Ackie turned them over. “These dames don't wear much, do they?” he said.
I took the dress from him and examined it. The front of it was stiff with blood and I could see the hole in the cloth from the bullet.
“They undressed her after she'd been shot. Now why the hell did they do that?”
“Maybe they were going to take these clothes away and forgot about it.”
I stripped off the sheet. “In a little while she's goin' to get stiff.”
Ackie rubbed his nose. “I ain't lookin' forward to dressin' this doll. Suppose we have a drink?”
We had two.
I got her stockings on. It wasn't a nice job. I could feel her body getting very cold. “She's dying on us fast,” I said.
Ackie was wrestling with her shoes. “These dames just kill their dogs with small shoes,” he said.
He got them on at last and we both sat back.
“I guess we'll skip the underwear,” I said, wiping my face with my sleeve.
Ackie looked quite shocked. “She's got to be decent. She just can't go anyhow.”.
I tossed the step-ins and slip in his lap. “You go ahead. This turns my guts.”
Ackie threaded her feet through the step-ins. “If you'll stand up, madam,” he said to Blondie, “it'll help a lot.”
I belted the whisky again. I was getting pretty high.
“For Pete's sake,” I said.
Ackie turned round. “Listen, you bum, suppose you give me a hand and cut this sissy stuff out. I gotta get her pants on, haven't I?”
I came over and leant my arms on the bottom of the bed-rail. “I've done some lousy jobs in my time, but this wrecks me.”
Ackie let go of Blondie and went over to have a drink. “You're right, Bud,” he said after a long pull. “But you gotta look at it like this. It's an act of decency.” Ackie was pretty high.
“Come on then. Let's get her dressed.”
I got hold of Blondie and stood her up against the wall. I put one foot against the toes of her shoes to prevent her feet sliding and I held her under the arms. Her eyes kept meeting mine, and it gave me the heebies.
Ackie fastened the step-ins round her waist. He was sweating, but stuck to it. We sat her on the bed and put the slip over her head, then we stood her up to adjust it and she slipped out of my hands. She went down on the floor with a crash.
Ackie took off his hat and fanned himself with it. “You didn't do that on purpose?” he asked, looking at me suspiciously.
“I bent down and got Blondie on the bed again. I was feeling bad. “Come on... come on...” I said, “Get her dress on, for Pete's sake.”
We got her dress on. It was the worst job of the lot. Neither of us liked to handle the sticky front, and Blondie had a couple more falls before we were through.
Ackie said seriously: “Do you mind if I cat in your bathroom?”
I said: “Have a drink instead. You got too much liquor inside you to waste.”
We had a couple more drinks, but they didn't do much good. Ackie got her hat and put it on her head. He pulled it down hard, so that it hid the glassy look in her eyes. He stood looking down at her. “I guess she looks okay now,” he said, scratching his head.
“I'll be glad when we've got her out of here.”
Ackie nodded. “I guess we'll get goin' right away. I bet you evens she stiffens on us before we get her there.”
“I've had enough grief for one night. I ain't taking bets with you.”
“Well, let's go.”
We sat Blondie up and adjusted the short fox-fur cape over her shoulders that we had found with her clothes. It hid the bloodstains all right.
Ackie said quickly: “You'll have to carry her... she's too heavy for me.”
I put my arm round her waist and the other arm under her knees and lifted her off the bed. Make no mistake about it, that dame was heavy.
Ackie said: “Don't be standoffish, madam, put your arm round his neck.”
I said: “If you don't cut that line right out, I ain't goin'.”
Ackie robbed his hand over his face. “Jeeze, if I don't make a joke of it. I'll go nuts.”
Well, go nuts, but cut that line out.”
Going downstairs I nearly dropped her. Her arm banged against the wall and came up round my neck. I said: “For Pete's sake, Mo, take her arm away.” My teeth began to rattle in my head.
