“He could probably go all day if I’d let him, but I let him rest a spell every now and then. Nellie’s not too bad, either,” he said.
“Really?”
“She keeps up with him better than most.”
“My pa gave her Tome when I was ten. She was just two then. I guess she’s no youngster either, huh? She’s six.”
“She’ll last you a long time, don’t you worry. Just remember to treat her right.”
“Do you treat John Henry right? I’ve never seen you pet him or anything.”
“He doesn’t need petting. We both know our jobs and we do’em. He knows I’ll feed him and rest him and make sure he’s taken care of, and he takes care of me in return.”
“Nellie needs a lot of affection.”
“Like most women.”
“Have you known a lot of women?”
He stopped chewing for a moment and said, “Some.”
“I’ll bet you’ve known a lot.”
“You better finish your dinner.”
“Am I embarrassing you?”
“No, damn it, I just want to finish eating.”
After a few moments of silence, she asked, “Do you think I’m pretty? I mean, back in town you said I was pretty enough, but do you really think I’m pretty?”
“You’re pretty, Felicia, pretty enough to know it yourself. Don’t go fishing for compliments. It isn’t polite.”
“I guess not, but I think you’re very attractive, and if you wanted to…you know, sleep with me tonight, I’d let you.”
He was sipping his coffee and started to choke on it.
“Jesus Christ, girl, don’t do that to a man when he’s drinking something.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” he said, brushing wet coffee off his shirt front. “What the hell did you want to go and say a thing like that for anyway?”
“I was just telling you it’s all right—”
“You’re only fourteen years old, too young to sleep with anyone, let alone me.”
“You mean you don’t want to?”
“No, I don’t want to,” he said, still annoyed and not realizing that the words might hurt her.
“You don’t think I’m a woman, do you? Well, I’ll show you—”
As she started to unbutton her shirt, he reached over to grab her hands.
“Now sit still and be quiet for a few minutes and we’ll talk about this.”
She pulled her hands away and set them in her lap.
“Now, you know you’re a pretty gal, and I know it, but as for you being a woman, that’s not quite true, is it?”
She didn’t answer.
“You’re real close to being a woman, though. You’ve already filled out enough and you’ll fill out even more in the next couple of years, but don’t be throwing yourself at any man until you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
She still didn’t answer, but he could feel her attitude changing from anger to embarrassment.
“I’m a lot older than you, Felicia. When the time does come, you’ll want to give yourself to someone closer to your own age.”
“You’re not that old.”
“I’m twice your age, and believe me that’s a big difference.”
“All right.”
“All right, what?”
“All right…I’ll wait until I get a little older before I make that offer again.”
Decker thought that over a few seconds and then said, “Well, all right.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“What?” Decker asked warily.
“Why do you carry the hangman’s noose?”
“That was one thing that dime novel of yours didn’t mention, was it?”
“No, but that wasn’t you anyway.”
“Now you believe that?”
She gave him a half smile and said, “Now that I know you better, I can see for myself.”
“Well, that’s good.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“So why do you carry the noose?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions.”
“It’s the only way I can get any answers. Besides, a good newspaper reporter has to know how to ask questions.”
“That’s what you want to be? A reporter?”
“More than anything. When Ma and Pa died of the fever, Grandpa took me in, and I been around the newspaper business ever since. You’re changing the subject.”
“You’re right,” Decker said, reaching for the coffeepot, “I am.”
“Well, if you don’t want to answer, just say so.”
He studied her over his new cup of coffee for a few moments and then asked, “You don’t intend to write this down anywhere, do you?”
She hesitated, and then said, “Not until you tell me I can. I swear it.”
“All right. It’s very simple, really.…”
Chapter XVI
“It happened in Kansas when I was about twenty-one. A woman was killed and I was blamed.”
“Why?”
“Well, I worked for her, doing odd jobs, and she showed an interest in me. She was older than me by about ten years, and married, and I didn’t want to have anything to do with her.”
“Was she pretty?”
“She was beautiful, but that was besides the point. Her husband had hired me to work, and that’s what I wanted to do. Anyway, she got mad at me and told her husband I tried to…touch her, so he fired me.”
That was an oversimplification. Decker and the man had a big fight, during which Decker knocked the man down in front of his wife. Doubly embarrassed, the man fired Decker and never paid him the money he owed him. That was fine with Decker, though. He just wanted to get away from the two of them.
“I was leaving town on foot when the posse rode up and arrested me for killing her.”
Actually, they arrested him for raping her and then killing her.
“But why you?”
“The husband told them I did it.”
“Was there any proof?”
“The case got all the way to court. A judge, eager Tomake a name for himself with a sensational case, convicted me on flimsy evidence.”
