Strip For Violence - Ed Lacy

On the dock I heard people running toward the boat as I picked up the hefty flashlight, stepped in to help Bobo. There wasn't room enough for anything but infighting, slugging each other with short, jolting punches.

Bobo had his head resting on Wilson's shoulder, slugging Lefty's gut, and as I tried to get a clear shot at Wilson's head with the metal flash, Bobo suddenly sent me sprawling with the back of one of his big fists. For a moment I didn't get it... and then I understood: this was his private battle and he didn't want any help.

Keeping the light on them, I got the Luger out of my coat and then untied Laurie, asked her if she was all right, only all I could do was mumble something that didn't sound like anything.

“Hal, stop them—they're killing each other!” Laurie said.

I merely shook my head.

Through the portholes a cloud of frightened, curious faces were watching as Bobo and Wilson pounded each other, grunting like animals. They'd slowed up, but each punch was a vicious blow, with every ounce of strength behind it. As Bobo's fists kept up a steady pounding of his stomach, Wilson shuddered, his hands fell to his sides, and he slowly sank to the floor. A slashing uppercut sent his head bouncing back and he lay against the closet door—out cold—blood streaming from his nose, mouth, and ears. Bobo's face was a bloody, panting, smear as he stared down at Wilson, gasped, “Beat you, you sonofabitch... I beat you... Nine years too late!”

I knew what was running through Bobo's mind, if he'd taken that return match with Wilson and beat him, he would have had all the fame and money the championship brings... instead of hustling for a buck as a guard all these years. At a porthole somebody said, “Better call a cop!” I grabbed Laurie, mumbled, “Tell... them... no!”

“But Hal...?”

I had to claw my jaw open with my fingers to yell, “No!” Motioning for Bobo to tie up Franklin and Lefty, I went up on deck. Maybe it was my face, or the gun in my hand—everybody on the dock scattered. My jaw felt a million painful miles away... but otherwise I felt like singing!

13

Starting the motor, I got the lines off, and with the little crowd of boat-owners peering out from the boathouse at us like we were a crew of loons, I backed the boat out into the East River, headed upstream.

Laurie and Bobo came on deck. She tried to touch my swollen jaw but I backed away. “Hal, where are we going? Why don't we call the police?”

Holding the wheel with one hand, I pointed to my mouth —that I couldn't talk—as I stroked her cheek and winked —trying to tell her everything was okay. I suppose it was lucky I couldn't speak, didn't have to explain the last act of the show I had in mind.

The tide was against us but we got a break—the railroad span at Spuyten was open—one of the round-Manhattan boats was coming through—and the tide was racing down the Hudson. Once I got the boat out in the middle of the river, I gave Laurie the wheel.

I motioned for Bobo to drag Lefty up on the deck. Franklin and I were alone in the cabin. His hands were tied but he wasn't gagged. The knife Lefty had run under Laurie's skirt was still on her bunk and I pretended not to notice it was within reach of Franklin's hands. He still looked a little sickly, watching me as I pulled off my shirt, stripped to the waist. My jaw was so big I couldn't get my T-shirt over my head, had to rip it off. Franklin said, “Darling, you've played this like a fool, but you got one more chance. Let me go, and I'll cut you in for 250 grand—more than the reward—give you all kinds of business and...”

I shook my head.

“Don't be dumb, what you got to lose? I've put in a lot of time and money with this Frisco dough, and the deal is about to pay off. Lot of countries are dollar hungry, willing to pay a bonus for a large bundle of U.S. green. Big people in England, France, Greece—they're anxious to close a deal with me. I'm giving you the chance of a lifetime.”

I slapped my left palm across my right forearm—showing him what he could do with his chance of a lifetime.

“How stupid can you get, Darling? What you worrying about? Afraid you'll get hooked for the murder of that piece whose throat I slit? I can fix that. Get some junkie to take the rap. Why I'll...”

I couldn't take any more of his yapping. Jacking my mouth open with my thumb—the pain making me dizzy—I said, “You'll do this... You'll do that! You... miserable... stinking... punk... who you think you are... God? People don't... don't mean... a damn to you. Kill....”

“People are crap. Human life is one of the cheapest things in the world. Why I...”

“Kill Anita... because she's in your way... stamp out Brody and... and Shelton... hell with their... families. Murder Louise to... to scare... me. Kill... ruin... Hell with a .. a... a person's love... hell with peace.... and decent... living. You think everything in the world... revolves around... a... a... fast buck! You... power-drunk... crazy... just crazy...!”

It was too much talking, I almost blacked out... and I'd need all the strength I had for the next half hour. Besides, why should I bother arguing with Franklin now?

He laughed in my face. “You're comical. Grow up, little man. If people get in my way... Christ, thousands of people die every day. What's the big deal about a life, about living? You're damn right, the fast buck controls everything! How many millionaires go to jail, ever get the hot seat? But poor slobs get the works every minute. I never ran for office but the boys who are elected will run errands for me, shine my shoes if I ask them, do anything I want —because I got the bucks and... money is power. Read the papers—Washington tells the rest of the world do what we say or we cut off the dough. Try to buck me, play it alone, turn me over to the cops... see which one of us goes to the can! You'll never get out of the pen alive, I have guys inside who'll cut your heart out if I...”

I had to fight the desire to shout at him, “You'll never reach the cops or jail!”—give my plan away. Instead I went on deck.

14

It was a little after eight-thirty and we were under the bridge, few minutes from the dock. Calling Bobo over, I found a hunk of paper and a pencil, wrote: “You know how to use a Luger?”

“Yeah. What you stripped for—a cold?”

I gave him the gun, wrote: “Forget what I'm writing, but when we dock and Franklin is off the ship, don't plug him if he makes a run for it. No matter what he does, if you shoot, aim high, miss him. If Lefty gets loose, let him have it but try not to kill him. If the 'Cat' gets loose before we dock, throw a gun on him. But after we dock—let him alone. And remember, forget this. Okay?”

He nodded, his bruised, puffy face puzzled. Tearing the paper up, I threw the pieces in the water. I glanced down in the cabin—the moonlight had been making the knife blade shine like silver... now the bunk was all dark-Franklin had the knife in his lap, was hacking away at the ropes on his hands.

Taking the wheel from Laurie, I headed for the New York shore. Lefty still seemed to be out, and Bobo was standing by the cabin, the Luger in his right hand. It occurred to me we hadn't frisked Franklin—but there wasn't time for that now.

Going past the dock I saw several cars parked at the entrance. Saltz was there ahead of time, but it wouldn't make any difference. Turning the boat around, I slowly came back to the dock, against the current. I was so nervous I banged the hull hard against the dock, damn near knocking us all down. Throwing the clutch out, I grabbed the pier, got a line around a rusty dock stanchion.

I motioned for Bobo to get Franklin out of the cabin, for Laurie to jump on the dock. She said, “Hal, you look so pale, and your face, your poor jaw is...”

I yanked her up on the dock, motioned for her to start walking. The cops had turned on the headlights of a car, lighting up the dock. Some men were walking toward us. I made out a couple of uniform bulls among them. I mumbled “Cops—hurry.”

Laurie ran toward them as Franklin came out of the cabin. He held his hands in front of him, as though still tied... but I knew damn well they weren't. When he stepped on the dock, I nodded at Bobo to stay with Lefty.

Franklin walked ahead of me, the car headlights blinding him for a second. When he saw Saltz and the cops coming toward us, he suddenly whirled around, the rope falling from his hands, the switch blade flashing in the light. Saltz began to sprint toward us.

For a second Franklin stared at me, then started for the side of the dock—he was going to dive into the Hudson, swim for it.

I jumped for his knife hand. It wasn't the right thing to do, but I had other ideas working. “Cat” was even stronger than I suspected, for he shook me like I was a puppy, then clubbed me on the jaw with his free left hand.

The black fog started to settle over me as I fought to keep conscious, all the time working his thumb back. I would have passed out except he was jerking me about so, he shook the black veil from my brain. Time was running out, Saltz was only a few hundred feet away.

I had Franklin's thumb almost out of its socket as he kept punching at me wildly, then the thumb suddenly went loose and he screamed and dropped the knife.

I saw Laurie running to help me—and almost laughed with relief as Saltz grabbed her, pushed her aside. She certainly would have ruined things!

Letting go of Franklin's hand, I grabbed his coat lapels, prayed for a split second he'd put his arms around me. He did—and brought his knee up to my groin as I dug my feet into his stomach—and fell back.

We landed on the dock with a crash, the wooden splinters tearing into my bare back—as I kicked up with both feet. Franklin's big body started to arc over my hand. I slid my hands up to his thick neck and held on with every ounce of strength I had.

His head and neck were still held vertically in my arms... when the rest of his heavy body landed... the weight of his body breaking his neck. There wasn't any sharp sound, but between my hands I felt something in his bull neck give... like a banana breaking... I let go of him, rolled over next to his head. His mouth was open in an agonized gasp and his eyes were half out of his head.

Placing my lips next to his ear, I tried to pry my jaw open as I said—or tried to say—“That's for Anita... and Louise! And... for me. They say curiosity... killed the... cat. Yeah... 'Cat'... it was my curiosity... to see could... snap your... lousy... neck...”

The dock shook under me as Saltz and the cops lumbered up. Turning to look up at him, all I saw was the black sky overhead... black without stars or moon, and it seemed to come down and gently blanket me.

The blackness was lush and soft and felt wonderful. I let it cover me and relaxed, rested. Then I wanted Laurie to share this dark softness with me. I started running through the velvet black, softly calling her name. At times I'd simply lay on the darkness, float along as though it was a lukewarm river.

I floated for great distances, calling for Laurie. Then I started to swim, with strong clean strokes. And the black slowly changed to gray, then to a bright day, and I opened my eyes.

I was in a bed.

Opening my eyes wider, a nurse came into focus, then Laurie's worried face, and even Saltz's ugly puss. We were in a hospital room. Bobo was standing by the window, grinning at me. I tried to smile at Laurie, but could hardly move my lips. My entire face felt numb. I raised my hands and the nurse pushed them back under the covers.

Laurie said, “Oh Hal... Hal!” and began to cry.

I tried to speak. “Where's Franklin?” The words came out pretty good.

“Dead. You broke his neck, you goddamn, strong little shrimp,” Saltz said. “We got there a second...”

“It was self-defense, he went for me with a knife,” I said, talking fast, happy to be able to talk again. “You can't...”

“Relax, you're not charged with anything. I saw him with the knife. But why didn't you tell me this was hooked up with the Frisco job, let me in on it? Playing it alone only...”

“Didn't know till...”

“Stop it, you sent the insurance company a letter two days ago. They been here every hour, waiting to ask...”

“Two

days ago?”

Laurie bent down over me, looking so pretty and smelling all cool and clean. “Darling, this Saturday. You've been out since Thursday night. Your jaw is all wired like an old radio set. Had to pull one of your teeth so they can feed you through a straw. But the doctors say you'll be fine in a few weeks.”

I tried grinning at her but my lips didn't move. Nor could I turn my head—it was in a cast. “Saltz,” I called out, hearing my voice grow weak.

Laurie pulled back and he stuck his hairbrush noggin into view. “Get the killings squared away?” I asked.

“All tied up with a neat ribbon. Miss Shelton gave us an affidavit that Franklin admitted killing Anita Rogers. And Lefty is talking all over himself. And I thought he was tough. Why...”

“Tough. Tough,” I said, feeling angry. “All you hear these days. People worship toughness. Only frightened people are tough, they act tough to forget how scared they are. How about the Frisco deal, did you...?”

“That's in the bag. Franklin acted as a sort of fence and big brain. They've pinched most of the hoods who did the job out on the Coast yesterday, and we're digging through the 'Cat's' bank vaults now for the rest of the dough. Wish you'd told me about that angle—made me look like a sap.”

“You mean a big man like you, a big-league copper can look like a sap?” I asked faintly.

Saltz shook his head, or maybe I was losing focus. “Can't figure you, Darling. But you and the girl and Bobo will get that two hundred grand reward, so I guess you played your cards right You were lucky as hell, but you got the big payoff.”

“The payoff is going to be a lot of sleep and rest, normal, peaceful living. Saltz, only a moron goes for this rough stuff... this slugging and violence. All I want now is to get a good agency going again—me and Bobo. But only guard stuff... the hell with being a bully-boy and crime. Only want a lot of peace... and rest... enjoy... living.”

I felt myself floating off into that gentle darkness again. The light seemed a long ways off and fading.

I heard the nurse say, “No more talking, he's tired.”

Laurie said, “And we'll get a bigger boat... can't raise a family in one room.”

Saltz said, “So it's that way with you and him? Well, with his luck, maybe you'll raise a family of midgets and make a fortune.”

I started to swim back toward the light, get that bastard Saltz, but I heard Laurie bawling him out, saying, “You big, stupid ox, I've a good mind to bang your empty head against the wall—only I don't want to disturb Hal!”

And then Bobo growled something and Saltz said, “Miss Shelton, I swear I didn't mean nothing, merely a corny joke that...”

I thought I heard her laughter as I stopped swimming. And now there was music too; distant, loud, brassy music. Laurie's laughter sounded as soft and inviting as the darkness I was floating on. I sighed. It would be great to have her there when I woke up... all the mornings of my life... and the music... it was growing a little louder, but not too loud.