her. And I knowed you was with'em on Wednesday so I figured the police might'a s'pected you.'
'Murdered?'
'Just like Howard Green. Beat her so bad that it was her mother who had to tell'em.'
'Dead?'
'What they do to you, Easy?'
'Is Odell here, Hattie?'
'Come in 'bout seven.'
'What time is it?'
'Ten.'
'Could you get Odell for me?' I asked.
'Sure can, Easy. You just let me get Junior t'do it.'
She stuck her head in the door and then came back. In a few minutes Odell came out. I could see that I must've looked bad by the expression on Odell's face. He rarely showed any emotion at all but right then he looked like he'd seen a ghost.
'Could you give me a ride home, Odell? I don't have my car.'
'Sure thing, Easy.'
Odell was quiet for most of the ride but when we got close to my house he said, 'You better get some rest, Easy.'
'I sure intend to try, Odell.'
'I don't mean just sleep, now. I mean some real rest, like a vacation or somethin'.'
I laughed. 'A woman once told me that poor people can't afford no vacations. She said that we gotta keep workin' or we end up dead.'
'You don't have to stop workin'. I mean more like a change. Maybe you should go on down t'Houston or maybe even Galveston where they don't know you too good.'
'Why you say that, Odell?'
We pulled up to my house. My Pontiac was a welcome sight, parked there and waiting for me. I could have driven across the nation with the money Albright had given me.
'First Howard Green gets killed, then Coretta goes the same way. Police do this to you and they say Dupree's still in jail. Time to go.'
'I can't go, Odell.'
'Why not?'
I looked at my house. My beautiful home.
'I just can't,' I said. 'But I do think you're right.'
'If you don't leave, Easy, then you better look for some help.'
'What kind'a help you mean?'
'I don't know. Maybe you should come on down to church on Sunday. Maybe you could talk to Reverend Towne.'
'Lord ain't got no succor fo' this mess. I'm'a have to look somewhere else.'
I got out of his car and waved him goodbye. But Odell was a good friend; he waited there until I had hobbled to my door and stumbled into the house.
12
I put away a pint and a half of bourbon before I could get to sleep. The sheets were crisp and dry and the fear was far enough away in the alcohol, but whenever I closed my eyes Coretta was there, hunching over me and kissing my chest.
I was still young enough that I couldn't imagine death really happening to someone I knew. Even in the war I expected to see friends again, though I knew they were dead.
The night carried on like that. I'd fall asleep for a few minutes only to wake up calling Coretta's name or to answer her calling me. If I couldn't fall back to sleep I'd reach for the bottle of whiskey next to the bed.
Later that night the phone rang.
'Huh?' I mumbled.
'Easy? Easy, that you?' came a rough voice.
'Yeah. What time is it?'
''Bout three. You 'sleep, man?'
'What you think? Who is this?'
'Junior. Don't you know me?'
It took me a while to remember who he was. Junior and I had never been friends and I couldn't even think of
