banged his head against the wall, then kneed him. ‘I mean, excuse me all to hell, we forgot to put out the red carpet. Only we didn’t know what day you was finally gonna show up for work, did we?’
‘No sir.’
Mr Danton knocked Roderick to the floor and was just picking up a cleaver when the alley door opened and a patrolman came in.
‘Is the manager here?’
‘I’m the proprietor, officer. Can I help you?’ Danton laid down the cleaver. The cop stared at it for a moment, pushing back his cap as though perplexed. He kept one hand on his gun.
‘We found a lady’s leg in your garbage can back there. You want to explain it?’
‘A lady’s leg? A
‘You wanna explain what you intended doing with that cleaver, then?’
‘That? Oh, I was just kidding around with my dishwasher here. Tryin’a scare him a little, haw haw haw. Hell I treat the kid like my own son, how does he repay me? Comes in late, don’t come in at all. Never no apology or nothing.’
The cop straightened his cap. ‘Kids these days! They don’t know the meaning of punctuality, respect, duty, clean hearts.’
Roderick said, ‘About this leg—’
‘Well if none of you did it, I guess it might turn out to be another unsolved case. I could call it the case of the lucky legs. Only one though: case of the lucky leg sounds wrong, you know?’
Roderick said, ‘Officer, I might be able to help.’
‘Yeah? You wanna confess?’ The cop winked at his old pal Danton. ‘Your son here wants to confess!’
‘No I — I think I saw somebody drop something in that garbage can. In our garbage can. The day before yesterday it was.’
The patrolman squinted at him. ‘You mean you think you saw them or you think they dropped it?’
‘I did see him, and he did drop it. It was wrapped in a newspaper.’
‘What was?’
‘Whatever it was he dropped.’
‘Oh now you’re sure he dropped it? You wasn’t so sure before. Okay.’ The cop opened his notebook. ‘Okay, suppose you describe this guy that maybe didn’t drop anything wrapped in a newspaper.’
Roderick described the man as having gold hair, a pockmarked complexion and gold-rimmed sunglasses. He’d worn a casual terry shirt in an easy-care polyester blend, a rib-knit V-neck with cuffs and bottom band. The body of the shirt was terry in a sculpted design. It was light rust in colour, size: medium. He’d also worn s-t-r-e-t- c-h woven twill slacks in an outstanding blend of Celanese Fortrel R polyester for long wear and cotton for comfort. These were in straight-leg styling with an elastic waistband to help prevent waistband rollover, slant front pockets, two set-in back pockets, the left one with a button-through flap. These were khaki tan, size 34 regular with about a 34 inch inseam. They probably featured hook-and-eye front closure, nylon zipper, and seven belt loops fitting belts up to 11? inches wide. Roderick couldn’t be sure about the belt loops, because of the jacket.
This was a cotton poplin jacket with a smooth nylon lining. Hip length, with a two-button tab collar and slash pockets. Set-in sleeves with one-button adjustable cuffs. Elastic insert at waist sides. Nylon zipper. This was in navy blue, medium size with about a 34 inch arm.
Finally the man had worn smooth leather-upper sports shoes with sueded split-leather reinforcement at toe. Ventilated vinyl tongue with laceholder was padded for comfort. Padded collar and peaked back. Rubber toe guard would help protect toe area against wear. Sturdy moulded heel counter. These shoes were white with royal blue vinyl stripes, and featured moulded rubber sole with crepe rubber wedge, sole having ribbed tread for traction. Size 9.
The patrolman had written nothing down, and now he closed his notebook. ‘A description like that could fit anybody,’ he said. After lingering a few minutes to flirt with one of the waitresses, he swaggered back out the alley door.
Within a month, the police would arrest Allbright, who was short, dark, bearded, had a clear if grimy complexion, and wore greasy denim work clothes, the only clothes he owned.
VI
The cold weather was here, and with the drop in temperature came a drop in Roderick’s fortunes. The two were connected:
Fur coats were coming into the dining room regularly now, and poodle sweaters. Somehow the sight of all these creatures keeping themselves
Though technically he needed no special winter garments, Roderick wanted something cosy. Ma and Pa would have understood, being cosy small-town folk themselves. Ma would have said, if you’re undecided about doing something, do it big.
Roderick went into an exclusive sporting-goods store, bought himself a very fine red wool stocking-cap for two weeks’ wages, and wore it to work.
Unfortunately, he forgot to take it off while waiting tables. Though some patrons only laughed, one complained to the management. Mr Danton was happy to fire him.
‘Son or no son,’ he said, ‘you’re out in the fuckin’ cold.’
‘Sonnenschein, initial D?’ asked the hospital receptionist, touching her keyboard. ‘Yes, and your relationship to the patient, Mr Wood?’
‘I’m his — I’m his lawyer. And I demand—’
‘Certainly, sir.’ The machine hummed and produced a red ticket. ‘Take this pass, so you can get out again. It’s Ward I8G, express elevator to the eighteenth floor.’
On the eighteenth floor he handed his pass to a nurse manning another computer terminal. ‘I like your cap,’ he said, ‘Unusual.’
‘Thank you, sir.’ She read the pass and tapped keys. ‘A lot of people seem to like our caps.’
‘No I meant yours in particular. Unusual.’
She looked wary. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Well I just noticed, all the other nurses have them folded left over right, but yours is right over left.’
‘Is it?’ she laughed. ‘Well you’re the first person to notice that, anyway.’
‘Well I only noticed because the cap itself is a variation on an ornamental dinner-napkin fold called The Slipper. I remember seeing a picture of it in
‘Really?’
‘I read that a lot when I was a kid. The language of flowers, too, like that vase on your desk there, yellow chrysanthemums, they say—’
‘Fine, fine. You can see Mr Sonnenschein in the visiting room, second door on your right. If you’ll just wait he’ll be in in a minute.’ She seemed very busy and not inclined to look at him. But when Roderick reached the door to the visiting room he looked back: she was staring at him.
Red cap again. He pulled it off and jammed it in his pocket, damn it.
This was a sunny room overlooking the river. It was furnished like a large, comfortable living room, with a TV corner, a music centre, a writing desk and a small library — all separated by yards and yards of soft chairs and sofas. No one else was there except an old man in a striped bathrobe and paper slippers. He sat turning the pages of a book of Mondrian reproductions. Now and then he found one that made him chuckle.
Roderick tried to watch TV, but the controls of the set were locked. He settled for a newspaper.
