The Big Gold Dream by Chester Himes

Author:Chester Himes
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, pdf
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“It’s Alberta’s money,” Sugar said. “I’m going to see that she gets it back.”

Dummy wrote: “not if I find it first.”

“All right, we’ll go halvers,” Sugar bargained.

Dummy wrote:

just if we find it in here

outside dont count.

Sugar nodded. There would be time enough to work out what to do after they found it. The main thing was to keep a close watch and protect himself, because if Dummy had killed Rufus, he wouldn’t hesitate about killing him, too.

Dummy wrote: “we search together.”

Sugar nodded. “That’s the best way,” he agreed.

It was not a difficult place to search. The two rooms and kitchen had been furnished from Blumstein’s department store on 125th Street. The sitting room furniture was of modernistic oak veneer, was known as the King Cole suite, and had been manufactured in the Bronx. In the bedroom was a Deluxe bridal suite in blond maple from Grand Rapids, Michigan. The television set bore the stamp of one of the big Jersey City dealers, who advertised over the local radios that he would deliver, install and have working, within one hour of receiving an order by telephone, any size television set to any of New York City’s five boroughs at any time of the day or night.

Before starting, Sugar had gone into the kitchen for a glass of water. Dummy had followed quickly, but not before Sugar had snatched the plastic pepper shaker from the kitchen table and slipped it into his side pants pocket. He managed to unscrew the top while they went over the furnishings and through all of the various drawers.

Neither let the other get out of sight. Chiefly, they watched one another’s hands. Every now and then they stared at each other with secret speculation. It was Sugar’s intention, if Dummy found the money, to dash the pepper into his eyes, snatch the money and run. Dummy’s plan was not so subtle; he merely intended to knock Sugar unconscious and walk out with the money, leaving him there.

But they didn’t find anything except the worldly possessions of Rufus Wright, which weren’t worth talking about.

Dummy wrote: “somebody beat us to it.”

“It didn’t have to be here,” Sugar said.

Dummy wrote: “where else?”

Sugar shook his head. He wasn’t giving Dummy any leads.

Before leaving, they went to the window to case the street. There was the customary array of downtown porters and domestic workers on their way to work. They didn’t spot anyone who looked like a detective. But while they were watching they saw the girl come from the alleyway, carrying a pair of overall pants, and start highballing in the direction of 114th Street. A moment later the janitor appeared in his hickory-striped shirt and flowered shorts and took out after her. They disappeared around the corner.

Dummy looked at Sugar and wrote the question, “you bring my girl here?”

Sugar nodded, without offering any further explanations.

Dummy didn’t ask for any; he wrote: “you owe me $2.”

“I’ll pay you,” Sugar said, thinking it was no more than right.

“I ain’t got it now, but I’ll pay you later.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.