The Expendable Man by Dorothy B. Hughes

Author:Dorothy B. Hughes [Hughes, Dorothy B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Suspense
ISBN: 9781590175095
Publisher: NYRB Classics
Published: 1963-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

There was little to say as Hugh and Ellen drove back to The Palms. It had all been said. He walked with her to her door.

She opened it and asked, “Will you come in for a stirrup cup, Hugh?” She didn’t care much, her thoughts were miles away.

“Not tonight. I’m worn down.”

“You are sleepy?”

“It’s funny, but I am. Without a prescription.” The want to take her in his arms was unbearable. He turned abruptly away. “Good night.”

She misinterpreted the reason for his sudden mood, for her thoughts spilled from her. “There must be something I can do! Some way to help!”

He turned back. “You’ve helped unbelievably.”

“There’s so much to be done. I can’t just stand aside—”

“How do you think I feel?” he cried. “But until we find—”

The ringing of the telephone in her living room was startling. For a moment equal alarm met in their eyes, then she whirled and rushed inside. He was on her heels, stopping only to close the door behind them. There was no logic in his following, undoubtedly it would be her family or friends calling. But it could be his family, with something so dire they would intrude on him here. Had Ringle and Venner come for him?

She had answered before he reached her side. He saw the expression on her face and snatched the instrument from her. A male slimy voice was speaking “. . . another babe shacked up with him . . .”

Hugh broke in harshly, “Who is this?”

“That you, Doc? Don’t want to spoil your fun—”

Again Hugh interrupted, demanding, “Who is this? What do you want?”

The jeer went out of the voice. It became tough. Evil. “I’ll tell you what I want. You better get out of town before something happens to you. Something real bad. You get the message? We don’t like niggers mucking our—”

Hugh banged down the handset and started to the door. Before he was half across the room, Ellen caught him.

“No, Hugh, no!”

He tried to put away the hands clutching his arm, but her arms closed around him, holding him entangled.

“You mustn’t go out there. You mustn’t!”

He tried to force her away but she clung. Short of hurting her, he couldn’t break loose.

“He isn’t out there! He’s on the telephone!”

The words came through and the fight went out of him. Not the rage which made fear nonexistent, but the will to action. His arms closed around her and for the moment he stood there holding her, as he’d wanted to hold her. He didn’t kiss her, didn’t caress her, he simply held her in his arms. After that moment, he released her.

“You shouldn’t have stopped me.” He pushed open the lanai doors to recover his breath, parting the draperies, gazing out on the peaceful moon-gilt greensward. No one at all was in sight. He closed the curtains before he turned. She had dropped into a chair. The flame of the lighter she held to her cigarette was shaking as in wind. He completed the operation for her, then took the other chair and lit a cigarette for himself.

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