`Did he say anything about changing cars when he phoned you?'
`No sir.'
`Did you and your brother have any previous agreement to change cars?'
`No sir.'
`And you didn't know about the kidnapping until you read about it in the paper today?'
`That's correct. Or the murder either.'
`Do you know who was murdered?'
His head hung forward, moving up and down slightly on the cords of his neck. He covered the back of his neck with his hand as if he feared a blow there from behind. `I guess-it sounded like Carol.'
`It was Carol.'
'I'm sorry to hear about that. She was a good kid, a lot better than he deserved.'
`You should have come forward with information. Harold.'
`I know that. Lila said so. It's why she left me. She said I was setting myself up for a patsy again.'
`I gather it's happened before.'
`Not this bad, though. The worst he ever did to me before was when he sold me a camera he stole from the Navy. He turned around and claimed I stole it when I visited him on his ship on visiting day.'
`What was the name of the ship?'
`The Perry Bay. It was one of those jeep carriers. I went aboard her in Dago the last year of the war, but I wisht I never set foot on her. The way they talked to me, I thought I was gonna end up in the federal pen. But they finally took my word that I didn't know the camera was hot.'
`I'm taking your word now about several things, or have you noticed?'
`I didn't know what to think.'
`I believe you're an honest man in a bind, Harold.'
My spoken sympathy was too much for him. It made his eyes water again. He removed his hand from the back of his neck and wiped his eyes with his fingers.
`I'm not the only one you have to convince, of course. But I think you can probably work your way out of this bind by telling the whole truth.'
`You mean in court?'
`Right now.'
`I want to tell the truth,' he said earnestly. 'I would have come forward, only I was ascared to. I was ascared they'd send me up for life.'
`And Mike too?'
`It wasn't him I was worried about,' he said. `I'm through with my brother. When I found out about Carol-' He shook his head.
`Were you fond of her?'
`Sure I was. I didn't see much of her these last years when they were in Nevada. But Carol and me, we always got along.'
`They were living in Nevada?'
`Yeah. Mike had a job bartending in one of the clubs on the South Shore. Only he lost it. I had to-' His slow mind overtook his words and stopped them.
`You had to-?'
`Nothing. I mean. I had to help him out a little these last few months since he lost his job.'
`How much money did you give them?'
`I dunno. What I could spare. A couple of hundred dollars.'
He looked up guiltily.
`Did Mike pay you back last night by any chance?'
He hung his head. The old refrigerator in the corner behind {him woke up and started to throb. Above it I could still hear the sound of the boulevard rising and falling, coming and going.
`No he didn't,' Harold said.
`How much did he give you?'
`He didn't give me anything.'
`You mean he was only paying you back?'
`That's right.'
`How much?'
`He gave me five hundred dollars,' he said in horror.
