the bar, a hungover joker was trying to taper off with an early morning shot and talking to himself in a low, soothing voice.
Slapping Danny on the back, I said, “Howya, Danny? This is Barney Harris. Remember me, the...”
Wailing “You miserable bastard!” Danny showed me his beer-can- bending stunt again, only this time he bent the can over my head!
I vaguely knew I sat down on the floor, that blood was running all over my head and down my face—cool blood. My head was throbbing like a jet plane trying to take off.
From a million miles away I heard Jimmy shout, “Danny! Want me to lose my license? Leave him alone.... Danny! you already hurt the louse...”
My head finally worked itself loose and took off from my shoulders as I blacked out.
CHAPTER 7
I CAME TO, still sprawled out on the dirty floor, although I don't know where else I expected to be. I touched my wet face, got my hands into focus. I wasn't bleeding—Danny had clouted me with an almost full can of beer and the stuff was all over my head and shoulders. I had an acute headache and even my wild hair couldn't hide the not-so-graceful, and throbbing, lump on the right side of my noggin.
I thought about getting up, glanced around. A few morning street-corner characters were staring in from the doorway, amused. Danny Macci was sitting in a booth, waving his white cane like a baseball bat, as he cursed. Jimmy, who was standing over me, said, “Warning ya, Danny, one more rhubarb like this and I'll banish your ass from here—for good!”
“That what this was, a rhubarb?” I asked, getting to my feet. To my surprise I made it. I guess I can't take it—this one belt on the head had me weak as a sick cat, made my stomach do push-ups. “What's the matter with Danny?”
“He don't like you,” Jimmy said.
“You're kidding.” I walked over, stopped beyond the reach of his cane. “What's the beef, Danny?”
“You unwashed skunk, I'll break every bone in your thick head!”
Eyes are important in registering anger. A blind man can never look real steamed because his eyes are blanks. I said, “Guess you might bust my conk—in fact, you probably have. But why?”
Danny made some observations on the sex habits of my ancestors as he took a terrific swipe at me with his cane, almost busting it on the next booth. Jimmy came forward carefully, said, “Now Danny, goddamnit Danny, cut it out!” He turned to me. “Why don't you take a walk?”
“I'm only doing my job,” I said, starting the old oil. “Doing...”
“Do it someplace else,” the barkeep snapped.
“You must be tired of looking at your license. Remember, a cop has been killed.”
“You threatening me?”
Danny shrilled, “Let me get my mitts on him, Jimmy. I'll tear his heart out!”
He swung again with his cane and I stepped in, grabbed the back of his wrist. He was strong, but I had the grip, and when he started to move his left hand, I grabbed his shoulder muscles with my left and squeezed. “Danny, you damn near busted my head—at least tell me what the beef is about?”
“I'll...!”
I squeezed harder.
“I'm a... The one woman who would let a blind old man sleep with her, sometimes for free, you got to make trouble for. Now she's moving, won't open her door to nobody!”
“She was good to Danny,” Jimmy said solemnly.
“I didn't do a thing to Louise. Honest, Danny, it was the cops.”
“It was you, you lying bastard!” Danny yelled, straining to get out of my hands. “She told me.”
“I know how she feels, but she told you wrong. Danny, you and me, we're different from other guys. We're too strong to have to lie and cheat. I'm not bulling you. It wasn't me. It was the cops. And I can prove it.”
Danny turned his sightless face up at me. “How can you prove it?”
“Come up to the police station, I'll let you talk to the guy who put her away. Only don't swing on him. He'll even tell you I got Louise out of the can.”
“Bastard, you running me in?” Danny asked.
“Danny, musclemen are on the level. All I want to do is prove to you I didn't do her dirt. I've got to prove it because I have a job for you.”
“Louise claims... A job?”
“What kind of a job?” Jimmy asked suspiciously.
“A job requiring muscle, so that lets you out,” I told the bartender, and let go of Danny and stepped back. But the old man didn't try to cane me.
Danny stood up. “I'll go see this copper, just to find out if you're telling me the truth.”
“Fine. Then we'll talk about the job.”
Danny headed for the door, his cane out like a feeler. I followed and he asked, “What kind of work can I do?”
“Tell you later. Be a day or two's work. Ten bucks a day.”
“Ten dollars? Who am I working for?”
“Me.”
On the sidewalk, I took his hand but he said, “Keep your mitts off me. Keep talking, I'll follow you.”
“My car is over by the curb. We'll drive up to the station, then over lunch we'll talk about the job.”
“Why can't we talk about it now?”
“Because I have to be absolutely sure we trust each other,” I said, holding the door open. He got in and I shut the door, went around to the wheel side.
As I drove, Danny said, “If this is a trap, if you're jailing me, I'll break your neck.” Then he added in a sort of childish voice, “I haven't worked for... lot of years. Never begged though, either. When I first lost my sight, I traveled for a time with a crummy carnival, doing a lifting act. But they was always playing jokes on me, robbing me, so I quit. Ten bucks a day, you said?”
I nodded, then remembered he was blind, said, “Yeah.” The nodding didn't do the pain in my head any good. I parked in front of the police station, got out and opened the door for Danny, told him, “Let me take your hand, lot of steps here.”
Lieutenant Franzino wasn't in the best of moods. When I introduced Danny, and said he was considering working for us, Franzino said to the old man, “I've seen you around.”
“Whatcha doing, spying on me?”
“This is my precinct. It's my business to know the characters in it.”
I said quickly, “Mr. Macci wanted one thing straightened out. I was explaining to him that you decided to close up Louise.”
“That's right. I'm running her hips out of here,” Franzino said.
“Why?” Danny almost shouted. “She ain't hurting nobody.”
“Because she's a whore and whoring is against the law. Maybe it shouldn't be, but I don't make the laws—just enforce as many as I can. And I intend to run every whore I know of out of my district.”
“Wasn't you getting your lousy two-bit cut? I got a good mind to wring your goddamn neck,” Danny said, flexing his powerful arms. “And I can do it, too.”
Franzino leaned back in his chair, said coldly, “No you can't, because I have a badge that gives me the legal right to use a gun or blackjack. You create a disturbance here and I won't hesitate a second to split your hard head open, or shoot you. Do I make myself clear?”
Danny muttered, “Man gets little enough enjoyment out of life without some snooper...”
“Stop slobbering all over my office,” Franzino said, as if enjoying his own toughness. “If she gave you a dose you'd be the first one trying to kill her. As it is, she may be the cause of two murders.”
“Louise is a clean woman, a law- abiding good woman!” Danny snapped.
“You law-abiding citizens give me a pain in the ass,” Franzino told him. “You're always trying to see how many little laws you can break. Like smoking in the subways or littering the streets. When we come to you for help, you act like we were the crooks. Two of your fellow citizens have been murdered, and when we ask your help, you start sniveling about a whore. You and that other noble citizen, Irving Spear, make me want to puke. Crime isn't only our task—it's everybody's job. You don't want to help us, then stop wasting my time. Get the hell out of here!”
Before I could put in a word, Danny said, “You hide a big mouth behind that badge. Who doesn't want to help? What you talking about?”
“I haven't had time to tell Mr. Macci about our plan,” I said.
“You—you got time to listen to this slop about a hustler, and guzzle beer. Smell like a gutter, Harris.”
“Mr. Macci had to be convinced about certain things before he would discuss anything else. As it happens I haven't been drinking beer—I've been bathing in it.”
“What's all this jabber-jabber about?” Danny asked. “If you and this snotty-voiced cop want something of me, ask for it like men.”
So like men we told him what we wanted. Did he still feel positive he could recognize Brown's voice? Was he willing to take the chance, and the rest of it? He listened, his rough face even listening. Then he turned to me, “This the ten-bucks-a-day deal?”
“What ten bucks a day?” Franzino asked.
“Why... eh... I offered to pay Mr. Macci for his services. Come off my expense account,” I began. “Thought it would be best that way.”
Danny drew up his massive body as straight as he could, said with real dignity, “Frankie was a friend of mine. So is Irv. You don't have to pay me to protect a friend or find his murderer. Hell, ain't as if I'm losing time from a job, or something.”
“Fine,” Franzino said, his voice suddenly soft and polite. “I'll have Spear brought in and we'll get started. Lot of wheels to get in motion; maybe be able to plant the stories in the evening papers. Danny, you have to keep quiet about this. One leak and we could have a couple more stiffs on our hands— including you.”
“You can't even tell Jimmy,” I added.
“How will I explain to him about the job—my being away from the bar for a day or two?”
“The job fell
