Part 16 (1/2)
The f.u.c.king key wasn't in the ignition! Lundy had it. No, or it was on the floor ... or on the dash ... or on the sun visor. Somewhere!
”Frank?”
Renda came out slowly, turning a little to look over the top of the open door.
Majestyk was standing on the front steps of the house, the shotgun cradled in the crook of his left arm.
”You hear it?” Majestyk said.
Renda turned a little more, keeping the car door in front of him. He could hear it now, the faint sound of a police siren.
Majestyk waited.
Behind the door, below the window ledge, Renda s.h.i.+fted the .45 automatic in his left hand. He knew he could do it, hit the guy before he moved. Farmboy standing there not knowing it was over. He said, ”You want to think about it?”
Majestyk shook his head. ”Last chance, Frank.”
Renda brought up the .45 automatic, at arm's length out past the edge of the door and fired, trying to aim now as he fired again.
Majestyk swung the shotgun on him and blew out the window in the door, watched Renda stagger out from behind it, still holding the .45 extended, and shot him again, the 12-gauge charge slamming Renda against the side of the car and taking out the rear-door window. Renda went down to his knees, hung there a moment and fell face-down.
Majestyk was sitting on the front steps with the shotgun across his knees. He watched the three squad cars come barreling in through the trees, watched them pull to nose-diving stops and the doors swing open and the deputies come piling out with riot guns and drawn revolvers. They stopped when they saw him and stood there looking around. Lieutenant McAllen walked over.
”You were right,” Majestyk said. ”That man was trying to kill me.”
McAllen looked at him. He didn't say anything. He kept going and walked over to where Renda was lying, stooped down and felt his throat for a pulse. He looked over at Majestyk again.
But Majestyk was walking away, over toward the pickup that had come in behind the squad cars, where the girl was standing.
McAllen watched him put his hand on the girl's shoulder as he opened the door and heard him say, ”We'll get us a couple of six-packs on the way home. Right?” And he heard the girl say, ”Right.” He watched Majestyk's hand slide down to the girl's can as she climbed into the cab and heard her say, ”Hey, watch it!” He didn't hear what Majestyk said to her as he slammed the door, but he heard the girl's laughter.
Then Majestyk was walking around the pickup to the driver's side. He looked over and gave McAllen a little wave.
McAllen didn't wave back or say a word. He heard the girl laugh again and watched the pickup drive off through the trees.
The Extras
I.ALL BY ELMORE: THE CRIME NOVELS; THE WESTERNS.
II.SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY.
III.IF IT SOUNDS LIKE WRITING, REWRITE IT.
V.MARTIN AMIS INTERVIEWS ”THE d.i.c.kENS OF DETROIT”
This section was prepared by the editorial staff of PerfectBound e-books, who thank Mr. Gregg Sutter Mr. Gregg Sutter, Elmore Leonard's longtime researcher and aide-de-camp, for his unstinting support and help in the a.s.sembling of this material.
Further riches await the reader at the website that Mr. Sutter maintains, , and in ”The Extras” sections of other PerfectBound editions of Elmore Leonard's novels (”All by Elmore” and ”Selected Filmography” come standard in each e-book).
All by Elmore
The Crime Novels The Big Bounce (1969); (1969); Mr. Majestyk Mr. Majestyk (1974); (1974); 52 Pickup 52 Pickup (1974); (1974); Swag Swag* (1976); Unknown Man #89 Unknown Man #89 (1977); (1977); The Hunted The Hunted (1977); (1977); The Switch The Switch (1978); (1978); City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit (1980); (1980); Gold Coast Gold Coast (1980); (1980); Split Images Split Images (1981); (1981); Cat Chaser Cat Chaser (1982); (1982); Stick Stick (1983); (1983); LaBrava LaBrava (1983); (1983); Glitz Glitz (1985); (1985); Bandits Bandits (1987); (1987); Touch Touch (1987); (1987); Freaky Deaky Freaky Deaky (1988); (1988); Killshot Killshot(1989); Get Shorty Get Shorty (1990); (1990); Maximum Bob Maximum Bob (1991); (1991); Rum Punch Rum Punch (1992); (1992); p.r.o.nto p.r.o.nto (1993); (1993); Riding the Rap Riding the Rap(1995); Out of Sight Out of Sight (1996); (1996); Be Cool Be Cool (1999); (1999); Pagan Babies Pagan Babies (2000); (2000); ”Fire in the Hole” ”Fire in the Hole”* (e-book original story, 2001); Tishomingo Blues Tishomingo Blues (2002); (2002); When the Women Come Out to Dance: Stories When the Women Come Out to Dance: Stories (2002). (2002).
The Westerns The Bounty Hunters* (1953); The Law at Randado The Law at Randado* (1954); Escape from Five Shadows Escape from Five Shadows* (1956); Last Stand at Saber River Last Stand at Saber River* (1959); Hombre Hombre* (1961); The Moons.h.i.+ne War The Moons.h.i.+ne War* (1969); Valdez Is Coming Valdez Is Coming* (1970); Forty Lashes Less One Forty Lashes Less One* (1972); Gunsights Gunsights* (1979) Cuba Libre Cuba Libre (1998); (1998); The Tonto Woman and Other Western Stories The Tonto Woman and Other Western Stories* (1998).
As of November 2002: Unless otherwise indicated (*), all t.i.tles are available from PerfectBound e-books. All t.i.tles are available in print form in dazzling new editions by HarperTorch paperbacks, with the exception of: Unless otherwise indicated (*), all t.i.tles are available from PerfectBound e-books. All t.i.tles are available in print form in dazzling new editions by HarperTorch paperbacks, with the exception of: The Moons.h.i.+ne War The Moons.h.i.+ne War (1969); (1969); Swag Swag (1976); ”Fire in the Hole” (2001). ”Fire in the Hole” is available within PerfectBound e-book and William Morrow hardcover editions of (1976); ”Fire in the Hole” (2001). ”Fire in the Hole” is available within PerfectBound e-book and William Morrow hardcover editions of When the Women Come Out to Dance When the Women Come Out to Dance (2002). (2002).
The Crime Novels The Big Bounce(1969) Jack Ryan always wanted to play pro ball. But he couldn't hit a curveball, so he turned his attention to less legal pursuits. A tough guy who likes walking the razor's edge, he's just met his match - and more - in Nancy. She's a rich man's plaything, seriously into thrills and risk, and together she and Jack are pure heat ready to explode. But when simple housebreaking and burglary give way to the deadly pursuit of a really really big score, the stakes suddenly skyrocket. Because violence and double-cross are the name of this game - and it's going to take every ounce of cunning Jack and Nancy possess to survive ... each other. big score, the stakes suddenly skyrocket. Because violence and double-cross are the name of this game - and it's going to take every ounce of cunning Jack and Nancy possess to survive ... each other.
Houston Chronicle: ”[Leonard is] a sage poet of crime.”
From the novel: She was facing him now, her cold look gone and smiling a little. Of course it's loaded.
”You going to shoot something?”
”We could. Windows are good.”
”So you brought a gun to shoot at windows.”
”And boats. Boats are fun.”
”I imagine they would be. How about cars?”
”I didn't think about cars.” She seemed pleasantly surprised. ”Isn't that funny?
”Yeah that is funny.”
”There's a difference,” Ryan said, ”between breaking and entering and armed robbery.”
”And there's a difference between seventy-eight dollars and fifty thousand dollars.”
Nancy said, ”How badly do you want it?”
Mr. Majestyk(1974) Vincent Majestyk saw too much death in the jungles of Southeast Asia. All he wants to do now is farm his melons and forget. But peace can be an elusive commodity, even in the Arizona hinterlands - and especially when the local mob is calling all the shots. And one quiet, proud man's refusal to be strong-armed by a powerful hood is about to start a violent chain reaction that will leave Mr. Majestyk ruined, in shackles, and without a friend in the world - except for one tough and beautiful woman. But his tormentors never realized something about their mark: This is not his first war. Vince Majestyk knows more than they'll ever know about survival ... and everything about revenge.
Bergen Record: ”First rate ... an excellent thriller ... well-plotted and smoothly written and crackles with suspense.”
From the novel: Majestyk was running across the open scrub, weaving through the dusty brush clumps, by the time Renda got out of the car and began firing at him with the automatic, both hands extended in the handcuffs. Majestyk kept running. Renda jumped across the ditch, got to the fence, and laid the .45 on the top of a post, aimed, and squeezed the trigger three times, but the figure out in the scrub was too small now and it would have to be a lucky shot to bring him down. He fired once more and the automatic clicked empty.
Seventy, eighty yards away, Majestyk finally came to a stop, worn out, getting his breath. He turned to look at the man standing by the fence post and, for a while, they stared at one another, each knowing who the other man was and what he felt and not having to say anything. Renda crossed the ditch to the Jag and Majestyk watched it drive away.