I decided McGee wouldn't be much help. “Anybody in town who really hates Banta?”
“Is there anybody who doesn't?”
“I mean important. Somebody Banta might like to get, too.”
She thought for a while. Then she said: “Gus Papas. He's got the only independent joint in the county. Pug's been trying to drive him out.”
“Good,” I said.
“What are you going to do?”
“I think I can use Gus.”
She smiled a little. She looked pretty nice, lying under that sheet. Seeing a woman in bed always gives me ideas. I drank another bottle of beer and told her I'd better be getting along.
“I'll be up tomorrow,” she said.
I stood up. The room's windows were open, but no air came in. I could see the elm trees in the yard, the branches drooping with the heat. The beer made me sweat. “I'll give you a ring,” I said.
I took the phone number. “Don't call after ten at night,” she said. “Mrs. Fleming gets sore.”
I said: “By the way, who was the guy you sent after me?”
“Charley? He's my half-brother.”
“A hop?”
She looked as if she was going to throw the medicine bottle at me. “Of all the goddam nerve!” Then she relaxed. “He's pale because he's had tb.”
I didn't believe that. I said: “Does he know why you wanted to talk with me?”
“No.”
“Don't tell him,” I said. “Don't tell anybody.”
“I won't.”
I took another look at the sheet and the shape outlined under it. I wondered if I dared lift the sheet. What would I have if I did? I thought. I said “Goodbye, sweetheart,” and went out into the hall. I smelled perfume in the hall and heard women laughing in one of the rooms and went down the stairs.
I walked back to the hotel. I asked the clerk if there were any calls for me, but there weren't. I went to my room and pulled off my clothes that now were wringing wet with sweat and got in the shower with the bottle of bourbon. I drank the bourbon and let the water pour over me. It had been a mistake to walk to the hotel.
I decided Carmel was on the level, not that I would trust a whore. I didn't belong to the school of thinkers who held all whores had hearts of gold and would give their last two bucks to keep some guy from starving. All the whores I ever knew, and, brother, I knew plenty, would get you drunk and jack-roll you if you gave them half a chance. But Carmel hated Pug Banta. No woman likes to be socked by a guy who'd throw her down. That made the difference.
Jesus, I was tired! I sat down on the cement floor of the shower and finished the bourbon. I thought about what I had to do with Gus Papas. I would need Ginger and I wondered if she would be in the bar at seven. I began to have the tight feeling in my stomach I used to get before a football game. I saw plenty of trouble ahead. I wondered if it was worth the five grand I had gotten. Hell, yes, it was.
My buttocks had stopped up the drain and the shower water began to sluice over into the bathroom. I got out and mopped up the water and dried myself. I looked at my watch. It was ten minutes to seven.
The bar-room was empty. I sat on one of the stools and ordered an old-fashioned. The bartender pretended he'd never seen me before. He got a bottle of whisky and started to make the drink. A portable radio was playing swing music from New York. I listened to it: they had a good boogie-woogie piano player. He played variations on the 'Basin Street Blues', making it sound like part of a symphony. I drank my drink and ordered another. I looked at my watch. Quarter past seven. I'd just made up my mind she wasn't coming when I saw her. She had on a black evening gown that showed a lot of that milk-coloured skin redheads usually have. I was glad to see her. She came over to me.
“Are you crazy?”
“About you, baby,” I said. “If Pug sees you with me, he'll bump you.”
“That punk!”
“You didn't talk that way last night.”
“I didn't want to make a scene.”
“A scene!” She put her hand on my arm. “Listen. I like you. That's why I'm telling you to scram.”
“I'm not yellow.”
“You're nuts.”
“'Maybe you're yellow.”
Her eyes got narrow. She didn't like that. “We're talking about you.”
“You can't be in very good with Pug,” I said; “not if you're so scared of him.”
“I'm not scared of anybody.”
“All right. Prove it by having dinner with me.”
