The criminal by Jim Thompson

Author:Jim Thompson
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery & Detective - General, Detective, Detective and mystery stories, Mystery & Detective, Mystery, Fiction - Mystery, Political, Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), Modern fiction, 20th Century American Novel And Short Story, Suspense, Hard-Boiled, General, General & Literary Fiction, Fiction, Mystery & Detective - Hard-Boiled
ISBN: 9780679733140
Publisher: Vintage Books
Published: 1993-08-15T23:22:16.849000+00:00

9 Richard Yeoman

The d.a. locked the door on the kid, and handed me a five. Two fifty for me and two fifty for Charlie Alt. He said we should get our supper, and not to take all night about it.

"And no gabbing, understand?" he said. "You don't know a thing about the Talbert boy."

"What about him?" I said. "You want we should bring him a sandwich or something?"

"No," he said. "When he's ready to eat, he can say so."

"We could bring him a malt or something," I said. "Something cold to drink maybe."

"He can have something to drink," he said, "whenever he wants it."

"Well, I was just asking," I said.

"He can have anything he wants," the d.a. said. "Just as soon as he comes to his senses."

Me and Charlie figured the Chinaman's was the best deal, being close and pretty reasonable and all, so we went downstairs and headed across the street. Charlie was kind of mumbling to himself and counting on his fingers. Finally, he got it figured out.

"Small steak, french fries, peas, pie, two cups of coffee," he said. "Two fifty exactly, Dick."

"Yeah," I said, "but what about the tip?"

"H—," he said, "what you want to tip Chinamen for? They got a lot more money than you have."

"Oh, I don't know," I said. "I guess maybe I shouldn't, but I always feel kind of funny. Don't you tip 'em, Charlie?"

"Well, I ain't going to tonight," he said.

We got to the Chinaman's and I told Charlie to go on back and get us a booth. I had to give my old lady a ring.

"I guess I ought to call my daughter, too," he said, giving me a kind of funny look. "You go ahead and I'll wait for you."

"No, you better go get us a booth," I said. "You hold it until I'm through, and then I'll hold it while you're talking."

Well, H—," he said. "There's plenty of d—d booths." But he went on back.

I called Kossy at his office but I didn't get any answer, and he wasn't to home either. Finally, I got him over at U.S. Federal where they was having a night immigration hearing.

"Dick Yeoman, Mr. Kossmeyer," I said. "Mr. Kossmeyer, ain't you counsel in the Talbert case?"

"Talbert?" he said. "Tal—oh, yeah. Sure, Dick. They let the kid go."

"No, they ain't let him go," I said. "It don't look like they're going to either, if you know what I mean. I was going to call you earlier, Mr. Kossmeyer, but I didn't have a chance and—"

"S— of a b—h!" he said. "I supposed he was home in bed. I haven't had a peep out of his folks."

"I've been doing everything I can for that boy, Mr. Kossmeyer," I said. "But frankly that ain't very much. It ain't something I got a lot of control over, if you follow my meaning."

"Sure," he said, quickly. "I appreciate that, Dick. You— stop by my office tomorrow. Where—"

"Oh, that's not necessary" I said. "What time, Mr. Kossmeyer?"

"Any time, any time!" he said.

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