Kill the Boss Goodbye

Author:Peter Rabe [Rabe, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Munsey's
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

When they got back to San Pietro, Fell dropped Cripp off and told him he wouldn't need him till later. Cripp watched Fell drive off and went upstairs to his rooms.

The fever had left him. He remembered the way he had felt when he had watched the horse running, feeling exactly as Fell did. Fell, perhaps, felt like that often; it made Cripp apprehensive. When the phone rang he was glad for the interruption. He sat down on his bed, took the phone, and said, “Hello.”

“Cripp, this is Janice.”

“Yes, Mrs. Fell.”

There was a pause, but both of them knew they were thinking of the same thing.

“Have you seen Tom?” said Janice. “I'm calling only because he left while I was still asleep, very early....”

“He's all right, Mrs. Fell. I've been with him.”

Janice said “Oh” and then she laughed, but Cripp knew that she was still anxious.

“We went out early to clock a horse,” said Cripp. “They clock them early, that's the only reason Tom had to go when he did.”

“I'm glad,” said Janice. “I'm glad that it was only a horse.”

Cripp nodded, forgetting that Janice couldn't see him. He thought how good it would be if it were only a horse, if there were no other doubts.

“You know I don't like to do this,” said Janice, “calling you about him like this. But you understand, don't you, Cripp?”

“I do, Mrs. Fell. I know what you mean.”

“I don't—I really haven't anyone to talk to about this, so perhaps that makes it worse for me than it is. You know, Cripp?”

Cripp nodded again without saying anything. It shocked him to find that someone else thought about Fell the way he did; like a confirmation, as if his doubts about Fell had suddenly gained real basis.

“Of course I'm exaggerating,” Janice said, and laughed again. “But I can't help being concerned.”

Cripp could tell how she felt. He wanted to smile, so she would be reassured, but she couldn't see him. He said, “There's really nothing to worry about,” and after a pause, “believe me, Mrs. Fell, I'm watching him.”

“I'm glad, Cripp.”

“Sure, Mrs. Fell. It's just that you and me don't know about these things and the way Doctor Emilson talks, it's hard to know what to think.”

“That's true, Cripp. Especially when Tom seems to be all right. He acts perfectly all right when I see him.”

“When I see him, too.”

They paused again, and then Janice laughed, more relaxed now, and said, “I'll let you go now, Cripp. You must be busy.”

“That's all right, Mrs. Fell. I'm glad we had this talk.”

“This was just between us. All right, Cripp?”

“Sure. And if you like, I can call you back some time, just so you don't have to worry.”

“Thank you, Cripp.”

Cripp nodded again and hung up.

He would call Janice back, now and then, to tell her that there was nothing to worry about. He looked for a cigarette, found the pack empty, dropped it on the floor. He would call her back, now and then, to find out how Fell was at home, what Janice thought about Fell.

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