Part 48 (2/2)
”No, sorry. We're all sold out.”
The girl sat still in the armchair, looking at him. Didn't even smile.
”No, but seriously,” Tommy said. ”I mean, what?”
”You'll get this money... if I get some blood.”
”I don't have any.”
”Yes, you do.”
”No.”
”Yes.”
Tommy suddenly got it.
What the h.e.l.l.. .
”Are you ... serious?”
The girl pointed at the bills.
”It's not dangerous.”
”But... what... how?”
The girl stuck her hand into the kit, fished something out. A small, white, square bit of plastic. Shook it. It rattled a little. Now Tommy saw what it was. A packet of razor blades. She put it into her lap, took out something else. A skin-colored rectangle. A large Band-Aid.
This is ridiculous.
”No, cut it out now. Don't you understand that... I could just take that money from you, you know. Put it in my pocket and say, What? Three thousand? Haven't seen it. It's a lot lot of money, don't you realize that? of money, don't you realize that?
Where did you get it from?”
The girl shut her eyes, sighed. When she opened them again she didn't look as friendly.
”Do you want to or not?”
She means it. She really means it. No ... no . ..
”What, are you, like, going to ... swish, and then ...” The girl nodded, eagerly.
Swish? Wait a minute. Wait Wait a little now... what was it... pigs ... He frowned. The thought bounced around inside his head like a rubber ball thrown hard inside a room, trying to find a resting place, to stop. And it stopped. He remembered something. Gaped. Looked her in the eyes. a little now... what was it... pigs ... He frowned. The thought bounced around inside his head like a rubber ball thrown hard inside a room, trying to find a resting place, to stop. And it stopped. He remembered something. Gaped. Looked her in the eyes.
”... no ...”
”Yes.”
”This is some kind of joke, isn't it? You know what? Go. I want you to leave.”
”I have an illness. I need blood. You can have more money if you want.” She dug around in the kit and took out two more thousand kronor notes, put them on the floor. Five thousand. ”Please.”
The murderer. Vallingby. His throat slit. But what the h.e.l.l. . . this girl . .
”What do you need it for ... what the h.e.l.l... you're just a kid, you ...”
”Are you scared?”
”No, I can always ... are you you scared?” scared?”
”Yes.”
”Of what?”
”Of you saying no.”
”But I am am saying no. This is completely . . . come off it. Go home.” The girl sat still in the chair, thinking. Then she nodded, got up, and picked the money up off the floor, put it back in the makeup kit. Tommy looked at the spot where it had been. Five. Thousand. A clink as the latch was lifted. Tommy turned over on his back. saying no. This is completely . . . come off it. Go home.” The girl sat still in the chair, thinking. Then she nodded, got up, and picked the money up off the floor, put it back in the makeup kit. Tommy looked at the spot where it had been. Five. Thousand. A clink as the latch was lifted. Tommy turned over on his back.
”But... what... are you planning to slit my throat?”
”No, on the inside of your elbow. Only a little.”
”But what will you do with it?”
”Drink it.”
”Now?”
”Yes.”
Tommy's mind turned inward and he saw that chart of the circulatory system projected over his skin like an overhead transparency. Felt, maybe for the first time in his life, that he had a circulatory system. Not just isolated points, wounds where one or more drops came out, but a large pumping tree of veins filled with ... how much was it?... four or five liters of blood.
”What kind of illness illness is it?” is it?”
The girl didn't say anything, just stood there at the door with the latch in her hand, studying him, and then the lines of veins and arteries of his body, the chart, suddenly took on the character of a ... butcher's chart. He pushed the thought away, and thought instead: Become a blood Become a blood donor. Twenty-five even and a cheese sandwich. donor. Twenty-five even and a cheese sandwich. Then he thought: Then he thought: ”So give me the money.”
The girl unzipped the case, took out the bills again.
”How about if I give you ... three now. And two after?”
”Yeah, sure. But I could just... jump you and take the money anyway, don't you understand that?”
”No. You couldn't.”
She held the three thousand out to him, between index and middle finger. He held each one of them up to the light, checking to make sure that they were genuine. Rolled them into a cylinder that he clenched his left hand around.
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