Part 34 (1/2)
”He did did.”
”No. No, he didn't, girl. He did the best he could, but there's more than two sides to cover. Tell me, that tiny little writing, would you recognize it?”
”You mean, would I know it was from Albie? Of course I would. And if you look close, you'd see it was torn right out of his book. And his tallit tallit-you know how old that must be? How many places it must have been?”
”All I know is, you have to give it up.”
”Give it up?”
”All of it.”
”Sugar, you're scaring me.”
”You never got mail at that house, right?”
”Of course not. There was a box in-”
”And, like you said, the bills got paid by themselves, from this computer thing.”
”So?”
”So how's anyone gonna know Albie's dead? It's not like it would be a news story or anything. Maybe they had some signal you don't know about, but-”
”Who's 'they'?”
”The men who visited Albie.”
”Oh. Well, if they did, I can't see what it could be. I mean, we had no phone, just the cell. I've got Albie's cell. It hasn't rung once since he-”
”Okay, when these men would show up, did Albie ever tell you they were coming?”
”He...no. No, he never did. I don't think he knew himself. We'd just be, I don't know, sitting in the living room, having tea, and they'd just...be there. The first time it happened, I thought they were robbers or something-I was so scared they'd hurt Albie.” there. The first time it happened, I thought they were robbers or something-I was so scared they'd hurt Albie.”
”Good. That means we got a shot. Solly knows Albie's gone, but he wouldn't pa.s.s that info along until he was sure he was covered. That's what he was using me for, see?
”The window's wide open, Lynda. But it could drop closed any minute. If it drops before we get all that stuff back inside, it'll be like one of those guillotine things, chop off our heads like this this,” I told her, snapping my fingers.
”You want to leave Albie's things back there? Albie left them to me!” me!”
”What he left you was protection protection. Only, you're not using it.”
”What are you saying?”
”I'm saying, Albie, he didn't leave you f.u.c.king keepsakes keepsakes, okay? What he left you was tools. And you've gotta use use them, not hang on to them.” them, not hang on to them.”
”I'm not giving up my-”
”You don't have to, Lynda. Just give me Albie's blue book. I'll drive you back to your condo, and then I'll go back to where I came from.”
”Sugar...”
”I came down here for two things. I was supposed to check out this Jessop and get that little book. I have to tell Solly I got all that done if I want to get close to him again.”
”What's that got to do with anything? You can have have the little book, all right?” the little book, all right?”
”If that's the way you want it.”
”What I want want is what you said. We were going back to New York just long enough for you to show Solly you got the job done. That's 'we,' as in is what you said. We were going back to New York just long enough for you to show Solly you got the job done. That's 'we,' as in both both of us. Why can't we still do that?” of us. Why can't we still do that?”
”Because I have to get back into that house, Lynda. I have to leave Albie's stuff right where we found it. That's the only way those men who come to see him will ever understand what happened.”
”You're losing me, Sugar.”
I probably am, I thought. But what I said was, ”You already said it. Those hard men, they're going to come, sooner or later. They won't find Albie. Or you. What could they do then except except call Solly? call Solly?
”First thing out of his mouth, he's gonna tell them about that partners desk. If we don't get that stuff back where Albie had it stashed, they'll find an empty s.p.a.ce.”
”But if-”
”You're wasting time, Lynda. And we don't have much. You know what Solly's gonna say was supposed to be in that desk? Come on. What What?”
”Albie's book,” she said. She bit her lower lip to stop herself from crying.
”Yeah. And when they find that slot empty, they'll naturally think you you cleaned it out and took off. They cleaned it out and took off. They want want that book, girl. People like them, you think they won't be able to find you just because you got some nice new ID?” that book, girl. People like them, you think they won't be able to find you just because you got some nice new ID?”
She was quiet for a second. When she opened her mouth, I could see a drop of blood on her lower lip. She must have bit down real hard.
”What if they're already there, Sugar? At the house. Waiting.”
”You said they always come at night, right? We've still got plenty of daylight left.”
”Not that that much. And what if-?” much. And what if-?”
”If they're waiting, then I'm the one they grab. But so what? I'll have what Albie left you. I'll tell them you paid me to sneak in and put it back.
”Whether they'll buy it, who knows? But they'll know I I didn't write that note. The way I've got it worked out, no way you come into it. Ever.” didn't write that note. The way I've got it worked out, no way you come into it. Ever.”
”It'd never work.”
”It'd work perfect perfect. They'd pound on me, just to make sure they got all the juice out of the orange. When I've taken enough to convince them, I'll tell them the whole truth.”
”The...what?”
”The truth. Solly sent me. To get Albie's book. And I did that. They'll see that for themselves. Solly told me to get that book no matter what what I had to do. I had to do.
”Get it? Me, I had to hurt you pretty bad to make you talk. Solly was on the phone all the time I was doing it-he could hear everything. When you finally told me where to find Albie's book, Solly told me, make sure I don't leave anything behind.
”So I killed you. Then I ran out and mailed Albie's book to Solly. Only reason I went back in was to wipe the place down, make sure there wasn't anything there that could trace back to me. That's why I had the prayer bag on me. Only, Albie's note, it's going to be inside inside the bag, get it?” the bag, get it?”