‘Huh?’ He frowned, trying to focus me. ‘How did you get on with her?’
‘Fine.’ My voice was husky, ‘but she isn’t easy to teach.’
He laughed: his great bellowing laugh.
‘Between you and me, Keith, she is conning you. I know she can handle a car as well as you can, but she doesn’t want to drive me.’ He lifted his heavy shoulders in a shrug. ‘I don’t blame her. I’m a drunk. These creeps in this town stare and yak.’ He closed his eyes, shook his head, opened his eyes as he said, ‘She is a very special woman, Keith. That’s why I married her.’ He blew out his cheeks, then went on, ‘I met her at a restaurant off the Frisco highway. I went in there for lunch and there she was. She hooked me. There was that something about her...’ He shook his head. ‘Something very special. I’ve screwed around in my day, but this woman... something very special, Keith.’
As if I didn’t know. I just sat there, listening.
‘I went in there every day for a week and the more I saw her the more I got hooked. She seemed to like me and when she told me she had had enough of the restaurant, it was my chance. So we got married. Then I found out she was a real loner.’ He grimaced. ‘Well, we all have our kinks. I don’t give a damn. She runs the house, cooks well, looks after the garden... so why the hell should I care?’ He pointed a shaking finger at me. ‘She’s reliable, Keith. That’s what I like about her. I know when I get back from work, she’ll have a good dinner for me. I know I’ll get a clean shirt when I want one. I know there’ll always be whisky in the house... that’s what she is... reliable.’
I continued to listen, watching him as he picked up his glass, stared at it, then finished the drink.
‘Now what was I saying?’ He frowned, shook his head, then peered at me. ‘Yeah. I was telling you... coming back in the train, I got thinking.’ He held out his glass. ‘Let’s have another, Keith.’
I got up, took his glass and fixed him a whisky and soda that would have knocked out a mule.
‘Thanks.’ He took the glass, drank, sighed, nodded, then went on, ‘How much is Ryder paying you?’
‘Two hundred.’
‘That’s not much. Look, Keith, I’m going to be busy. I can’t drive a car. I want someone to take me around.’ He leaned forward. ‘I thought of you. How would you like to be my chauffeur? How’s about it?’
Again this was so unexpected, I just sat there, staring at him.
He waved his glass at me, grinning.
‘How do you like the idea?’
I drew in a long, slow breath.
‘Just what would you want me to do, Frank?’
He nodded approvingly.
That’s a good question. You would have to live here, take me to the railroad station, meet me, take me around and maybe help around in the house.’ He raised his hand. ‘Now don’t think this is a pissy little job I’m offering you. Okay, maybe it looks like it, but it is only until I get the money and get my driving licence back. I’m asking you to help out until I’m fixed. As soon as I get the money, Keith, I’m getting out of this god-awful town. I’m planning to buy a house in Carmel. Have you ever been to Carmel? It’s a great little place. I’ve got my eye on a house that is coming into the market: really something with ten acres, a big swimming pool, you name it, it’s got it. Beth won’t be able to handle it, but you can. I would want you to handle the staff, look after the entertaining.’ He belched, shook his head, took a drink, then went on, ‘Money makes money. A guy worth a million bucks has to circulate. Now look, Keith, I’ll pay you right now seven hundred against Ryder’s two hundred, but when I’m fixed, you’ll get a damn sight more. What do you say? How’s about it?’
You would have to live here... maybe help around the house.
My heart began to race. If I took him up on this, I would be right next to Beth and that was what I wanted, but I warned myself not to appear too eager. I mustn’t let him suspect what Beth meant to me.
‘I appreciate this, Frank,’ I said, ‘but Ryder wants me to be his partner. I’ve been considering his offer. He wants me to have his business when he retires.’
Marshall squinted at me.
‘A one horse business in a one horse town. Use your head, Keith. You throw in with me and you’ll be hitching your wagon to a star. Okay, you start small with me, but you’ll grow as I am going to grow. Do you know anything about accountancy?’
For a long moment I hesitated, then I said, ‘Before I was drafted into the army, Frank, I worked with Barton Sharman.’
He gaped at me.
‘You mean the stockbrokers?’
‘Correct.’
‘You worked with them?’
‘I handled fifteen percent of their most important clients.’
His bleary eyes narrowed.
‘Well, for God’s sake... what are you doing teaching creeps to drive?’
‘That’s a good question.’ I smiled at him, my hands moist, my heart thumping. ‘Vietnam unsettled me. I spent two years killing Viets and sweating it out in the jungle. When I returned to my desk, I couldn’t settle. I found money didn’t mean much to me. I got the urge to go footloose... so I went footloose. It’s as simple as that.’
He brooded for so long I thought he had fallen asleep.
Finally, he came to the surface and said, ‘I could use your brains, Keith. Come on... forget Ryder. Seven hundred to start and we work together... how’s about it?’
I could see the drink I had made him was the finalizer.
‘Suppose we talk about it tomorrow, Frank?’
‘Huh?’
‘Let’s talk about it tomorrow.’
‘Yeah. A good idea.’ He shook his head. ‘I don’t seem able to keep my goddamn eyes open.’ He heaved himself to his feet. ‘Come on. Let’s go to bed.’
He lurched out of the room and up the stairs. He paused outside the room in which Beth and I had made love.
‘That’s yours. We’ll talk tomorrow.’ Moving slowly and heavily, he walked to the end of the corridor, opened a door, turned on the light, went in and closed the door.
I stood in the corridor, my hand on the doorknob and wondered where Beth was. My lust for her raged through me, but I told myself, it would be asking for trouble to tap on doors, trying to find her. Drunk as he was, Marshall might not be drunk enough.
I walked into the room and snapped on the light.
She was lying on the bed, her hands behind her head, her white see-through wrap scarcely concealing her nakedness.
We looked at each other, then I shut the door and turned the key in the lock.
Chapter Five
The clock below stairs woke me as it began to chime seven. The sun was coming through the open window, making a hot patch on the big bed. For some moments, I lay there, feeling utterly drained, then remembering, I looked to my right where she had lain, but she had gone. I threw off the sheet and groped for a cigarette.
When I had joined her on the bed last night, my hands reaching for her, she had said sharply, ‘No... not yet. I was listening. What are you going to do, Keith? Are you going to accept his offer?’
‘What do you think?’
We spoke in whispers.
‘You’d be a fool if you didn’t.’
‘And I’m no fool.’
That malicious little smile lit up her face.
‘But remember, Keith, don’t underestimate him. He’s no fool either.’
‘You told me,’ and my hand dropped on her flat belly and moved further down.
End of the conversation.
During that wild night we came together three times. Each time when we reached the top of the hill, she rammed her mouth against my neck to cut off her wild cry. Both of us were very aware that Marshall was sleeping not thirty yards away.