Black and White by Duane Lindsay

Author:Duane Lindsay [Lindsay, Duane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-06-04T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

The first night they’re together, Henry Pine beats her.

Two-hundred miles south of Chicago, at a roadside motel that was old before the first of the world wars, on a trip made in sullen silence. The motel was made to look like a long log cabin, was yellowed with age, with a sagging porch covering the entrance to the dozen rooms. Only one car is parked near the office and Henry Pine gets the last one in the row, far from any interference or witnesses.

Myrna Lee, barefoot and apprehensive, leaves the relative safety of the big Packard car and enters the dark pine paneled room. It’s got a pull down shade and a single lamp glowing orange in the corner. A single bed with a spread that’s been washed so many times it’s threadbare.

Henry Pine comes in behind her and shoves her aside. He drops his bag on the floor. He touches her shoulder, and she pulls away.

“Don’t,” he growls. “Don’t you resist me. I am you husband and you will obey me.”

“Like hell I…”

He slaps her across the face and she falls to the floor.

He says, “I’m going out to get supper. I’m not going to let you come out in public. You’ll cause a scene. You’ll stay here and I’ll bring you a burger or something.”

“I don’t want a burger.”

“I don’t care. I’ll be back later. And remember, if you do anything, run away or call the police, maybe you’ll get away, but Jefferson Davis will be dead. And you don’t want that, do you?”

She’s on her knees, looking up, defiant.

“Do you?” He demands.

“No,” she whispers.

“All right, then.” He turns and walks out, leaving her alone.

The bar is called The Bar. It’s a rundown shack with three old trucks parked in the dirt pad in front, it’s got a single window next to a worn wooden door. The window pulses orange and purple from a neon sign inside. Henry Pine walks in, sits at the bar, asks where he can get food.

The bartender, too early old, like he’s been worked until he dropped, says, “We serve burgers here, and franks. Cold soda pop in bottles.” He nods his head back of the bar. “Whiskey and beer. What’ll you have?”

“I’ll do the burger and a Pepsi Cola. You got pickles?”

“Yep, and relish and ketchup. Got no mustard though.”

“Don’t want none. Ketchup, sure, and chips.”

“Comin’ up.”

Henry Pine goes to a corner booth and settles in. There’s only a few men in here, drinking the night away, and certainly no women. He thinks about Myrna Lee.

She’s a problem, that woman. He wants her back, sure, but, if he’s being honest, he doesn’t have any idea what to do with her. The threat to kill Jefferson Davis will only last so long, and at some point, sooner or later, she’s going to run again.

He feels a bit like a dog that’s been chasing cars until finally he caught one. Now what is he gonna do?

He’s thinking about it all through his supper,

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