Texas by the Tail

Author:Jim Thompson [Thompson, Jim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Texas - Fiction, Detective and mystery stories, Espionage, Mystery & Detective, Crime, Romance, Psychological, Historical, General, Texas
ISBN: 9780679740117
Publisher: Vintage Books
Published: 1994-10-04T04:54:38.843000+00:00

14

Turkelson and Red were seated cozily on the lounge, sipping tall drinks and nibbling from a huge tray of hot hors d'oeuvres. Mitch saw that Red was just a little bit high, and he looked at them with mock severity.

"Curse this bitter day!" he said, flinging a hand to his forehead. "So this is what goes on while I'm out sweating over a hot pair of dice!"

"It's all Turk's fault," Red declared. "He's simply been pouring the drinks down me, Mitch!"

"Mmm-hmm. And I suppose he put you in that negligee and robe, too, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did," Red said. "That's exactly what he did. I

don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come in." Turkelson chucked and chortled, his belly quivering with delight. Mitch sat down, counted off three thousand, three hundred dollars, and handed it to him.

"Ten per cent of thirty-three. Okay, Turk?"

"My God, yes!" the manager breathed. "It's really too much, Mitch. I didn't do anything to deserve a cut like this."

"You did plenty. How did the paper look, anyway? No illegible signatures or funny stuff?"

"See for yourself," Turkelson said, and he handed Mitch the checks which Lord had written that night. They were all made out to the hotel company, rather than to cash or an individual. Thus, they became a legitimate obligation for value received. It would be obvious, of course, that Lord's bill could not have amounted to so much. But that changed nothing. As a means of building good will, a large hotel may cash checks for a person who is not even a patron.

Mitch handed the checks back, began to relax for the first time in days. He could pay off Agate now, and still have more than enough left to take care of his other immediate needs. After that…

Well, after that was after that. For the present he was sitting sweet.

Red brought him a drink and a few delicacies from the tray. He frowned slightly as she fixed herself another drink, then grinned and winked at her. She had been a little awkward with him since she had forced him to take her to the bank. It was good to see her loosened up and having fun again.

Red would never be a drunk. She enjoyed life too much. She was too honest with herself, too clear of conscience.

"All worn out, honey?" She looked at him archly over the rim of her glass. "Completely worn out?"

Mitch laughed and shook his head. "How about you? Winnie was giving you a pretty hard time."

"Him? Oh, pooh! You know, he's such a complete stinker that I almost felt sorry for him."

"Don't!" Mitch said firmly. "The last woman who felt sorry for Winnie Lord almost got her nose bitten off. I'm not kidding"-he glanced at Turkelson. "You remember it, don't you, Turk? Some poor damned waitress in a Galveston beer joint."

"I remember," the manager nodded. "The Lords fought the case all the way to the Supreme Court. She didn't even get her doctor bills out of it.

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