Part 28 (1/2)

”Go ahead, George, don't be bashful.”

”Well, you wouldn't want to just walk away, forget the whole thing?”

”Oh my,” Jiggs said, ”I thought you were listening. What were you doing there, George, having dirty thoughts while I'm telling you my story?”

”I want to be sure I have it straight,” Moran said. ”You're saying if we don't give you the money you're gonna kill both of us. It's that simple, right? It might not be right now-”

”Probably wouldn't be,” Jiggs said.

”But it could be anytime.”

”I'm patient up to a point.”

”Okay, that's all I wanted to know,” Moran said. He reached over and picked up the phone.

Jiggs watched him.

Moran said, ”Jerry, call the cops.” He hung up.

Jiggs said, ”George, am I hearing things? What're you gonna tell 'em. Some bulls.h.i.+t about I threatened you? I say I didn't, it's my word against 357.

yours, George, you know that.” Jiggs seemed tired and a little upset. ”There's nothing you can give the cops they can put on me.”

Moran took his time. He said, ”I didn't call them for you.”

There was a pause. He saw Jiggs on the edge, motionless, between knowing and not believing.

Moran brought Nolen's .45 out of the drawer close in front of him and had time to rest the b.u.t.t on the counter, the barrel pointed at Jiggs's striped tie. He saw Jiggs's right hand come up, clearing the edge of the counter with Smith and couldn't wait any longer than that. He pressed and pulled the trigger and saw Jiggs blown from the stool, saw his expression in that moment, mouth opening, and the next moment saw him lying on the vinyl floor, head pressed against the base of the sofa. He saw the seersucker turning red, saw the hand holding the gun move and shot him again, the first explosions still ringing in his ears. Within moments he heard the door bang open, Nolen and Mary in the room and saw their eyes, a glimpse of the look in their eyes; but his attention was on Jiggs as he came around from behind the counter with the .45 leveled, pointed at a down angle, a thought coming into his mind that he might or might not tell Mary about someday: thinking as he saw the blood he was glad he had not had the tile floor carpeted.

He went to one knee, picked up Jiggs's gla.s.ses from the floor and carefully placed them on him, pus.h.i.+ng the bridge up on his nose, looking at Jiggs's eyes staring at him, not yet sightless but lost beyond bewilderment. His mouth moving soundless.

What was there to say? Moran stood up.

He heard a voice say ”Jesus” that sounded like Nolen and heard Mary close to him say ”Moran?” Not sure now when she used his first name and when she used it last, if it depended on her mood or if it mattered. He felt . . .well, he felt all right. He felt much better than he did after shooting Luci's future husband on the roof in Santa Domingo in 1965. Was that why he went back-the real reason- because he had shot someome he didn't know? He wondered. The more he became aware of what he was feeling the more certain he was that he felt pretty good. Close to Mary, looking at those eyes full of warm awareness . . .

He said, ”I don't have a lawyer. You think I'm gonna need one?”

Mary was smiling now, trying to. She said, ”I don't know, George, you do pretty well on your own.”

Finally there was that high-low wail in the distance, listening for it like he was always waiting to hear sirens. Boy, what next?

The Extras I. ALL BY ELMORE: THE CRIME NOVELS; THE WESTERNS ALL BY ELMORE: THE CRIME NOVELS; THE WESTERNS.

II.

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY.

III.

IF IT SOUNDS LIKE WRITING, REWRITE IT IF IT SOUNDS LIKE WRITING, REWRITE IT.

IV.

MARTIN AMIS INTERVIEWS ”THE d.i.c.kENS OF DETROIT” 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-decamp, 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 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); (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); (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) (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.

52 Pickup (1974) (1974) Detroit businessman Harry Mitch.e.l.l had had only one affair in his twenty-two years of happy matrimony. Unfortunately someone caught his indiscretion on film and now wants Harry to fork over one hundred grand to keep his infidelity a secret. And if Harry doesn't pay up, the blackmailer and his a.s.sociates plan to press a lot harder - up to and including homicide, if necessary. But the psychos picked the wrong pigeon for their murderous scam. Because Harry Mitch.e.l.l doesn't get mad ... he gets even.

Chicago Tribune: ”A splendid thriller.”

From the novel: The Gray Line sightseeing bus was approaching the foot of Woodward Avenue when Bobby Shy started up the aisle in his light-gray business suit and sun-gla.s.ses, past the thirty-six heads he had counted from his seat in the rear. They were mostly couples, out-of-town conventioneers and their wives, middle-aged or older, almost all of them wearing gla.s.ses and name tags.

”That beautiful structure on the left is the City-Country Building,” the driver was saying into the mike clipped to his lapel. ”And the statue in front is the world-famous 'Spirit of Detroit.' Sitting there, that man is sixteen feet high and weighs over sixteen thousand pounds. Ahead of us now you see the Detroit River.”

As the bus turned left onto Jefferson, heads raised and gazes s.h.i.+fted to look at the river and dismal gray skyline beyond.