Vol Ii Part 14 (2/2)
She looked at me oddly. ”You're asking me. You, a man, asking a woman?”
I colored a little. ”I told you not to worry your head with it. I'll figure something out.”
She lay back on her cot. I smoked a cigarette. I was lighting a second from it when she said, ”Enos?”
”Yes?”
”If anything happened to Sam what would happen to the business?”
”I'd get his share. It's not an unusual partners.h.i.+p arrangement.”
”Well, you didn't hesitate when that cat was coming after you this afternoon, did you?”
I went cold under the muggy sweat on my body. ”You mean kill Sam.”
”You've killed before, haven't you?”
”That was war.”
”This is too. What's the difference? A stranger with a yellow skin is out to kill you in a jungle. You kill him first. Everybody says wonderful, good guy, well done. Now a man is hunting you in a jungle of sorts-and with dirty weapons. You owe it to both of us to protect yourself.”
”The difference is in a little thing called the law, Doreen.”
She threw back her head and laughed, raised on her elbows and sat looking at me until I glanced away.
Then she turned on her side away from me. ”I really thought I'd married a man with guts, Enos.” She sounded genuinely hurt, disappointed. And I'd been afraid of how she would react to the news that I'd embezzled some money.
I turned in, but I didn't sleep. I lay there listening to the swamp, aware of her an arm's length away.
Finally I said, ”How would you go about it?”
”How'd you know I wasn't asleep, Enos?”
”I could tell. I asked you a question.”
”Well, I'd do it with witnesses. Then I'd call the law, hand over the gun, and stand trial. That way, when you walk out of the courtroom, a free man, there can never be any kickbacks.”
”Just like that, huh? I'm going to confess to a murder and get off scot free?”
She sat up and turned to face me. Her face had changed. It was as if the angles and bones had s.h.i.+fted to form new shadows. She laughed, soft and low.
”'Who said anything about murder, Enos? You know your people here in south Georgia. You know their code, the way they live, their outlook. Do you think a jury of such men will condemn another man for protecting the sanct.i.ty of his home?”
I wanted to tell her to stop talking right now. I didn't want to think about killing Sam. He was a hard, greedy cookie without much mercy in his makeup, but he ... Well, he had me in a corner.
He would use any weapon at hand. He'd proved that.
I'd worked hard. My part of the business was worth plenty. Sam was a swine, grabbing his chance to take it all.
It was really his fault. He was leaving me no out. He knew I wouldn't face prison.
He'd asked for it....
He wasn't in the office the day I got back to Mulberry. It was four o'clock before he came in. I heard him in the outer office talking to Miss Sims, our secretary, and then the door of our private office opened to admit him.
”h.e.l.lo, Enos. Sims said you were back.”
He was a big, florid, meaty man. Meaty lips, hands, nose. His brows and hair were pale red. Sims had said he'd been out to the turpentine fields all day inspecting a new lease.
”How does the lease look?” I asked.
He gave me a smug grin. ”You think the lease really concerns you, Enos?”
I studied his face. All I could see was a man gloating. ”I'd hoped you'd softened your att.i.tude, Sam.”
His laugh was his reply.
”You know I can make that few thousand up in a matter of weeks, Sam. We've been in business ... ”
”And business is business, Enos.” A sneer came into his eyes. ”You should have thought of that. I needed a partner when we started this company.”
”And you don't now?”
”Not a stinking crook. No, I don't need that kind of partner.” He sat down behind his desk. ”What'll it be, Enos? Sign the papers? Or go to jail?”
”I don't hanker to be locked up, Sam.”
”No,” he said acidly. ”I was sure you wouldn't. You're too great a lover of life for that, too much the gladhanded popularity guy.”
It struck me that he hated me, had always hated me. To him, in this case, business was going to be a pleasure.
”I'll make one last appeal, Sam ... ”
”Save it. I've said all I'm going to.”
”But I'll say it anyhow. You know what my portion of the company is worth. Many times the few thousand I borrowed ... ”
”Stole, Enos, that's the word.”
I drew in a breath while he sat and watched me and enjoyed himself.
”Well,” I said. ”Surely you could pay a few thousand more ... ”
”You've had every dime you're going to get for your share, Enos. That's it. Now make up your mind. We either have the papers signed before noon tomorrow or I'm swearing out a warrant.”
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