Part 13 (1/2)
Grave Digger hefted the sack of silver in his hand ”It's over a hundred dollars here,” he said
”I was lucky pitching halves and quarters,” Poor Boy said ”You can ask anybody as round there this er explained, ”is that when you steal over thirty-five dollars that ive you one to five years in the state stir But if you cooperate, the judge will let you take a plea to petty larceny and save the state the cost of a jury trial and appointing state lawyers, and you get off with thirty days in the workhouse It depends on whether you want to cooperate”
”I ain't stole no money,” Poor Boy said ”It's like what I done said, Ihalves”
”That's not what Patrol to say when they see you in that line-up toht that over Sweat started beading on his forehead and in the circles underneath his eyes, and oily beads formed over the surface of his smooth flat nose
”Cooperate how?” he said finally
”Who was riding with Johnny Perry when he drove down Seventh Avenue early this ?” Grave Digger asked
Poor Boy blew air fro his breath ”I ain't seen Johnny Perry's car,” he said with relief
Grave Digger reached down and turned on the ignition and started the ht to have better eyes That's going to cost you elevenCad in nearer pulled out into the street and began driving toward the 126th Street precinct station
”Y'all gotta believe me,” Poor Boy said ”I ain't seen nobody on all of Seventh Avenue”
Coffin Ed looked at the people standing on the sidewalks and sitting on the stoops uninterestedly Grave Digger concentrated on driving
”There warn't a caron the avenue, I swear to God,” Poor Boy whined ”'Ceptin' that store er when he drove up and that cop what's always there”
Grave Digger pulled to the curb and parked just before turning into 126th Street
”Who ith you?” he asked
”nobody,” Poor Boy said ”I swear to God”
”That's just too bad,” Grave Digger said, reaching toward the ignition key
”Listen,” Poor Boy said ”Wait a et is thirty days”
”That depends on how good your eyes were at fourthirty this ood your ,” Poor Boy said ”And that's the God's truth And after I grabbed that poke I was running so fast I didn't have ti He was hiding in a doorway on 132nd Street”
”Where were you?”
”I was on 131st Street, and when thebloody murder and draw the cop But he ain't let out a peep, and there I was, had already done sneaked up beside the car, and I just had to grab the poke and run”
”Where's Iron Ja?” Coffin Ed asked
”I don't know I ain't seen hi out?'
”At Acey-Deucey's like me most times, else downstairs in the Boll Weevil”
”Where does he live?”
”He got a roohthouse Hotel at 123rd and Third Avenue, and if n he ain't there he ht be at work He pick chickens at Goldstein's Poultry Store on 116th Street and soer started the ain and turned into 126th Street toward the precinct station
When they drew up before the entrance, Poor Boy asked, ”It's gonna be like you say, ain't it? If I cop a plea I don't get but thirty days?”
”That depends on how er said
12
”I don't like thesemysteries,” Johnny said
His thick brown muscles knotted beneath his set yellow crepe shi+rt as he banged the lelass top of the cocktail table
”And that's for sure,” he added
He sat leaning forward in the center of a long green plush davenport, his silk-stockinged, sweaty feet planted on the bright red carpet The veins co from his temples were swollen like exposed tree roots, and the scar on his forehead wriggled like a knot of live snakes His dark brown lumpy face was taut and sweaty His eyes were hot, vein-laced and s
”I done told you a dozen tier preacher's been teffing all those lies aboutdefensive voice
Johnny looked at her dangerously and said, ”Yeah, and I' you tell ht-drawn face and ran off to look for so serene in that violently colored rooarnished with pieces of blonde wood fought it out with the bright red carpet, but the eyes that had to look at it were the losers
It was a big front corner rooecombe drive and oneon 159th Street
”I' you askme tell you I don't know the answers,” she lass shattered in his hand He threw the fragments across the floor and filled another one
She sat on a yellow leather otto the blond television-radio-record set that was placed in front of the closed-off fireplace beneath thefor?” he asked
”It's cold as hell in here,” she cos and feet were bare Her toenails were painted the saernails Her soose pi the downy black hairs of her faintair conditioner unit in the sidebehind her was going full blast, and a twelve-inch revolving fan beside it on the iadiator cover sprayed her with cold air