“What else?”
“And Miss Pendleton.”
Benny glanced into the room where the two men were making the rounds.
Tober went on. “So Fingers calls me, just checking, because he and everybody’s working around the clock on this thing. Pendleton’s out of his mind about his daughter’s not being there and he figures you’re his man.”
“Go on.”
“Why they came here I swear I don’t know. I don’t think I tipped-”
“Forget it. Back, quick!”
The two men, the tall one and the short one, had ambled toward the door. Then they turned and went out through the French windows.
“Tober, you with me?” Benny held the man by both arms and shook him once, hard. “Come upstairs.”
They took the steps two at a time and Benny led the way to the room where Pat was sleeping. They stood by the bed looking at her and she woke up.
“Benny,” she said.
“Listen, Pat, we’ve got to leave, this minute. Your father’s men-”
“Men,” she said, and sat up. “Men, men, men.” There was a smile on her face.
“Pat, for chrissakes, pull yourself together.”
She cocked her head, listening to the music from downstairs. Her arms were out toward Benny and she said, “Let’s float, baby. Let’s.”
He thought he saw two dots on the inside of her arm and he stepped back. His face creased hard. “Pat! Get up. Are you with me?”
She wasn’t. She wanted to dance and she didn’t want to go. Then she lay down on the bed again and eyed Benny. He turned away, holding his lip between his teeth. One hand was punching the palm of the other. Once, twice, three times. Pat was humming a melody.
When Benny turned there was sweat on his forehead. “Tober,” he said, “there’s no other way. She needs one more charge.”
The skinny man shrugged and left the room.
“In the vein,” Benny called after him.
When everything was ready, Benny held her arm and Tober came with the needle.
“Why, Benny,” she said.
“Lie still.”
“But, Benny,” she said, “I don’t want any.” She tried to get up.
He held her down and jerked his head at Tober. Pat lay still. Even when the needle went in she didn’t move. And afterward, lying there, she looked at Benny with wide, blank eyes, looked at him until he thought the blank- ness knew everything. And then she went under. Benny wiped his face.
“How much did you give her, Tober?”
“Enough to keep her under a while. It’s a waste of the stuff, but-”
“You got a gun, Tober?”
“I think so.”
“Get it. I’ll dress her and then we blow.”
The gun was a. 22 target pistol and Benny struggled to get the long thing into his pocket. “Thanks, Tober, thanks for your help.” Benny started to hoist the girl off the bed.
“Benny, wait. Think a second. How do you figure she’s going to act when she comes out?”
Benny let the girl down again.
“I’m sober, Benny. I’m talking sense. How do you figure you’re going to keep her around?”
“Don’t worry about it I got ways.”
“Not with a hophead, you don’t.”
Benny got it then, and downstairs two hoods were prowling the house, maybe upstairs, or near the cars. He bit his lip. “You’ve got to give me enough for another pop, Tober. Enough for a day or so, till I can get out of these parts.”
Tober shook his head; he looked worried. “She hasn’t been eating, you know, and she won’t as long as she’s on the stuff. You trying to starve her to death?”
“I’ll give her less. Just so she stays limp.”
Tober moved his arms in a helpless gesture. “Benny, I’m trying to tell you. That’s not the way it works. You give her less than she’s having and she’ll act just the opposite. She’ll feel like a million and ready to jump from here to the moon and back. You remember, on the stairs. Benny, I mean it, I’m sorry I ever-”
“Come on, Tober. Don’t get weepy. I’ll just have to risk it. I know what she likes, and hopped up she’ll like it even better.”
“You trying to get her hooked, Benny?”
“Hell, no! Just enough for a day or so. By then-How soon is she going to get that way?”
“Depends. Through the vein, maybe two weeks. If she eats it, longer.”
“All right, then, there’s no worry.”
“But don’t forget, it’s faster if you give her enough to knock her out And the waste, Benny, such a waste!”
Benny gave him a mean look and went to the door. He looked down the hall, the stairs, and came back. “Those goons might come around any minute, so let’s get going. Get me just enough for another day or so. You figure it out, Tober. Get going.” He pushed him out of the door.
“The waste!” Tober kept saying. Then Benny waited.
When Tober came back he brought two folded squares of paper. They were no bigger than a match book and had a little bulge in the middle.
“Here’s number one.” Tober handed it over. “Give it to her an hour after she comes around. Longer, if you can. Here’s number two. If you need it, give it to her twenty-four hours later. No sooner! Now remember, this stuff isn’t candy. It’s cut only a little and tastes bitter as hell. Put it in a drink like a Martini, or black coffee with a lot of chicory. If you can find a food that’s bitter, try the stuff on that and maybe she won’t tumble to it. Got that?”
“Sure, Tober, sure. Now what else do I have to know? What’ll she do when it doesn’t knock her out?”
“Whatever she’s been doing, only more so. She’ll be keen like a spring wound tight. If she doesn’t like you, watch out. If she likes you, watch out. Any way you look at it, take it easy with her when she’s charged. If you say boo she won’t turn, she’ll twirl. If you pinch her she won’t slap you, she’ll tear your head off. Anyway, it’s something like that. I kept the dose small, so maybe you’ll be all right. If you keep her swimming your way, you should do all right. Just watch she doesn’t turn the opposite direction. And Benny, if you don’t have to use it-”
“Sure, Tober. I’ll send the stuff back to you.”
Tober shook his head. “I didn’t mean that.” He looked down, rubbing his nose. “Besides, I’m getting off the junk.”
“Sure, Tober.” Benny turned to the bed.
“No, Benny, I mean it. I’m shaking that monkey. When my batch is gone, that’s it No more.”
“Stop clowning, Tober. Nobody takes the cold turkey on his own.”
But Tober wasn’t clowning. He sat down by the door and watched Benny gather up the girl. “I’ve tried everything else, kid.” His voice was a whisper. “There’s a place I’m going to. It’s all arranged.” Benny was coming toward the door. He had the gun in one hand and Pat was hanging over his shoulder.
“Wish me luck, kid?” Tober said.
“Take a look out the door. Careful.”
Tober looked, then nodded.
“Now go down the stairs and look around in the hall. Then come back.”
Tober had barely turned the corner to the staircase when Benny made a dash for the door opposite. Tober’s room.
In spite of the awkward weight he was carrying, Benny moved like a cat. In the bathroom he pulled open the door to the medicine chest, felt around with one hand, and came up with a metal box. There was a syringe in there, extra needles, a spoon, and a tin of canned heat. The rest of the space was filled with the little white envelopes. He grabbed them up in two handfuls and stuffed his pocket He turned, hesitated. His hand went into his pocket once
