steady the older woman.
5
“Oh,” she said again. “Well maybe I better wait until 6
Monday then. You know Mr. Hickey has all my records.
7
He knows what I want. Monday you say?”
8
“I’m sure he’ll be back by then,” Mathias said. “And if 9
he comes back earlier, I’ll have him call you.”
10
“That would be nice. Yes. You know I have to take my 11
money out of the stock market before the world goes to 12
hell in a handbasket. He talked me into it before, but now 13
I just want a passbook. I want regular interest with no 14
nonsense. The stock market is no better than roulette, 15
and gambling is a sin.”
16
“I’m sure Mr. Hickey will do what you want . . .”
17
The conversation went on for another few minutes. Mr.
18
Mathias listened to Mildred’s woes. Everyone knew that 19
old Mrs. Cosgrove had barely a hundred-dollar balance in 20
her account. She lived off social-security checks. But her 21
family had been some of the bank’s first depositors. Treat-22
ing her nicely was the best advertisement they could have.
23
“Yes, Charles?” the guard asked after Millie left. “Can I 24
help you?”
25
“No.”
26
“Did you want something?”
S 27
“Can’t anyone walk into this bank, Arnold?”
R 28
3rd Pass Pages
ManInMyBasemnt_HCtext3P.qxd 10/24/03 8:16 PM Page 24
Walter Mosley
1
“Of course. But I didn’t think that you had an account 2
here anymore.”
3
“I came to see Lainie,” I said.
4
“Oh, I see. Lainie.”
5
The greeter had reverted into guard and had no inten-6
tion of standing aside. So I went around him and across 7
