Part 36 (1/2)

”But what?”

”I also have in my possession the same amount of money in a stock that I intended for Son's education. I'll get more stocks in the future, and I'd like to hold on to as much cash as possible because I'm about to embark on a new gas station business in Compton.”

”I'll take the money, ma'am.”

”Are you sure? The stocks might make a great surge and you can always sell them.”

”No ma'am. I'm just a poor shopkeeper. I don't know about finance. You got the money here?”

”It's in the briefcase next to your chair.”

I looked down to see a slender alligator skin case on the right side of my chair. When I looked up the spider was wrapping the b.u.t.terfly and Winifred L. Fine was smiling.

”I see that you're fixing up around the front of the house,” I said to make a little conversation before running out of the door with my loot.

”As I told you, the front of the house was Rose's domain. Now that she has left us I have taken over that responsibility.”

Which one was crazier? I wondered.

”Tell Mr. Jones that I met my end of the bargain,” she said.

I nodded and stood, my treasure in tow. I turned to leave and then turned back.

”What was the name of the stock you wanted to give me?”

”International Business Machines,” she said. ”They make typewriters.”

I smiled and wandered out of the house, not a rich man, but certainly not poor.

45.

”YEAH, PARIS, you know I had to give that lady back her book. It was a family heirloom.” you know I had to give that lady back her book. It was a family heirloom.”

It was a week later. I had eaten steak every night, wondering what I should say to Fearless when I saw him. He had dropped by after eight carrying a large brown paper shopping bag.

”You had no right to take that book without talking to me first, Fearless. I could have made a hundred thousand dollars on that motherf.u.c.ker.”

”It wasn't yours, man.”

”I found it.”

”And you got ten thousand dollars plus the twenty-five hundred was in with the book.”

”Where's that?”