by Ed McBain
Then he fired.
Click.
“I didn’t think you was going through with it,” Tigo said.
“I didn’t neither.”
“You got heart, Dave,” Tigo said. He looked at the gun. He picked it up and broke it open.
“What you doing?” Dave asked.
“Another cartridge,” Tigo said. “Six chambers, three cartridges. That makes it even money. You game?”
“You?”
“The boys said …” Tigo stopped talking. “Yeah, I’m game,” he added, his voice curiously low.
“It’s your turn, you know.”
“I know.”
Dave watched as Tigo picked up the gun.
“You ever been rowboating on the lake?”
Tigo looked across the table at him, his eyes wide. “Once,” he said. “I went with Juana.”
“Is it—is it any kicks?”
“Yeah. Yeah, it’s grand kicks. You mean you never been?”
“No,” Dave said.
“Hey, you got to try it, man,” Tigo said excitedly. “You’ll like it. Hey, you try it.”
“Yeah, I was thinking maybe this Sunday I’d …” He did not complete the sentence.
“My spin,” Tigo said wearily. He twirled the cylinder. “Here goes a good man,” he said, and he put the revolver to his head and squeezed the trigger.
Click.
Dave smiled nervously. “No rest for the weary,” he said. “But Jesus you got heart. I don’t know if I can go through with it.”
“Sure, you can,” Tigo assured him. “Listen, what’s there to be afraid of?” He slid the gun across the table.
“We keep this up all night?” Dave asked.
“They said—you know …”
“Well, it ain’t so bad. I mean, hell, we didn’t have this operation, we wouldn’ta got a chance to talk, huh?” He grinned feebly.
“Yeah,” Tigo said, his face splitting in a wide grin. “It ain’t been so bad, huh?”
“No, it’s been—well, you know, these guys on the club, who can talk to them?”
He picked up the gun.
“We could …” Tigo started.
“What?”
“We could say—well—like we kept shootin’ an’ nothing happened, so …” Tigo shrugged. “What the hell! We can’t do this all night, can we?”
“I don’t know.”
“Let’s make this the last spin. Listen, they don’t like it, they can take a flying leap, you know?”
“I don’t think they’ll like it. We supposed to settle this for the clubs.”
“Screw the clubs!” Tigo said vehemently. “Can’t we pick our own …” The word was hard coming. When it came, he said it softly, and his eyes did not leave Dave’s face. “… friends?”
“Sure we can,” Dave said fervently. “Sure we can! Why not?”
“The last spin,” Tigo said. “Come on, the last spin.”
“Gone,” Dave said. “Hey, you know, I’m glad they got this idea. You know that? I’m actually glad!” He twirled the cylinder. “Look, you want to go on the lake this Sunday? I mean, with your girl and mine? We could get two boats. Or even one if you want.”
“Yeah, one boat,” Tigo said. “Hey, your girl’ll like Juana, I mean it. She’s a swell chick.”
The cylinder stopped. Dave put the gun to his head quickly.
“Here’s to Sunday,” he said. He grinned at Tigo, and Tigo grinned back, and then Dave fired.
The explosion rocked the small basement room, ripping away half of Dave’s head, shattering his face. A small sharp cry escaped Tigo’s throat, and a look of incredulous shock knifed his eyes.
Then he put his head on the table and began weeping.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ed McBain is one of the many pen names of legendary author Evan Hunter (1926–2005). Named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, Hunter is best known for creating the long-running 87th Precinct series, which followed an ensemble cast of police officers in the fictional city of Isola. A pioneer of the police procedural, he remains one of the best-loved mystery novelists of the twentieth century. Hunter also wrote under the pseudonyms Richard Marsten, Hunt Collins, John Abbott, Ezra Hannon, Curt Cannon, and others.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
“Small Homicide” and “First Offense” have been selected for inclusion in the 1954 and 1955 volumes of Best Detective Stories of the Year published by E. P. Dutton & Company.
“Vicious Circle” appeared originally in Real in March, 1953, under the title of “Murder Comes Easy.” Copyright, 1953, by Literary Enterprises, Inc.
“Small Homicide,” “The Follower,” Sucker,” and “Kid Kill” appeared originaly in Manhunt. Copyright, 1953, by Flying Eagle Publications
“To Break the Wall” appeared originally in discovery no. 2 Copyright, 1953, by Pocket Books, Inc.
“… Or Leave It Alone” and “The Beatings” appeared originally in Manhunt. Copyright, 1954, by Flying Eagle Publications, Inc.
“First Offense” and “See Him Die” appeared originally in Manhunt. Copyright, 1955, by Flying Eagle Publications, Inc.
“The Jungle Kids” appeared originally in Adventure, under the title of “The Mild Ones.” Copyright, 1955, by Popular Publications, Inc.
“The Last Spin” appeared originally in Manhunt. Copyright, 1956, by Flying Eagle Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 1956 by Ed McBain
Cover design by Jason Gabbert
ISBN: 978-1-5040-3925-3
This 2016 edition published by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
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