“I thought you were,” she said, nodding, though he hadn’t replied.
“Are you willing to take some risks?” Nolan asked her.
“Of course, anything... but I have a child here, my son Larry, and... I wouldn’t want anything to happen to him.”
“Could you send him to a friend’s place?”
“It’s three o’clock in the morning.”
“I know. Could you do it?”
She nodded. “I’ll have to make a phone call.”
“Make it.”
She left again.
Greer said, “Nice-looking woman.”
Nolan said, “Yeah.”
“She isn't wearing a bra,” Greer whispered. “I can't get used to that. She isn't wearing a bra, did you notice?”
“No,” Nolan lied.
That ended that line of conversation.
“Good coffee,” Greer said.
“Good coffee,” Nolan said.
She came back and said, “I’ll have to get Larry ready.”
“How old is he?”
“Ten.”
“Is he a cripple?”
“No.”
“Tell him to get himself ready. Can he walk where he’s going?”
“I... I think so. It’s just two blocks.”
“Good. Go tell him and come back.”
This time she was gone thirty seconds, no longer.
“Now what?” she said.
“I want you to make another phone call.”
“All right.”
“I want you to call that doctor back. Do you think he’ll recognize your voice?”
“Not if I don’t want him to.”
“Good. Do you know his name?”
“No. Jon didn’t leave me his name, just the number.”
“Get the phone book.”
She did.
“Now look up the number of a Dr. Ainsworth. Okay? Got it? Now, is that the number Jon left you to call?”
She nodded.
“Good. Have you heard of Ainsworth? Know him?”
“I don’t know him,” she said. “Know of him. Girl friend of mine got a nice, quiet abortion from him. I heard he’ll help you if you get into a drug jam, and without reporting anything to the cops. He does valuable work, but word is he’s a real pirate.”
“Where’s your phone?”
“I can plug it into a jack right here in the living room, if you like.”
“Do that.”
She did, and Nolan told her what to say.
She was excellent. She did better than Nolan had hoped, weaving his basic material into a piece of drama fit for stage or screen. Her voice was best of all, a pleading, whining thing that sounded like the voice of a girl far younger than this mother of a ten-year-old boy. She said, “Is this Dr. Ainsworth?... It is? Oh, wow, thank God, thank God, I got you, mister... I mean, Jesus, I’m sorry I woke you, but I need you, Christ, we need you bad... I’ll try to calm down, but it isn’t easy, you know, I mean my boyfriend, I’m afraid he’s OD’ed, Jesus, can you help?... Bad shape, he’s really bad, I mean I’m fucked up myself, you know? But I know he’s bad, really bad and you got to help, I heard from a girl friend of mine you’re okay, you’ll help out and keep the trouble down as much as possible... I mean, I got money, we both got money, that’s no problem, we just don’t want any hassle with cops, but if you won’t help I’ll call whoever I have to to get help, I mean you got to get here fast... oh, Christ, hurry, mister, please... You’re beautiful. Bless your soul, man.” She gave him her address, blessed him again, and hung up.
“Nice going,” Nolan said.
“Really good,” Greer said.
“Thanks,” she said, almost blushing, “I just hope I didn’t overdo. I was a little nervous.”
“That probably helped,” Nolan said.
“Either of you guys want more coffee? I know I do.”
Nolan said, “Yeah.” So did Greer.
She got up and went after it.
While she was gone, a small boy not much over five feet tall walked into the room, an overnight case in his hand. He was wearing blue jeans and a red-and-white striped tee-shirt and he had big brown eyes and a headful of red hair and more freckles than Doris Day.
“I’m going now, Mom!” he hollered.
She rushed into the living room, kissed him on the forehead and said, “Be a good boy, Larry, don’t cause Mrs. Murphy any trouble.”
“I won’t, Mom.”
“Be sure to thank her for letting you stay with Tommy, and apologize for bothering them so late.”
“I will, Mom.”
“You’re a good boy.” She kissed him on the head again and went back to the kitchen.
“How ya doin’, sonny?” Greer asked the kid.
“Bite my ass,” the boy said, and went out the front door, slamming it behind him.
“Little bastard,” Greer said.
“I kind of like him,” Nolan said.
The boy’s mother came back and refilled their coffee cups.
They waited for Ainsworth.
2
Fifteen minutes later, the knock came at the door. They had had time to drink their cups of coffee and bring a chair in from the kitchen and Karen had found the rope Nolan had asked for.
Nolan said, “Let him in,” and Karen nodded yes.
Greer had his gun out, on Nolan’s request. Nolan had both big hands unencumbered. Greer stood behind the door, so that he would be hidden when Karen opened it. Nolan stood to the other side, flat against the wall.
Karen freed the night latch, opened the door.
Behind Karen was a bureau with mirror and in it Nolan could see Ainsworth in the doorway; he hoped Ainsworth wouldn’t notice him in the mirror, but wasn’t worried, as things would be moving faster than that. Ainsworth was standing there with a pompous, fatherly smile on his face; he was wearing a dark suit and green tie. What an asshole, Nolan thought; an emergency phone call and he still takes time to put on his country doctor outfit.
“I came as soon as I could,” Ainsworth was saying, “what’s the problem, young lady?”
Nolan grabbed the doctor by the arm and yanked him into the apartment. Behind him, Karen shut the door, locked it, refastened the night latch. Greer got into full view, holding the.38 in his right hand with that casual but controlled grasp that only a professional knows how to master.
Ainsworth said, “Oh, my God!” and his pudgy face looked very white around the brown mustache.
Nolan slammed him into the kitchen chair and tied him up. Ainsworth still had his black doctor’s bag in hand as he sat roped to the chair. Nolan knocked the bag out of his hand and glass things rattled and maybe broke. Ainsworth repeated what he’d said before, though this time it sounded more a prayer and less an expression of surprise.
Nolan put both his hands on the doctor’s shoulders and said, “How’s it going, Ainsworth?”
“Oh... oh... oh...”
“Try not to shit. This lady has an expensive carpet down and if you shit, I’m going to make you clean it up.”
“No... No... No...”
He wasn’t saying no; he was trying to say Nolan.
“I’m glad you remember me,” Nolan said. “I put on weight since you saw me last. And believe I’d let my beard grow out. How’ve you been, Doc?”
Ainsworth began to make a whimpering sound.
Nolan turned to Greer and Karen. “Ainsworth here is a good old friend of mine. I owe him a lot. Don’t I, Ainsworth?”
“I... I helped you,” he said. “Don’t... don’t forget I helped you.”
“Saved my life is what you did,” Nolan said. He grinned. Nolan didn’t grin often and when he did, it wasn’t pleasant. Knowing that, he reserved the grin for special occasions. “I’ll never forget what all you did for me. And it only cost me, what was it? A paltry seven thousand bucks. Why, hell. You must’ve been running a special that day, Ainsworth.”