We got in the car. Pinner turned on the air conditioner and wound up the windows. A small crowd milled around, staring in at us.
‘How bad is it?’ Pinner asked as he settled his bulk behind the driving wheel. I was sitting at the back.
‘Couldn’t be worse,’ Tom said. ‘This afternoon, Frank drove to the hospital to see his aunt. According to him, he was so upset by her condition, he had to have a little drink. You know what that means. He probably knocked back half a bottle. Anyway, that sonofabitch Ross was waiting for him. I guess Frank lost his head and he took a poke at Ross. He knocked out a couple of teeth.’
‘Sweet grief!’ Pinner moaned.
‘You can say that again.’ Mason shook his head. ‘Olson is trying to fix it with Sam, but it’s tricky because Ross is yelling blue murder. He wants Frank in jail.’
‘They wouldn’t do that?’ Pinner looked horrified. ‘If Frank goes to jail, the loan is sunk.’
‘Yeah, and Sam knows it. He’s as interested as we are. The way he is talking to Olson, I reckon there’s going to be a fix. I guess the worst that can happen is Frank will lose his licence to drive.’
‘Who the hell cares?’ Pinner snapped. ‘But you’re sure he won’t go to jail?’
‘If Sam can take care of Ross, he won’t, but it’s not going to be easy.’
There came a tapping on the car window. A cop was beckoning to me. I stared at him, then lowered the window.
‘You Devery?’ he demanded.
‘Yes.’
‘Mr. Olson wants you.’
I looked at Pinner and then at Mason who were staring at the cop.
‘What goes on?’ Pinner demanded, lowering his window.
‘I wouldn’t know,’ the cop said indifferently. ‘Mr. Olson said to fetch this guy and that’s what I’m doing.’
‘You’d better go, Keith,’ Mason said.
‘Sure.’
I got out of the car and walked with the cop to the station house. I had to shove my way through the gaping crowd, the newsmen and through a barrage of flashlights.
I was led into the Sheriff’s office where Olson, McQueen and Marshall were sitting around a desk.
After a quick look at Olson and McQueen, I turned my attention to Marshall. He was dozing and I could see he was pretty drunk.
Olson said, ‘Frank... Mr. Devery is here.’
Marshall shook his head, opened his eyes, peered at me, shut them, opened them again and then grinned.
‘Hi, Keith! I want you to drive me home.’
I looked from him to McQueen who gave a resigned nod. Then I looked at Olson who also nodded.
‘If you would be so kind, Mr. Devery,’ Olson said. ‘I have taken care of the formalities.’ Turning to Marshall, he went on, ‘All right, Frank, I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Unless I see you first,’ Marshall said and heaved himself to his feet. He staggered, then grabbed hold on my shoulder. ‘Screw the lot of you,’ he said, then to me, ‘Come on, pal. Let’s get the hell out of here.’
I went with him into the hot sun. The moment we appeared, the newsmen surged forward, and there was a murmur from the crowd.
Marshall was impressive. He was like a whale among the minnows. Shoving his way through the crowd, muttering four-letter words, he reached my car and got in. I could see Pinner and Tom Mason gaping. I slid under the driving wheel, started the motor amid blinding flash explosions.
I drove away and headed towards Marshall’s house. I kept checking my driving mirror, but no one was following us.
Marshall slumped against the off-side door and every now and then he snored.
When we finally reached the bottom of the dirt road leading to the house, he came awake.
‘Anyone following us, Keith?’
I checked my driving mirror.
‘We’re on our own.’
‘Let’s stop.’
I swung the car to the grass verge and cut the motor.
‘I’m in trouble, Keith. They are going to take my driving licence away... the creeps can’t do anything else.’ He rubbed his hand over his sweating face. ‘At least, I hit that bastard. He had it coming. The joke is they’re scared to do anything about that.’ He closed his eyes and nodded off. I sat behind the driving wheel and watched him. After a few minutes he yawned, stretched and then looked at me.
‘Until that old bitch dies,’ he said, ‘and she’s taking a hell of a time doing it, I’ve got to earn a living. If I can’t drive, I’m in trouble.’ He leaned back, puffed out his cheeks and then went on, ‘It’s time Beth — that’s my wife — did something for me.’ He turned his head and squinted at me. ‘Will you teach her to drive?’
This was just too easy.
‘That’s my job, Frank... teaching people to drive.’
He dropped a sweaty hand on my wrist.
‘That’s right. So... you teach her to drive, so she can get me to the station.’ He wiped his face with his handkerchief, then said, ‘Excuse me,’ and opening the car door, he lurched out and vomited on the grass verge. I watched him. To me he represented a million dollars. Why should I care if he behaved worse than an animal?
After a while, he staggered back into the car, wiping his mouth on his coat sleeve.
‘I guess I had one drink too many.’ He sank back in the seat, then he patted my arm. ‘When I get that money, I’m going to be the big shot around here and I’ll remember my friends.’ He blew out his cheeks, then went on, ‘Let’s get home.’
I drove up the dirt road and parked outside the front entrance of the house. He heaved himself out of the car and stood swaying, while he looked at me through the open window.
‘I’m still a bit drunk, Keith, but tomorrow I’ll call you.’ He waved. ‘Thanks, pal.’
I watched him stagger up the steps to the house, lurch against the front door, then pushing it open, walk in. The front door slammed behind him.
I looked up. A curtain covering a second-storey window moved. She was up there, watching... the mysterious Mrs. Marshall.
When I got back to Mrs. Hansen’s house, I found Olson, Pinner and Tom Mason on the patio.
Mrs. Hansen came out of the living room as I started up the stairs.
‘Oh, Mr. Devery, do come and have a drink. My brother...’
I guessed they were burning to know what had happened between Marshall and myself so I joined them on the patio.
I picked up the hostile, suspicious atmosphere as Pinner shoved a chair towards me with his foot. I could understand their attitude. They were thinking: here’s a complete stranger who walks into our town and suddenly becomes the favourite of the coming millionaire.
‘Seems Frank has taken a liking to you,’ Pinner said.
I accepted the whisky and soda Olson offered me.
‘Drunks are like that,’ I said. ‘He tells me he is losing his licence and he can’t afford a chauffeur. He wants me to teach his wife to drive.’
There was a long pause while the three men absorbed this, then I saw their faces brighten. Maybe this guy, they were probably thinking, wasn’t sucking up to the man who they hoped was going to put Wicksteed on the tourist map.
Pinner stroked his moustache.
‘Are you going to help out, Keith?’
‘That’s my job.’
A long pause, then he said, ‘He didn’t by chance mention anything about our planning scheme?’
‘Not a thing.’
The three looked at each other, then Mason said, ‘He seemed a little hostile when he left with you.’
‘He was drunk,’ I said.
‘Yes.’ Olson nodded. ‘He didn’t mean what he said.’
Who was kidding who? I thought and finished my drink. I saw no point in sitting around with these three, mulling over Marshall’s future.
Getting to my feet, I said I wanted to catch the ball game on TV and would they excuse me?