by Joe Connelly
Tim would remember those days as the happiest in their marriage. Loretta never looked more beautiful, with the lights from the water on the floor, Crazy Louie’s fox draped over her arm. Loretta’s sweater. Loretta smiling. Everyone smoking. Tim raised his glass and said, “Who’s better than us?” He climbed up to the bar, threw the glass against the wall. “Who’s better than us?” he shouted. The crowd answering as one.
116
Don woke first, evening light. He slipped out of bed and quietly put on his pants and shoes, his jacket from under the chair. He wouldn’t be able to do this while she was awake, didn’t have the words. He went back to the bed and kissed her once more and walked to the door. The door was stuck.
She opened her eyes. “You are going?”
He yanked it open, searching the hall. “I was going to walk.”
“You are walking how far.”
“I don’t know.” He went to the bed, on his knees holding her hand. “The longer you’re with me the more trouble you’re in. They’ll find us here, Rita, they always do.” He stood, trying to let go. “You can still get away.”
“I am coming with you.”
“There’s no place to go.”
Her hands pressed into the bed, “Okay.” She stood and walked to the other room, to the phone on a stand next to the couch. He watched her from the hall, dialing, waiting, “New York City,” she said, “Brian Halo Show producer.” Dialing some more, “Hello, I have Don Reedy here and I must speak with Brian Halo,” waiting, “Yes, I am with Don Reedy” . . . “Hello, this is Brian Halo” . . . “Yes, so when that we rob this store . . .”
He came up behind her, grabbing her by the waist, the two of them falling in the couch. “Yes,” she said, “okay, yes, tomorrow afternoon . . .” Kissing her ear in the phone, the lake of her neck, endless again.
Joe Connelly
CRUMBTOWN
Joe Connelly’s first novel, Bringing Out the Dead, was made into a film by Martin Scorsese. A native of New York City, Connelly now lives in the Adirondacks with his wife and family.
Books by Joe Connelly
Bringing Out the Dead
Crumbtown
FIRST VINTAGE CONTEMPORARIES EDITION, JUNE 2004
Copyright © 2003 by Joe Connelly
Vintage and colophon are registered trademarks and Vintage
Contemporaries is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the Knopf edition as follows:
Connelly, Joe, [date]
Crumbtown / Joe Connelly.—1st American ed.
p. cm.
1. Television programs—Fiction. 2. Bank robberies—Fiction.
3. Ex-convicts—Fiction. 4. Slums—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3553.O5115 C78 2003
813’.54—dc21
2002072930
www.vintagebooks.com
www.randomhouse.com
eISBN: 978-0-307-42540-9
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