt.”

  A sad look came into her eyes. “I did,” she said. “I thought you were goin’ to be different.”

  “But it was for laughs, Marja,” he said, trying to pull her closer to him. He could feel the warmth of her through his jacket. All the excitement was still there. “A guy’s gotta get some kicks.”

  She shook her head. “It wasn’t like you needed the dough. I could understand that.”

  “Marja,” he said. They were standing in a dark corner now. He tried to kiss her.

  She turned her face. “Cut it, Ross,” she said sharply. “I need the job here.”

  “But, Marja,” he pleaded, “I’m goin’ away the day after tomorrow and I wont be back for five months. I gotta see you before I go.”

  She shook her head. “Can’t.”

  “Why?” he demanded.

  The music stopped again, and she slipped out of his arms and turned towards the tables. His arm spun her back to him violently.

  “Here,” he said savagely. “Here’s all the damn tickets. Don’t be runnin’ off every time the music stops.”

  Silently she took the rack of tickets and stuffed them into a small purse. The music started and she came back into his arms.

  “Why can’t you see me?” he asked.

  She met his eyes. “Yuh really want to know?”

  He nodded. “Tell me.”

  She took a deep breath. “One, I don’t want to,” she said. “Two, I haven’t the time. My mother’s sick in bed. She lost her job an’ I gotta take care of her an’ my baby brother during the day. That enough reasons?”

  “No,” he said roughly. He backed her into the dark corner again and tried to kiss her. She turned her face. He couldn’t see her signalling with her purse. In a moment a rough hand spun him around.

  The big apelike bouncer was behind him. Joker Martin was standing next to him, smiling. “Listen, bud,” the bouncer said, “you behave yourself or you’ll get t’run outta here.”

  Ross could feel the colour leaving his face. He glanced at Marja. Her face was expressionless. He took a deep breath. “Okay, Marja,” he said. “If that’s the way you want it.” He turned and walked off the floor.

  Joker Martin fell into step with her as she started back to the tables. “Your friend seemed pretty mad,” he said.

  “He’s no friend,” she said.

  He assumed a surprised expression. “But you were so chummy the last time you were here.”

  “Yeah,” she said flatly. “It was different then. But I didn’t like somethin’ he did.”

  Martin looked down at her. “What’d he do?”

  She shrugged her shoulders noncommittally. “I just didn’t like it, that’s all.”

  “Was it somethin’ like switchin’ dice?” Martin asked in a conversational voice.

  The surprise was written on her face.

  He smiled. “Yuh think we’re stupid, kid? We’re pro’s. We spotted that right off.” He lit a cigarette. “I figured that was why you blew so quick. Did yuh know what he was gonna do?”

  “No,” she said.

  “I figured that, too,” he said.

  “If you knew, why didn’t you do somethin’?” she asked.

  He smiled gently. “His old man’s gotta a lot of pull. Someday he’ll come back an’ we’ll take the dough back with interest. Until then we can wait. We’re patient. They always come back.”

  She hung the evening dress carefully in her locker. After a quick check of her face in the mirror, she darted out the door. It was a few minutes after twelve. The job wasn’t so bad during the week—she was on her feet for only six hours. But Fridays and Saturdays were tough. On those days she worked from five o’clock in the evening until two in the morning.

  She stepped out into the noisy street and saw him lounging against a car, waiting for her. He had been there every night since she had begun working.

  A smile came to her lips. “Hello, Mike.”

  He grinned at her. “Hi, baby.”

  They fell in step. “You don’t have to wait for me every night, Mike,” she said. “I can get home okay.”

  “I want to,” he said.

  “But you must be dead. You work that news-stand for twelve hours a day.”

  He grinned. “Don’t take all the fun outta life, baby,” he said gently. “How about some coffee?”

  She nodded. “Okay, but it’s my turn to buy, don’t forget.”

  “Why d’yuh think I asked yuh?” he laughed.

  They turned into a drugstore and climbed onto two counter stools. “Two Java.” Mike ordered. He looked at her. “Split a jelly doughnut with me?” She nodded.

  He called the order to the counter man and turned back to her. “How’s your mother feeling?” he asked.

  “Better today, thanks,” she said. “The doctor says if it stays like that she can get out of bed tomorrow.”

  “Good,” he said.

  She was quiet for a moment while she thought about her mother. Katti had been in bed almost a week. At first the doctor thought it was a miss, but everything had turned out all right. She couldn’t go back to work, though. Those heavy pails and mops were too much for her.

  Marja remembered how upset her mother had been when she told her about the job. But the twenty a week had been a life-saver. Without it they all would have starved. Peter was no good for anything.

  The counter man put the coffee and a jelly doughnut down in front of her. Quickly she divided it and gave Mike the larger piece.

  “How’d it go today?” Mike asked.

  “Okay.” She smiled. “I was pretty busy.”

  He grinned. “Good dancer, huh?”

  She grinned back. “The best.” The smile vanished suddenly. “Ross came in to see me tonight.”

  Mike stared into his coffee. “What’d he want?”

  “He said he was going away for a while. He wanted me to go out with him.”

  Mike still didn’t look at her. “What’d you say?”

  “I told him no dice. He got fresh and Mr. Martin came over, so he walked out.”

  Mike
was silent for a moment. “His father’s sending him to Europe.”

  She drew in her breath. “Man,” she whispered, “it must be great to have dough like that.”

  Mike looked down into his coffee again. “You still like him, don’t yuh?”

  She looked over at Mike. “I don’t really know,” she said honestly. “He’s different than all the other boys I know. He speaks different. He acts different.”

  “He’s got money,” Mike said bitterly.

  “That’s not it,” she said quickly.

  “What is it, then?” Mike asked.

  She looked at him. He could see she was thinking carefully. “It’s the way he is. He acts all the time like I want to some of the time. Like he’s on top of the world and everybody is gonna play up to him. It must be good to be the guy on top.”

  She put her hand on his arm. “Y’know,” she said, lowering her voice to a confidential whisper, “Mr. Martin knew he switched dice on them that time.”

  Mike was surprised. “Then why didn’t he stop him?”

  “On accounta Ross’s father,” she said. “Mr. Martin said the old man’s got a lot of pull.” Her voice sounded impressed.

  He looked at her. “Is that what you like?”

  She put a cigarette in her mouth and lit it. She dragged deeply on it. “Maybe,” she answered. “I would like a little of the de luxe. Who wouldn’t? It’s a hell of a lot better’n livin’ the way I am now.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  KATTI PUT DOWN her sewing and looked at the clock. It was nearly eleven. She got out of her chair and went to the window. The August night was heavy and humid. Wearily she wiped the perspiration from her face with a towel that hung around her neck.

  There was a sharp twinge of pain in her back, and she swayed dizzily. She reached quickly for a table and held on to it until the dizziness passed. The doctor had warned her about such spells. He had told her to spend most of her time in bed, to do no work. There was something about her pregnancy that placed too great a strain on her heart.

  The dizzy spell passed and she went back into the kitchen and put away her sewing. She would lie down for a while and try to rest.