corner of the hall, wrapped in a shadow and smoking a cigarette. As the smoke was inhaled, the corner was illuminated.
‘Whuss happin’, Paco?’ I asked the Puerto Rican.
‘I theen’ you know whuss happnin’,’ he said slowly.
‘No, I don’, bruthuh. Thass whut I’m askin’ you. You know I don’t go through no bullshit thing, right?’ I stopped about five feet from him. He remained in the corner dragging on the weed. I removed my gloves and slid them into my coat pocket along with the sunglasses. I pulled out a cigarette and in so doing made sure that my coat was unbuttoned and would not restrain my arms.
‘Seedy iz dead, man. You know that?’ Paco asked me.
‘Yeah, I jus’ heard. Thass a shame. You got any ideas?’
‘One.’ Paco grinned. ‘Yo’ amigo John Lee.’
‘Why you think that?’ I quizzed.
Paco shook his head, and a small smile took over his face. He was convinced that I was playing a game with him.
‘If I gotta tell you, man, I will. John an’ Seedy in the same job, an’ if Seedy ain’ in the job, then John get alla business. Izzit right, o’ what?’
‘Whuss John gotta say?’ I asked.
‘He ain’ in here,’ Paco said. ‘He be here soon or late, but he gon’ be here. You see what I mean?’
‘I see yo’ point. But how you know John did it? How cum somebody else didn’t do it?’
‘I know he is the one,’ Paco flashed. ‘He could win mos’!’
‘There ain’ nuthin’ I can say, huh?’
Paco giggled and tossed his cigarette down. I tossed mine down too.
‘You can say adios to John Lee.’ He giggled. I could see now that he was high. He scratched the side of his face softly, and his head swung out of the corner darkness. His eyes were half-closed, and his teeth were bared.
‘John ain’ goin’ nowhere, Paco. You are. You leavin’ here, an’ if I ever hear about yo’ hangin’ out near this place, I’ll kill you.’ I was moving in on him. All at once I realized thatPaco was not the real danger. His eyes opened at the sight of something behind me, and I had only a second to duck as Jessie’s arm swung by neck-high. I caught the startled P.R. near the elbow and turned it until I heard the straight-edge clatter to the floor. I hiked the arm another notch and was satisfied by the bone-cracking snap that answered me. Rushing up from the lower landing, I heard the hurried stumbling of Slothead, so I reversed my position and flipped Jessie back down the flight, where the sounds told me he had met his bald brother head-on. There was a collision, and I heard them tumble back to the landing below.
I turned around and stooped for the razor, but it was gone. Paco had it clutched tightly in his left hand. His high had evidently deserted him as he scanned the darkness for an angle on my body. I backed up a couple of paces and lowered my arms, allowing the heavy coat to drop to the floor.
‘I’m gonna kill you, Paco,’ I breathed. ‘I’m gonna grab you by you’ neck and choke you till the blood comes through your teeth, an’ then I’m gonna drag you to the Man an’ swear you committed suicide.’ I was almost screaming, and the echo of my shouts came back at us again and again.
‘D’you hear me, Paco? I’m gon’ kill you!’
He was standing there unsure of what his next move should be. Sweat materialized over his top lip. I blocked his exit to the stairs, and I didn’t know if I was glad of that or not. Any man is dangerous when he’s in a corner. I knew just how good Paco was with a razor, too. I had seen the chicken fights in the park on 17th Street. Paco was seldom beaten, but I wasn’t bluffing at all. I had every intention of taking the razor and choking the scrawny bastard until life was only a memory.
Without the slightest warning, however, the door behind the Puerto Rican opened, and John’s father was standingthere with a .45 pressed against the base of my enemy’s skull. Paco dropped the razor and waited for instructions. The
‘Whuss happin’, Paco?’ I asked the Puerto Rican.
‘I theen’ you know whuss happnin’,’ he said slowly.
‘No, I don’, bruthuh. Thass whut I’m askin’ you. You know I don’t go through no bullshit thing, right?’ I stopped about five feet from him. He remained in the corner dragging on the weed. I removed my gloves and slid them into my coat pocket along with the sunglasses. I pulled out a cigarette and in so doing made sure that my coat was unbuttoned and would not restrain my arms.
‘Seedy iz dead, man. You know that?’ Paco asked me.
‘Yeah, I jus’ heard. Thass a shame. You got any ideas?’
‘One.’ Paco grinned. ‘Yo’ amigo John Lee.’
‘Why you think that?’ I quizzed.
Paco shook his head, and a small smile took over his face. He was convinced that I was playing a game with him.
‘If I gotta tell you, man, I will. John an’ Seedy in the same job, an’ if Seedy ain’ in the job, then John get alla business. Izzit right, o’ what?’
‘Whuss John gotta say?’ I asked.
‘He ain’ in here,’ Paco said. ‘He be here soon or late, but he gon’ be here. You see what I mean?’
‘I see yo’ point. But how you know John did it? How cum somebody else didn’t do it?’
‘I know he is the one,’ Paco flashed. ‘He could win mos’!’
‘There ain’ nuthin’ I can say, huh?’
Paco giggled and tossed his cigarette down. I tossed mine down too.
‘You can say adios to John Lee.’ He giggled. I could see now that he was high. He scratched the side of his face softly, and his head swung out of the corner darkness. His eyes were half-closed, and his teeth were bared.
‘John ain’ goin’ nowhere, Paco. You are. You leavin’ here, an’ if I ever hear about yo’ hangin’ out near this place, I’ll kill you.’ I was moving in on him. All at once I realized thatPaco was not the real danger. His eyes opened at the sight of something behind me, and I had only a second to duck as Jessie’s arm swung by neck-high. I caught the startled P.R. near the elbow and turned it until I heard the straight-edge clatter to the floor. I hiked the arm another notch and was satisfied by the bone-cracking snap that answered me. Rushing up from the lower landing, I heard the hurried stumbling of Slothead, so I reversed my position and flipped Jessie back down the flight, where the sounds told me he had met his bald brother head-on. There was a collision, and I heard them tumble back to the landing below.
I turned around and stooped for the razor, but it was gone. Paco had it clutched tightly in his left hand. His high had evidently deserted him as he scanned the darkness for an angle on my body. I backed up a couple of paces and lowered my arms, allowing the heavy coat to drop to the floor.
‘I’m gonna kill you, Paco,’ I breathed. ‘I’m gonna grab you by you’ neck and choke you till the blood comes through your teeth, an’ then I’m gonna drag you to the Man an’ swear you committed suicide.’ I was almost screaming, and the echo of my shouts came back at us again and again.
‘D’you hear me, Paco? I’m gon’ kill you!’
He was standing there unsure of what his next move should be. Sweat materialized over his top lip. I blocked his exit to the stairs, and I didn’t know if I was glad of that or not. Any man is dangerous when he’s in a corner. I knew just how good Paco was with a razor, too. I had seen the chicken fights in the park on 17th Street. Paco was seldom beaten, but I wasn’t bluffing at all. I had every intention of taking the razor and choking the scrawny bastard until life was only a memory.
Without the slightest warning, however, the door behind the Puerto Rican opened, and John’s father was standingthere with a .45 pressed against the base of my enemy’s skull. Paco dropped the razor and waited for instructions. The
Similar Books
