‘No!’ Anger I hadn’t expected ever to see jumped into her eyes. ‘You think you’re a hero, don’t you? You’re not! I know you destroyed his motorbike! You’ve broken his nose and his jaw! You’re as brutal and as vicious as he is! I can’t have you here! You’re spoiling everything I’m trying to do! I want you to go.’
I stared at her.
‘You’ll be telling me next you’re going to the hospital to hold his hand.’
‘There is no need to make a cheap remark. I want you to go!’
I began to get angry, but I controlled my temper.
‘Look, Jenny, you must face facts. Thugs like Spooky have to be treated like the animals they are,’ I said. ‘Suppose I had sat still and let him whip the flesh off my face with his belt. Would that have put me right with you?’
‘You nearly killed him! Don’t talk to me! Get up and go!’
‘Okay.’ I got to my feet and walked around the desk. ‘I’ll be at the hotel for a few more days.’ I reached the door, paused and looked at her. ‘Jenny, the trouble with nice people is they are seldom realistic. Spooky is a savage animal. Okay... go ahead and hold his hand if that’s the way you feel. Everyone is entitled to their way of thinking, but be careful. There is no animal yet born more dangerous and more savage than Spooky.’
‘I won’t listen to you!’ Her voice rose. ‘My uncle made a mistake sending you here! You are quite unsuitable for welfare work! You can’t nor ever will realise that people do react to kindness! I’ve worked here for two years and you have been here ten days. You...’
So then I let my temper have a free hand.
‘Wait!’ The snap in my voice startled her and cut her short. ‘What have you done with your kindness in two years? People don’t appreciate kindness! All they want from you is a meal ticket or a handout. They would accept a handout if you threw it at them! All these women who come pestering you are scroungers. Are you sure they aren’t laughing at you? This sector of yours has been terrorised by Spooky for years. Even the police couldn’t handle him. Well, I’ve handled him and maybe you’ll find I’ve done more for this sector of your town in ten days than you have done in two years!’
‘Go away!’
I saw I had hurt her, but I didn’t care. I had done something no one had had the guts to do in this miserable town: I had fixed Spooky Jinx and had fixed him good.
I left her and walked back to the Bendix Hotel.
On the way I became aware people didn’t edge away from me: some of them even smiled at me. News travels fast. A cop, resting his feet on the edge of the kerb, gave me a friendly wink.
I had suddenly become popular in Luceville, but I didn’t feel ten feet talclass="underline" Jenny had spoilt my triumph. I just couldn’t see how she could be so stupid.
I wondered what I was going to do. Maybe, in a day or so she would have cooled off and we could get together again. Paradise City seemed a long way off. I didn’t want to go back there — anyway just yet.
I found I was hungry so I went to Luigi’s restaurant. The two old waiters beamed on me. On my first visit they had ignored me. A fat, elderly man with food stains on his suit came over as I was eating. He said his name was Herb Lessing.
‘I run the Drug store around the corner. I wanted you to know I think you did a fine job, Mr. Carr. That bastard had it coming. Now, maybe I can rest at night.’ He paused, breathed over me, then added, ‘I reckon you’ve done a real service to this town.’
I wondered what Jenny would have said had she heard this. I nodded, thanked him and went on eating. He regarded me with open admiration and then returned to his table.
After lunch and because I couldn’t face the hotel and had nothing to do, I went to a movie. It didn’t hold me as I kept thinking of Jenny.
I walked back to the hotel, taking my time and went up to my room.
You’re as brutal and as vicious as he is!
I lit a cigarette, then laid on the bed and thought about what she had said.
I finally decided she could be right. Something must have happened to me. I recalled the demented rage that had seized hold of me as I had hit Spooky and then had turned on his buddies. Admittedly I had been provoked, but I knew, three months ago, I would never have acted like this. Was this demented outburst of rage due to the crash? Had one of my mental cogs been jogged out of place? Should I consult Dr. Melish? Then I decided I couldn’t be bothered. For the first time, since I had lost Judy, I felt an overpowering urge for a woman.
What the hell was happening to me? I asked myself. Maybe it would be an idea to visit the local whorehouse — in a town like Luceville, there must be a whorehouse. The reception clerk would know.
I looked at my watch: the time was 18.15. As I swung off the bed, I told myself I would have a woman, have a good dinner at the Plaza and then let tomorrow take care of itself.
As I was leaving the room the telephone bell rang. I didn’t know as I picked up the receiver this was to alter my whole way of life.
‘Mr. Carr? This is O’Halloran. Desk Sergeant, city police.’
I recognised the husky, worn-out voice.
‘Yes, Sergeant?’
‘Been trying to find you, then remembered you’re checked in at the Bendix.’
‘Yes?’ I was now very alert, all thoughts of having a woman gone, and I felt my belly muscles tighten. ‘Something wrong?’
‘Yeah... you could say that.’ He snorted, then went on, ‘Miss Baxter fell down stairs. She’s hospitalised.’
I felt my heart beat slow.
‘Is she badly hurt?’
‘Well, nothing serious, but bad.’ He paused to snort again, then went on, ‘Broken wrist, broken ankle, fractured collarbone... quite a fall.’
‘Where is she?’
‘City hospital. Thought you should know.’
‘Thanks,’ I said.
I heard a sound that puzzled me. Could he be rolling his pencil?
‘There was a trip wire at the head of the stairs,’ he said. ‘Off the record, I figure it was meant for you, but she fell over it.’
A smouldering fire of rage began inside me.
‘Is that right?’ I said and I hung up.
For a long moment I stared bleakly at the opposite wall. The trip wire was meant for me. With all her cockeyed ideas of kindness, Jenny had taken a fall that could have killed her.
I called the reception clerk, and asked him to connect me with the city hospital. When I got through, I asked if I could see Miss Baxter. Some nurse said not until tomorrow. Miss Baxter was under sedation. I thanked her and hung up.
It was getting dark now and the shadows were closing in. I walked from the hotel to Jenny’s office and climbed the six flights of stairs. The rage inside me grew and grew. I still had the key I had forgotten to give her when I had walked out. I unlocked the door, turned on the light, went to the closet and took out the pick-axe handle. I laid it down by the side of my desk, out of sight. All the other one-room offices in the building were closed: no lights showed except the light from my window. I hoped this would entice Spooky’s buddies to come up and take care of me. It was a bait I longed for them to take so I could get amongst them and do them damage, but they didn’t come.
I sat there, waiting until 23.30, then carrying the pick-axe handle, I shut the office and walked down to the street. I found a taxi and told the driver to take me to 10th Street.
When we arrived, I paid him off and waited until he had driven away. I walked down the street, which, at this hour, was deserted although the striptease clubs, and the cafés were doing business. I arrived outside Sam’s Cafe. Parked in a neat row were seven gleaming Honda motorcycles. The noise erupting from the café was deafening. Holding the pick-axe handle under my arm, ready for action, I took off the caps of the bikes. Then I turned the bikes on their sides so the gas spilled out.