“You drive me nuts with this
I tried to push her off, or at least I was thinking about it, as I managed to say, “Anita, give us time. If it's to be you and me... we'll know it.” Having her on my bunk, so near me, was almost too damn much to resist.
“Why should we wait?” she whispered, her lips moving against my ear. “I'm sure, and you... you just said you liked me. Darling, you're all I've been thinking about these last couple months. When I first started working for you... you gave me a laugh kick. I mean, you weren't at all what I thought a shamus would be. Then, I've gotten so crazy about you I can't think straight, I...”
The “shamus” did it, reminded me she was merely a thrill-happy kid. I pushed her away. “I'll give it to you straight—I'm scared of you. You're pretty and impulsive and probably would be terrific in the hay, but honey I'd never know when you'd change, when all that pep and energy would be directed
“Do I have to bring a birth certificate to bed?” she asked, poking a finger at the hair on my chest.
That sounded so silly we both laughed and that really tore it. She stood up, looked around, dropped the ash from her cigarette in the sink. “Gee, this is like a little apartment What a compact kitchen, everything....”
“We old sailors call it a galley. Find anything on the rock?”
“No, walked my legs off around that part of town. Found nothing. Hal, if I did something big, say like finding that Frisco money, grabbing that big reward would...”
“Don't you ever stop thinking about rewards?”
“Why should I? Think of the mugs who did the job, all those millions around them and every buck too hot to spend. Must drive them nuts. But suppose I did find that, or got one of the other rewards, would you run away with me? To Mexico, to Europe?”
“Honey, with that sort of green stuff I'd fly to the moon with you!”
“All right, keep making fun of me, one of these days I'll do something big and take your bluff—one of these days soon.”
“Sure you will. Sydney Greenstreet called me this afternoon, said he was afraid you'll drive him out of business.”
She stuck out her tongue at me. “You'll see. Is there a bathroom here, or is it any porthole in a storm?”
I pointed to the large picture of the blowfish that covered the door to the bow, and the John. “That's a door— the handle is the piece of food under the seaweed—what the fish is diving for.”
“That's a door?” Anita said, going over to examine it. “How clever.”
“Called the 'Blowfish Madonna.' Anchored off Fire Island last year and some artist got the bright idea of painting the door. Really got a soulful expression on the fish. There's a light switch on your left—and you work the pump handle beside the John to flush it.”
Soon as she shut the door I jumped out of bed, put on pants and shoes. She'd left her bag on the bunk and I opened it, took out my .38 special and tossed it under the covers. The hand line I'd used to catch the shad was drying over the sink, and I cut off two heavy sinkers from it, dropped them in her bag—so the bag would feel heavy.
I was putting on a T-shirt when she came out. “Come on, I'll put you in a cab, send you home.”
“I about expected that—brother!”
“Who you all dolled up for tonight?”
“You.”
She sounded so blue I didn't have the heart to bawl her out for taking the gun—that could wait till morning. “Come on,” I said, taking her arm, starting for the deck. She gave me a hug and a kiss that nearly smothered me. “For the... stop it!” I said, breaking away.
“Knew I could get your water on,” Anita said, walking by me, a silly triumphant sway to her small hips.
I whistled for Pete and we stood on the deck, my arms around her shoulders. Again I felt confused, feeling leery of her and at the same time almost sorry for the kid. It was a clear night, with a half moon and all the stars out. Anita said quietly, “Sorry I was a pest.”
“You're no pest, only... things like this can't be rushed. Maybe some day I'll wake up, start chasing you and...”
“You'll never have to chase me, Hal. Gee, it's great standing here, all those stars—”
“If we were out on the Sound, away from the city lights, see many more stars.”
“Okay, let's go.”
As Pete came into view, I said, “Just take it slow, Anita. I don't mean to be so... so...” She lowered her head and I kissed her softly and she straightened up, said in a queer voice, “Thanks.”
I helped her into the launch and we were lucky, there was a cab at the parking lot, unloading guests for one of the big yachts. I slipped her five bucks for cab fare, told her that since it was after midnight, she should sleep late, not be in the office till noon.
Taking me back to my boat, Pete said, “First you're lucky with shad and now this girl—don't know how you little guys do it—”
“Stop it,” I said, feeling tired and let-down.
12
