Under Cover of Daylight by James W. Hall

Author:James W. Hall [Hall, James W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Thrillers
ISBN: 9781453223468
Publisher: Open Road
Published: 1987-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

17

IRVING MCMANN MARCHED the length of his ten-foot closet. Milburn watched him from the closet doorway, rubbing the raw skin around his flesh-colored eye patch.

“Come on, man. Let’s just do tourists.”

“You do tourists,” Irv said. “That’s how much imagination you got.”

“All there is in Key West is tourists, Conchs, and fags. I’d rather do tourists.”

“I knew I remembered this thing,” said Irv as he reached in among the tight-packed clothes and withdrew a hanger with leather shorts pinned to it. “I bought it in Provincetown, this great queer store. Man, it’s just right.”

Irv slipped it on over his red bikini underwear. He turned and modeled it for Milburn, jutting out a hip and pressing his chin to his shoulder. Fluttering lashes.

“I’m not going anywhere with you like that.”

“I’m just starting, man.”

“I’m not dressing up,” Milburn said, there with his hairy gut hanging over the edge of a pair of tennis shorts. Tennis shorts! What a joke. Milburn swatting at a tennis ball, trying to get from here to there. They called him Earthquake at the Health and Racket Club.

Milburn said, “What’s the idea anyway? You think this girl’s going to come up with the money faster for some leather freak? Either she has the three thou or we wet her. It doesn’t call for any big drama club thing.”

“You see, Milburn. This is exactly the difference between us. You’re thinking in a straight line: The broad owes us, so we collect, one, two, three. This linear shit, man, that’s what’s crippled you up. I’m over here jumping, like quantum leaps, a jump here, a jump miles further ahead.” Irv loosened the spiked bulldog collar around his neck. He tried different angles with the leather Greek sailor’s cap, found one he liked, cocked over to the side, almost touching his ear. Just right. Fruity but frightening.

“This Ricki person. She’s gonna be a rich lady. She’s gonna need some serious financial counseling as I see it. Like from this kinky Merrill Lynch guy, specializes in resort management.”

“Man, you’re batshit. Total certifiable batshit. Nobody, I don’t care how flaky the broad is, nobody is going to hand over a resort island to some stranger buys his clothes at the pet store. You’re slipping beyond the edge here.”

“OK, Joyce Brothers, what do you recommend?”

“I say we go down there, get our three dollars, or smack the broad. Either way, doesn’t matter shit to me. Dress like boat captains or something halfway normal, hit a few bars, hang out at the nude beach tomorrow, catch the Sunday crowd, tan our hard-ons, and come on home. Nice relaxing trip. Nothing kinky. Cut the Hollywood bullshit.”

“Yeah, OK, buddy. Whatever you say.” Irv hatching an idea, taking off his collar, the hat, the leather vest. “You may have a thought there. I just may see a point to that.”

Milburn staring at him now, a little nervous he was getting his way. Seemed to be sorry for a moment. Then shaking his head firmly and snorting. Like it’s about time Irv paid more attention to his point of view.

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