Once't out of the trees I lit out a-running hard as I could go for the airport. I didn't look back till I got to the door. Junior wasn't chasing me, so I knew he hadn't woke up. I don't know what he'd of done to me if he'd caught me before I got there.
I went in the front door and stopped to catch my breath and think about what I had to do. It still wasn't too late. I could still go back and run away with Junior for the rest of my life. Tears was rolling down my face and my heart hurt like a sore tooth. The ways of a woman are hard. A woman ought not to have to make big decisions for other people. But it looks as if we always have to.
I was sure I was doing the right thing, but that didn't make it no easier. Some folks was looking at me kind of curious, so I tried to quit crying. I wiped the tears off my face with the back of my hand and marched right up to the policeman with the little red mustache.
"I want to talk to the Chief of Police," I said.
"I don't doubt it, lady. Lots of people do. But it's like this--these airlines charge just so much and they figure if you don't like it you can travel some other way. The Chief himself can't make it any cheaper."
He walked away from me and left me standing. He must've thought I wanted to argue about ticket prices. The man at the information window was counting up figgers on a adding machine and I waited on him to finish.
"Yes, ma'am?" he said, real polite.
I didn't know just how to start.
"I got some real important information," I said, "but I won't tell it to nobody but the Chief of Police."
"Yes, ma'am."
"It's real important."
"I'm sure it is, ma'am."
"Would you get him on the phone for me?"
"I'd rather not."
"But it's real important!"
"Well, look, lady, why don't you talk to one of the policemen over there? They'll help you. Or if they can't they'd be glad to call downtown for you."
"All right, Mister, but--" He hollered at the policeman I'd just got through talking to, and he come towards us with a sour look on his race.
"This little lady has a problem," said the information man. Will you help her out?"
"Of course," the policeman said, turning to look at me again. "What can I do for you, miss?" "Y'all are looking for the man that robbed the bank, and I know where he is!" I said real fast, and then I broke down crying again. I'd said it now and it was too late to take it back.
The policeman took my suitcase and led me over to a bench and set me down. He was real nice and started patting me on the shoulder, smiling, and telling me not to cry; but I couldn't help it.
"I want to talk to the Chief of Police!"
He called over another officer. I stopped crying now and I was bound and determined I wouldn't break down no more. But I wasn't going to turn Junior over to no everyday policemen. I was going to make a bargain where Junior wouldn't get hurt or killed. Either they'd do it my way or I wouldn't tell them nothing a-tall.
They walked a few steps away and held a confab. Then they come back and they was both smiling. The tall one talked to me first.
"What bank was it that was robbed, ma'am?"
"I don't know."
"But you know the man who robbed it?"
"I reckon I do. I'm engaged to him."
His eyes opened wide. "Well, where is he now?"
"I ain't saying. I don't want him hurt none; and I want to make a swap to be sure he ain't. I ain't telling y'all, cause y'all don't have no right to bargain with me. I want to talk to one of yore high-up bosses."
They didn't much like me saying that.
"You're right about us," he said, "but you're wrong about our bosses. The police in Dallas don't make deals, high up or not. But you could be arrested yourself--for obstructing justice."
"Don't scare her, Marvin," said the one with the red mustache.
"He ain't scaring me! Not a bit. I may be from Oklahoma and the country, but I know a little. I won't talk to nobody but the Chief of Police, scairt or not."
"All right, lady, all right. But we've got to know you're telling the truth. We can't get our boss out here on a wild goose chase."
"I can prove it. Don't you worry."
"How?"
"With what's in my suitcase. Take a look, if you doubt it."
He opened it up.
"Holy Christ!" was what he said.
They took a good look at the money, and then the one with the red mustache lit a shuck out the front door like Satan was after him. The tall one shut the suit case and picked it up. He took me by the arm and started for the door.
"You've made me a very happy man, he said.
Well, I didn't know why he was so happy. I wasn't happy a-tall, and I knew Junior was gonna be awful unhappy about everything, even though it was for the best.
The happy policeman took me to their car outside. Inside the car a radio was blaring away and the red-mustached one was talking into it, and somebody at the other end was talking back to him through it.
I reckoned we'd get a little action, now.
Chapter 24
Junior Knowles
DREAMING about that twelve-o'clock whistle must of woke me up. And it was so hot I was smothering, even naked like I was.
The leaves hanging over me in the trees was gray from the dust settled on them, and they wasn't no breeze to shake it off. I stretched out my arms and then --the suitcase wasn't there!
I come straight up and looked every whichaway. Gone! Leonie, too! No Leonie and no suitcase! It was then that it come to me the twelve-o'clock whistle wasn't no twelve-o'clock whistle, a-tall. It was a siren, and it was coming closer and closer!
I run behind a tree to watch. A police car whanged past wide open, sireen a-screaming bloody murder, and went right on up the road towards the airport. Them fellers meant business, and my breath sort of stuck in my throat. At first I felt like lighting out running somewheres--anywheres. But I ain't one to be scairt for long. I'd have to hold myself on a tight rein now, for shore.
Leonie and the money both being gone meant they must of went together. Of course! Any fool could see that. I shore hated to think it, but it was bound to be. From there it wasn't hard to figger out.
It was my own fault; my own dern fault! Thinking back, I knowed I should of saw it coming. And I guess I had saw it and just shut my fool eyes to it. I was so tuckered out and so close to gitting out of Dallas, I'd got careless and just went along--not giving Leonie credit for being a woman, when all the time I should of been remembering it. That's all she was--just a woman.
A woman ain't nowheres near like a man and cain't think straight like a man. They always got to do something without thinking it out ahead of time. That must of been Leonie's trouble. She was probably sorry right now. She probably had told herself she was a-helping me out! Well, it never made no difference now what she told herself. It was awready done. But I shore did wish Leonie had asked my advice.
Waking me up was one time a sireen had did some good, anyhow. Now I could git away. Dang good thing that bunch of cops never drove up quiet. They'd of got me like a naked baby in his cradle. I had to move fast.
I looked at the Doc's car while I got my clothes on. Naw. If I taken it, every cop in Texas would know it was me driving it. Best let it set. Then they'd have to wonder if I'd stole another car, or walked, or how I was moving around.
Them cops would figger me to light a shuck towards town and try and git some other kind of ride out. So I started running the other way, down the dirt road towards the country. I'd git in somebody's house and hide, till night come, anyways. If they started looking in all the houses, I'd find some way to ditch them. They just might do that, too, I figgered. Ain't smart to think cops are too dumb.
Wasn't but one of me, against all of them; but if I could ever git out of Dallas I'd be long gone. No cops wouldn't never git me then. Lucky they was some loose money in my pockets when Leonie robbed me. Had about a season's laboring wages, at least. And I had me a plan that mig
ht fool them cops if I was lucky.
I still had them tickets Leonie had got. I could hole up in some house till the sun went down. Then I'd work my way back to the airport and see if I couldn't use one of them tickets. That'd shore be the last thing they'd expect, so it was the best thing to do.
I had a good head start on 'em now, so I slowed down and just walked for a spell. Might need my wind later on in case I got in a hurry again. I went right on by the first few houses. They'd be shore to check the first house or two away from the Doc's car. About another half a mile on down the road I come to this two-story house a-setting pack a good piece from the road on the left-hand side. They was a big scraggly old hedge 'twixt the front yard and the road. That'd do.
A fence run from the chicken yard in back of the house plumb out to the hedge at the road in front, and the fence-row was growed up in tall grass and weeds. That was on the side of the house towards the airport and them trees where I'd hid the Doc's car. Iff'n they come after me, it would likely be from that way.
I went in at the gate and crossed the yard and dumb a few wood steps to the gallery. I banged on the door with my fist and waited. I banged again. Shore be lucky if nobody wasn't home. But a old woman about fifty-five or sixty opened the door. The screen was hooked when I tried to pull it open.
"What you want, boy? I was taking my nap!" she whined at me.
"I'm awful sorry, ma'am. It's mighty dry, a-walking in this here sun. Wanted to ask iff'n I could git a glass of water."
"It's too hot for a body to be walking today." "Yes, ma'am, it shore is. Wish I could curl up somewhere in the shade myself. But I shore do need that drink if you can spare it."
I figgered on gabbing with the old woman till she got the screen open. I could have broke the hook, but I never wanted to scare her unless she made me.
"Oh, excuse me, you poor man! You come right on in and I'll fix some icewater." "Don't go to no trouble--"
"No trouble a-tall. Just come on in. I'll fix it in a jiffy." She unhooked the screen and went towards the kitchen. I shut the big wood door, locked it, and pulled my pistol out. I caught her before she got to the kitchen and shoved the gun in her back. She turned around and let out a squeak like a mouse and dropped on the floor like a bundle of rags.
I found a closet and drug her to it and shoved her in. "That's a dang good place to finish yore nap," I said; but she never heard me joshing her. After locking her in, I taken a look at the rest of the house.
It was a big one. Six rooms downstairs and four up, not counting bathrooms. I locked all the windows and doors and pulled all the shades down. I picked out a window upstairs where I could see all of the front yard and up the road a-piece both ways. A side window in the same room give me a look at most of the back, the chicken houses and on out to the fields. A fence was built from the chicken yard out to the hedge that run alongside of the road.
Iff'n I had to make a run for it, I might could make the chicken houses without too much danger of somebody seeing me--if they come after me from the front. Then I could belly along behind the weeds a-growing down the fence-row till I come to the hedge, and git from there into the ditch. I could crawl in the ditch to some trees about fifty yards back up the road.
They was a lot of if's in my plans on how to git away. I never had too good of a spot, awright; but I figgered I had a chance. And maybe they wouldn't decide to look in all the houses. Anyhow, they wasn't nobody in sight a-coming up the road yet, so I went back downstairs.
I pushed the settee and some chairs up against the front door and moved a big heavy table in the kitchen over against the back door. If they only come one way, that'd slow 'em down till I could git out in a different direction. I taken a look in the icebox and made me a good sandwich out of some baloney and onions and tomatoes. I washed it down with a pitcher of cold milk.
I went on back up to my lookout window and set down in a chair and started waiting and watching. I was feeling good now. I'd shore got around some, the last few days. But I was, gitting fat on it. More excitement than I'd saw in my whole life in Oklahoma, and I was looking forward to some more in a dang short time. I'd got to where I sort of craved it, like El was about his likker. My name was beginning to be knowed, I reckoned.
Folks back to home might awready be reading about me or hearing of my doings on their radios. Kept on thisaway, I'd probably be ahead of old Pretty Boy Floyd. No telling how famous I'd git to be, and I hadn't even figgered on it, a-tall.
Just one of them lucky spells what come along once't in a lifetime. But most folks gitting such a break don't have enough gumption to grab a-holt and make the most of it.
One thing, nobody'd never take Junior Knowles alive, neither. Not with my reputation. I started laughing out loud.
In about eight-ten hours, if my luck helt out, I'd be a-landing down in Houston. And I figgered to have some more fun and make me some more easy money down thataway. Maybe my name would git to be knowed in Houston as good as in Dallas. But I was gonna work it different in Houston.
From here on out I'd be working by myself. No more dang fools or womenfolks to git in my way. One lone wolf, that's what. I'd git even for Donald. And for what Leonie done to me, too. Somebody'd pay for all the things what went wrong in Dallas.
I reckoned they'd done caught old El down at the bus station. He'd stretch a rope. I never cared much. Wasn't for him, I'd of been out of Dallas and safe someplace. He shore had got my dander up, acting such a derned old fool. Well, it was too late for me to help him or hurt him, no matter where he'd got to. Let 'em hang him. He'd done lived about as long as me and Donald both put together, anyways. He never had no complaint coming, but if I knowed El he'd do plenty complaining, awright. Wouldn't doubt but what the old fool would try blaming me, too--right up to the last kick of his big feet. I laughed again.
They got everybody but Junior now, I thought. If they ever got close enough to git me they'd be a-hollering for somebody to help 'em turn me aloose. I checked my pistol, and broke a hole in the screen so's I could shoot through it easy. If I went out I'd shore take some company along with me.
I was still sort of sleepy, but I fought it off. Junior Knowles had done slept his last wink in Dallas. Every time I shut my eyes, I got closer to my coffin. I thought about a Coca-Cola I'd saw in the old woman's icebox, and went downstairs and got it. I was back at my chair a-sipping at the coke when I seen the police car creeping along the road.
It come real slow, like a big old snail, and they was a cop on each side of the front seat with their heads stuck out the windows. They must of been looking in the ditch on both sides for me. Well, I wasn't in no ditch. They could of saved theirselfs the trouble.
Then I seen a little old red car a-follering them along, just as slow as the cops was going and about as far behind them as I could throw a middle-sized brickbat. Two people was in it, but I never figgered they was policemen. One of 'em had his head all wrapped up in white bandages I had me a hunch who them two was. But about that time the police car stopped--in front of the house!
The driver dumb out, holding a gun in his right hand. He come to the gate and stopped, and I seen he had a red mustache.
"Hey! Hey, in the house!" the fool yelled. "Anybody at home?"
We was at home, awright, but I never told him so. Even with that red mustache Leonie thought was so dern cute, I still hoped he'd go on about his business a-looking for me--somewheres else. But he wasn't that smart, the pore fool.
"Cover me, Marv. I'm gonna check the house," he hollered at his partner.
He got the gate open and started walking onto the grass. I taken good aim. Don't usually need to bother about aiming, but I wanted to be shore not to have no hurt cops a-crawling around in that hedge with guns in their hands just now.
I squeezed the trigger off slow, and caught him just where I'd been a-looking--square-dab in the middle of his chest. He wouldn't be doing no crawling. He wouldn't even know when he hit the ground, he was so dead. The bullet had sort of balanced
him in the middle of a step for a second. Then he toppled onto his belly, and I seen a big sticky-looking spot in the middle of his back.
His partner must of saw it, too. He had that car in high in less than fifteen yards. He never had to be in such a hurry--specially going away from me--cause I wasn't gonna waste no shots. Mine was every one gonna be for keeps.
I looked up the other way, where the little red car was stopped by the ditch on one side of the road. A man and a woman had got out of it and was watching the house. So now I could git on with the plan I'd worked out. This place would most likely be swarming like a beehive before long. I was shore glad the black-headed stranger and the Dixon gal had come to the party early. I laughed out loud. Looked as if my luck was still a-holding out.
Right now I meant to find out. Them two was still sanding in the road talking to each other when I left the window and headed for the back of the house.
Chapter 25
Bill Brown
THE Lieutenant's driver must have found some extra space between his foot and the floor board after we went around him. When we got to the airport and Kay stopped at the entrance to the terminal their siren was screaming uncomfortably close behind us.
"Stay in the car, Kay," I said.
"Why?"
"I just think it's best."
A pair of police cars were in front of the entrance ahead of us. Two cops were standing by one of the cars with a girl between them. The cops looked as if they'd just been informed of joint ownership in a winning sweepstakes' ticket. But the girl's face wasn't happy.
She was a pale creature, rather slight but well-proportioned, generously freckled, and crowned with a mass of dark red hair. She had evidently been crying but appeared calm enough now, even if a bit dazed, and unquestionably sad. Two cops and one unhappy girl didn't add up to anything but three, for me.
"I wonder who she is?" Kay said.
"I wouldn't know," I admitted. "Pretty, though, isn't she?"
"Too thin."
The siren dwindled from shrill to guttural tone and died entirely as Lieutenant Campbell's car pulled up beside us. He was on the ground before it stopped rolling.
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