himself to be gypped out of forty thousand dollars without settling the score.
I was hooked, and I knew it, and I cursed myself. I lay on the bed in the half light and
sweated it out, and the hands of the clock crawled on and on. I couldn’t make up my mind
what I was going to do. I was still at it when Roche put his head around my door.
“Seven-thirty, Johnny; time to be up and doing. Are you okay?”
26
I got off the bed. “I guess so. Will I get a taxi?”
“I’ll drive you there myself. I’m just going to have a wash. I’ll be ready in five minutes.”
“Fine.”
I splashed water on my face, combed my hair and then put on the clothes Brant had
brought. They fitted me all right, but I didn’t get a kick out of them. If my own clothes hadn’t
been so shabby I wouldn’t have worn this outfit. A tap came on the door, and Alice looked in.
“Why, Johnny, how smart you look.”
“I guess that’s right.”
I wondered what she would have said if she knew the price I was paying for this rig-out.
“Tom’s getting the car. Good luck, Johnny.”
“Thanks. I’m glad you won’t be there.”
“Tom wanted me to go, but I don’t like fights. I’ll have my fingers crossed for you.”
“You do that. Well, so long. Thanks for all you’ve done.”
“But you’ll be coming back, won’t you?”
Would I? I wished I knew.
“Why, sure, but thanks all the same.”
“Put this in your pocket. It’s brought me luck, and I want it to bring you luck, too.”
I looked at the sliver medallion she placed in my hand. It showed the head of some saint,
and I looked at her, surprised.
“Thanks, Alice, but maybe I’d better not have it. I might lose it.”
“Put it in your pocket and forget about it. It’ll bring you luck.”
And that’s what I did. I put it in my pocket and forgot about it. As I ran down the steps to
the street, Petelli’s big Cadillac pulled up. Benno was at the wheel, and Brant was sitting at
the back.
“Thought we’d pick you up,” Brant said, leaning out of the window. “Feeling okay?”
27
“Yeah. I’m driving up in Roche’s car.”
“You’re driving up in this one,” Pepi snarled, coming up behind me. “We’re not losing
sight of you until the fight’s over.”
Roche hadn’t appeared. There was no point in making trouble.
“Tell Tom I’ve gone with the boys,” I called to Alice, who was watching from the cafe
door.
I got in beside Brant. We drove rapidly through the deserted streets. Practically the whole
of Pelotta’s population had turned out for the fight. As we neared the blazing lights of the
stadium, Pepi said without looking round, “The third, Farrar, or it’s curtains.”
“Save your breath,” I said. “I heard it the first time.”
We drove up the broad concrete drive-in. It was already packed with cars, but Benno
weaved his way through without reducing speed.
Brant said in an undertone, “As soon as it’s over I’ll have the dough for you in cash. The
car’s parked at the back. It’s full of petrol and rearing to go. Okay?”
I grunted.
Benno swung the Cadillac into the vast parking-lot, and we all got out. We walked quickly
across the tarmac to a side door. As Pepi pushed it open, a blast of hot, sweat-stinking air
came out to meet us.
