And of course she’s right.
Malone got back up and began to pad about. “That’s the problem. What else have we got to work on? Nothing. So we’ve got to make use of it some way. How?”
“That is the question,” Ellen said. She did not sound anything but beat. Her head sank back against the end of the bed.
But Malone’s second wind continued to blow. It was something. It was a light where everything before had been black as the inside of the old gravity well out back that hadn’t been used in fifty years and was full of green slime, like Furia must be.
“Maybe if we accuse her of it in front of the other two,” Ellen murmured.
“No, that wouldn’t work. She’s smart, she’s got Furia around her little finger, he’ll believe anything she says. She mustn’t even suspect we suspect her, Ellen, or she might get Furia to knock us off. I wouldn’t put it past her. Deep down she’s worse than he is.”
“Could we make a deal with her…?”
“What have we got to offer? That we’ll tell Furia? Even if it put a doubt in his mind we can’t prove it to him, and she’d talk him out of it. Up to now, Ellen, she’s held him back. She wouldn’t hold him back any more.” Malone looked down at her. “The way it shapes up, we’ll have to somehow find out or figure out where she’s hiding it.”
“You do that.”
“Ellen, we can’t give up.”
“Who’s giving up?”
“You are!”
“What do you want me to do, Loney? I can’t fight them with my bare hands.” That was it. That was it. “All I know is, I’ve got my child’s life to protect-”
“We’ve got!”
“Do you want them to hear us fighting?”
Malone cracked his knuckles and began padding again.
Ellen’s eyelids came down.
“I’m not sleeping,” she said. “The light hurts my eyes.”
He flipped the switch savagely. But then he collapsed against the wall. This is no good. We’re at each other’s throats. What did I expect from her? Up against the first real spot in my life and I try to lean on her like I never leaned on even my own mother. She wants to lean on me. She’s got a right, I’m her husband. It’s one man one vote time. You go into the booth and you’re all by yourself. The American way.
He buckled down to it like Robinson Crusoe.
“Ellen.” Malone shook her gently.
It was much later.
“Loney?” She had fallen asleep. She sat up and groped for his hand. “Is something-did they-?”
“No, they’re quiet, they’ve given up for the night.” Malone squatted beside her in the dark. “I’ve got to talk to you.”
“Oh.”
“No, this is different. I’ve been going over the whole thing in my head. I think I’m onto something.”
“Oh?”
“Ellen, wake up, this could be important. Then you can climb into bed with Bibby. Are you awake?”
“Yes.”
“Something struck me funny. How come these creeps picked our house Wednesday night?”
She moved and the floor creaked. “They were running away. Maybe they saw our light on. I don’t think anybody else on the block had their lights on when I got back from the movies.”
“But why pick Old Bradford Road in the first place? There’s a Dead End sign at the entrance off Lovers Hill. A blind man can see it. Robbers running away aren’t going to box themselves in on a dead-end street. And another thing. Before I got home from the station Wednesday night, did you tell them I was a cop?”
“Of course not. I was afraid if they knew they might shoot you down as you came in the door.”
“Right. But just the same they knew, didn’t they? Furia called me a cop straight out. How did he know? I wasn’t in uniform. How did he know, Ellen?”
“That is funny.”
“I’ll tell you how. They had advance information!”
“You mean they saw you on duty in town during the day?”
“Then why did Furia say, ‘Freeze, cop,’ as soon as I stepped into the house? He couldn’t even see my face, they had all the lights out except on the porch, and my back was to that. No, Ellen, they knew without ever having seen me before.”
“But how could they?”
“Nanette.”
Ellen said, “My God. The girl I’ve trusted Bibby to all these years! Nanette’s in on this, Loney?”
“I don’t know. It wouldn’t have to be. Remember how many times Nanette’s mentioned her older sister, how their parents practically disowned her because she went bad? Ellen, this Goldie is Nanette’s sister.”
“That’s just a guess.”
“It’s a fact. I knew right away I’d seen her before, years ago, I was sure she came from New Bradford, but I didn’t place her till I started asking myself all these questions and then it came to me just like that. Nanette said herself they’ve kept up a correspondence on the sly since Goldie left home. My guess is Nanette mentioned her regular baby-sitting job for us, and Goldie remembered it when they were in a jam Wednesday night and talked Furia into coming here and taking Bibby as security for the money. So I’ve got to get to Nanette first thing in the morning-”
“They won’t let you go.”
“I’ve got an idea about that, too. Ellen, it’s our only lead. I can’t pass it up.”
“Lead to what? How can it possibly help us?”
Malone got to his feet. “Maybe it can’t. But it’s better than sitting here like three chickens waiting to get our necks chopped off.”
“Oh, Loney, if you only could!”
And that was better, lots better.
He stooped to kiss her. “Now you’re getting into that bed, young lady.”
“Not unless you do.”
“I’ll come to bed in a while.”
He waited until Ellen’s breathing told him she was asleep.
Then he felt around in the dark until he located the loose board. He split a fingernail prying it up and he stretched out on the floor in front of the door with the board in his arms.
I’ll have to pull it off in the morning.
Some way.
Friday
The Bottom
His eyes opened to cloudy darkness. The sun rose at a little past six thirty this time of year and so it must be after six. Yes, there goes old man Tyrell’s rooster. The cock was past his prime in everything but his doodledooing, he was worse than an alarm clock. The Tyrells were down to one ancient biddy still trying for fertile eggs. Somebody ought to tell the poor old slobs, all four of them, the facts of life. Eggs.
How do you walk on them?
Malone sat up swallowing a groan and shivering, the house was cold and he had slept without a cover. He stretched and a minefield of muscles went off. When was the last time I sacked out on a bed?
On eggs. How do you walk on them?
He listened. Ellen and Barbara were breathing as if it were an ordinary day. There was a great quiet in the house. So the Three Bears were asleep, too.
He wondered where.
Malone went through his isometric exercises to get the circulation going and when he was satisfied he got to his feet with no noise, which was his objective for more reasons than Ellen and Barbara.
He felt around with his big toe and located the hole and slipped the floorboard back over the rat’s nest, thanking the Lord he hadn’t had to use it. Hinch must be sleeping off the one he tied on with Don’s scotch.
I could get away from them now, maybe all three of us could.
The thought came to Malone with the unexpectedness of all good things, in a rush of warmth.
All we have to do is slip out of the house and down the Hill to the station and we’re safe in John’s hands and that’s the end of the nightmare!
It could be that easy.
Or could it?
He took two minutes to open the bedroom door.
His eyes were used to the half dark now and in his stockinged feet he made his way inches at a time along the hall, hugging the wall so the floor would not creak.