A Century of Noir
Page 74
“I guess I’m okay. I’ve got this drip in me, but nothing seems to be broken.”
“That’s what the doctor said. You were pinned but not crushed. He thinks you can leave tomorrow.”
“That’s good. I don’t know how I’ll pay this bill, so the sooner I get out of here the better.”
Her sunglasses were pushed up into her hair and she was nodding though I hadn’t said a word.
“Oh, I’ve got your suitcase and your plane ticket. They gave me your belongings when they cut your clothes off.”
“Thanks.”
“Yeah, they weren’t going to at first, but I told them you had been staying with me. Otherwise, they were going to hold onto everything, and I figured you wouldn’t want a policeman holding your ticket out of here, so I told him that and they gave it to me. I hope that was okay.”
Her brow wrinkled like a raised blind.
“Yeah, that was good thinking.”
“Well, I’ll go get your stuff.”
“Kiki, thanks for coming. How will you get back to the ship?”
“I’ve got the company’s jeep. I told the cruise director we were old friends, so he let me stay behind to make sure you were okay. I promised him I’d catch up at the next port of call.”
“Where is that?”
“We’re headed around Baja back to Ensenada. I’ll probably get there before the ship does.”
“So you wouldn’t have to leave right away?”
“No, I wouldn’t have to.”
“You know, if you were here tomorrow, you could have company for that trip back.”
“Really? What would I want with company?”
“I don’t know. I hear your compass doesn’t work so well. A girl could get lost like that.”
“Oh? And you don’t get lost?”
“Oh, I get lost, too. That’s why you should have me along. That’s how I learned what it takes to get found.”
A Century of Noir copyright notices:
“The Meanest Cop in the World” by Chester Himes. From the book The Collected Stories of Chester Himes by Chester Himes. Copyright © 1933, renewed 1990 by Lesley Himes. First published in Atlanta Daily World, 1933. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Thunder’s Mouth Press, and Roslyn Targ, Literary Agent.
“Just Another Stiff” by Carroll John Daly. From Dime Detective, April 1936. Copyright © 1936 by Popular Publications, Inc. Copyright renewed © 1964 by Popular Publications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted by arrangement with Argosy Publications, Inc., successor-in-interest to Popular Publications, Inc., and agency for Mary H. Daly, Heir of Carroll John Daly.
“Something for the Sweeper” by Norbert Davis. Copyright © 1937 by Popular Publications, Inc. First published in Dime Detective, May 1937. Reprinted by permission of Keith Deutsch.
“I Feel Bad Killing You” by Leigh Brackett. Copyright © 1944 by Fictioneers, Inc., a subsidiary of Popular Publications, Inc. Copyright renewed 1972 and assigned to Argosy Publications, Inc. First published in New Detective Magazine, November 1944. Reprinted by permission of the agent for the author’s Estate, the Spectrum Literary Agency.
“Don’t Look Behind You” by Fredric Brown. Copyright © 1947, renewed 1985 by the Estate of Fredric Brown. First published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, May 1947. Reprinted by permission of the agent for the author’s Estate, the Scott Meredith Literary Agency.
“Death Comes Gift-Wrapped” by William McGivern. Copyright © 1948 by Popular Publications, Inc. First published in Dime Detective, November 1948. Reprinted by permission of the agency for the author’s Estate, the Spectrum Literary Agency.
“Murder for Money” by John D. MacDonald. Copyright © 1952 by Popular Publications, Inc., renewed 1980 by John D. MacDonald, Inc. First published in Detective Tales, April 1952. Reprinted by permission of the agency for the author’s Estate, Diskant and Associates.
“Cigarette Girl” by James M. Cain. Copyright © 1953 by James M. Cain. First published in Manhunt, May 1953. Reprinted by permission of the agent for the author’s Estate, Harold Ober Associates, Inc.
“Guilt-Edged Blonde” by Ross Macdonald. Copyright © 1954 by Ross Macdonald. First published in Manhunt, January 1954. Reprinted by permission of the agent for the author’s Estate, Harold Ober Associates, Inc.
“The Gesture” by Gil Brewer. Copyright © 1955 by King-Size Publications; copyright renewed © 1983 by the Estate of Gil Brewer. Reprinted by permission of the agency for the author’s Estate, the Scott Meredith Literary Agency.
“The Plunge” by David Goodis. Copyright © 1958 by David Goodis. First published in Mike Shayne’s Mystery Magazine, October 1958. Reprinted by permission of the agent for the author’s Estate, the Scott Meredith Literary Agency.
“Tomorrow I Die” by Mickey Spillane. Copyright © 1960, renewed 1984 by Mickey Spillane. First published in Cavalier, March 1960. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Never Shake a Family Tree” by Donald E. Westlake. Copyright © 1961; renewed Copyright © 1989 by Donald E. Westlake. First published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, March 1961. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Somebody Cares” by Talmage Powell. Copyright © 1962 by Davis Publications, Inc. First published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, December 1962. Reprinted by permission of Paul Talmage Powell.
“The Granny Woman” by Dorothy B. Hughes. Copyright © 1963 by Dorothy B. Hughes. First published in Gamma #2, 1963. Reprinted by permission of the Executrix for the Dorothy B. Hughes Trust, Suzy Sarna.
“Wanted—Dead and Alive” by Stephen Marlowe. Copyright © 1963 by Flying Eagle Publications, Inc. First published in Manhunt, October 1963. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Double Take” by Richard S. Prather. Copyright © 1963 by Fawcett Publications, Inc.; Copyright renewed © 1991 by Richard Scott Prather. First published in Shell Scott’s Seven Slaughters. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Real Shape of the Coast” by John Lutz. Copyright © 1971 by John Lutz. First published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, June 1971. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Dead Men Don’t Dream” by Evan Hunter. Copyright © 1982 by Evan Hunter. Reprinted by permission of the author and his agents, Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents.
“The Used” by Loren D. Estleman. Copyright © 1982 by Loren D. Estleman. First published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, June 1982. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Busted Blossoms” by Stuart M. Kaminsky. Copyright © 1986 by Double Tiger Productions, Inc. First published in Mean Streets. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Kerman Kill” by William Campbell Gault. Copyright © 1987 by William Campbell Gault. First published in Murder in Los Angeles, 1987. Reprinted by permission of Shelley Gault.
“Deceptions” by Marcia Muller. Copyright © 1987 by the Pronzini-Muller Family Trust. First published in A Matter of Crime. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Nickel Derby” by Robert J. Randisi. Copyright © 1987 by Robert J. Randisi. First published in Hardboiled #7, 1987. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“The Reason Why” by Ed Gorman. Copyright © 1988 by Ed Gorman. First published in Criminal Elements. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“No Comment” by John Jakes. Copyright © 1989 by John Jakes. First published in Deadly Doings. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“How Would You Like It?” by Lawrence Block. Copyright © 1993 by Lawrence Block. First published in Monsters in Our Midst. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Grace Notes” by Sara Paretsky. Copyright © 1995 by Sara Paretsky. First published by Delacorte Press in Windy City Blues by Sara Paretsky. Reprinted by permission of the author and her agents, the Dominick Abel Literary Agency.
“One Night at Dolores Park” by Bill Pronzini. Copyright © 1995 by Bill Pronzini. First published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, April 1995. Reprinted by permission
of the author.
“Dead Drunk” by Lia Matera. Copyright © 1996 by Lia Matera. First published in Guilty as Charged. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Kaddish for the Kid” by Max Allan Collins. Copyright © 1998 by Max Allan Collins. First published in Private Eyes. Reprinted by permission of the author.
“Lost and Found” by Benjamin M. Schutz. Copyright © 1999 by Benjamin M. Schutz. First published in Death Cruise, 1999. Reprinted by permission of the author.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
CHESTER HIMES
The Meanest Cop in the World
CARROLL JOHN DALY
Just Another Stiff
NORBERT DAVIS
Something for the Sweeper
LEIGH BRACKETT
I Feel Bad Killing You
FREDRIC BROWN
Don’t Look Behind You
WILLIAM P. MCGIVERN
Death Comes Gift-Wrapped
JOHN D. MACDONALD
Murder for Money
JAMES M. CAIN
Cigarette Girl
ROSS MACDONALD
Guilt-Edged Blonde
GIL BREWER
The Gesture
DAVID GOODIS
The Plunge
MICKEY SPILLANE
Tomorrow I Die
DONALD E. WESTLAKE
Never Shake a Family Tree
TALMAGE POWELL
Somebody Cares
DOROTHY B. HUGHES
The Granny Woman
STEPHEN MARLOWE
Wanted—Dead and Alive
RICHARD S. PRATHER
The Double Take
JOHN LUTZ
The Real Shape of the Coast
EVAN HUNTER
Dead Men Don’t Dream
LOREN D. ESTLEMAN
The Used
STUART M. KAMINSKY
Busted Blossoms
WILLIAM CAMPBELL GAULT
The Kerman Kill
MARCIA MULLER
Deceptions
ROBERT J. RANDISI
The Nickel Derby
ED GORMAN
The Reason Why
JOHN JAKES
No Comment
LAWRENCE BLOCK
How Would You Like It?
SARA PARETSKY
Grace Notes
BILL PRONZINI
One Night at Dolores Park
LIA MATERA
Dead Drunk
MAX ALLAN COLLINS
Kaddish for the Kid
BENJAMIN M. SCHUTZ
Lost and Found
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s Imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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