I had caught on to one of those giants and I could just make out its big head below the surface of the water. Its snout was the size of a man's torso.
Then the phone rang.
I couldn't answer it without losing my fish so I shouted for my mother to get it but she must not have heard because the phone kept on ringing and that catfish kept trying to dive. I finally had to let it go and I was almost crying when I picked up the receiver. 'Hello.'
''Allo? Thees is Mr. Rawlins? Yes?' The accent was mild, like French, but it wasn't French exactly.
'Yeah,' I exhaled. 'Who's that?'
'I am calling you about a problem with a friend of yours.'
'Who's that?'
'Coretta James,' she said, enunciating each syllable.
That set me up straight. 'Who is this?'
'My name is Daphne. Daphne Monet,' she said. 'Your friend, Coretta, no? She came to see me and asked for money. She said that you were looking for me and if I don't give it to her she goes to tell you. Easy, no?'
'When she say that?'
'Not yesterday but the day before that.'
'So what'd you do?'
'I give to her my last twenty dollars. I don't know you, do I, Mr. Rawlins?'
'What she do then?'
'She goes away and I worry about it and my friend is away and doesn't come back home so then I think maybe I find you and you tell me, yes? Why you want to find me?'
'I don't know what you mean,' I said. 'But your friend, who's that?'
'Frank. Frank Green.'
I reached for my pants out of reflex; they were on the floor, next to the bed.
'Why do you look for me, Mr. Rawlins? Do I know you?'
'You must'a made some kinda mistake, honey. I don't know what she was talkin' 'bout… Do you think Frank went lookin' for her?'
'I don't tell Frank about her coming 'ere. He was not 'ere but then he does not come home.'
'I don't know a thing about where Frank is, and Coretta's dead.'
'Dead?' She sounded as if she was really surprised.
'Yeah, they think it happened Thursday night.'
'This is terrible. Do you think maybe something 'as 'appened with Frank?'
'Listen, lady, I don't know what's goin' on with Frank or anybody else. All I know is that it ain't none'a my business and I hope you do okay but I have to go right now …'
'But you must help me.'
'No thanks, honey. This is too much fo' me.'
'But if you do not help I will 'ave to go to the police to find my friend. I will 'ave to tell them about you and this woman, this Coretta.'
'Listen, it was prob'ly your friend that killed her.'
'She was stabbed?'
'No,' I said, realizing what she meant. 'She was beaten to death.'
'That ees not Frank. He 'as the knife. He does not use his fists. You will help me?'
'Help you what?' I said. I put up my hands to show how helpless I was but no one could see me.
'I 'ave a friend, yes? He may know where to find Frank.'
'I don't need to go lookin' fo' Frank Green but if you want'im why don't you just call this friend?'
'I, I must go to him. He 'as something for me and …'
'So why do you need me? If he's your friend just go to his house. Take a taxi.'
'I do not 'ave the money and Frank 'as my car. It is far away, my friend's house, but I could tell you 'ow to go.'
'No thanks, lady.'
'Please help me. I do not want to call the police but I 'ave no other way if you do not help.'
I was afraid of the police too. Afraid that the next time I went down to the police station I wouldn't be getting out. I was missing my catfish more and more. I could almost smell it frying; I could almost taste it.
'Where are you?' I asked.
'At my house, on Dinker Street. Thirty-four fifty-one and a 'alf.'
