19
“I’m sorry, Mr. Bennet, but —”
20
“I will pay all expenses, plus seven hundred and fifty 21
dollars a day.”
22
The math stopped me in my tracks. Zero times, five 23
times, seven times. “Forty-eight thousand seven hundred 24
fifty dollars,” I said.
25
Anniston Bennet smiled. Math done right seemed to 26
please him.
S 27
R 28
3rd Pass Pages
ManInMyBasemnt_HCtext3P.qxd 10/24/03 8:16 PM Page 74
Walter Mosley
1
He was uncomfortable in the basement, however.
2
“Let’s go back up,” he said, leading the way up the stairs.
3
I didn’t understand how he could be so anxious to rent 4
that room if he couldn’t bear five minutes there.
5
Back in the breakfast room, he regained his composure.
6
“I will give you eight thousand five hundred right now 7
as a deposit and then on June fifteen you will receive what 8
paraphernalia I will need for my recluse. You will follow 9
any instructions I have given, and then I will arrive at 10
midnight of June thirty. At that time, after I have in-11
spected the work, I will give you twenty thousand dollars, 12
plus another five for expenses. Sixty-five days later I will 13
give you the balance. All moneys will be in cash.”
14
Tiny shafts of sunlight shone on Bennet’s head and his 15
small hands, which were folded on the table in front of 16
him. He was unchanged by the light. I realized that the 17
insecurity and friendliness he’d shown on our first meet-18
ing were an act.
19
“Man so cold,” my uncle Brent would say of evil white 20
men, “that he could take a bath in ice water and still take 21
his whiskey on the rocks.”
22
“Well?” Bennet asked.
23
“What if . . .” I stalled. “What if I just take your money 24
