The Taste of Infamy: the Adventure of John Killane by Charles O. Locke

Author:Charles O. Locke
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504011754
Publisher: Open Road Media

Helen and Killane reached the cantina first. Favio stayed with his mother for a spell. At first Killane thought Helen’s silence was sorrow for the death they had just seen. Then he saw that she was angry about something. She walked in the bar ahead of him.

“Hattie’s in bed. I’ll get some coffee.”

He waited at the table until she came with the cups and sat down. “It’s almost three.” She sat staring at the table top.

Killane looked at the dark street through the open door. “Light in about an hour.”

Helen said: “Favio must fix the top of the door. It still won’t close.”

“Yes.”

“Johnny, Hayden didn’t stop today.”

“No.”

“I don’t like the look of that.”

“Neither do I.”

“Hattie may get too much to handle—understand, she has no love for the De Gorios. But the strain.”

Killane nodded.

“It’s the strain.” Helen repeated. “Johnny, if you’re going to accept Favio’s help—”

“He wants to help?”

“Yes—very much. He’ll be along. If you’re going to do business with him, get it settled now—tonight.”

Killane admired her controlled anger, her decisiveness. She got up and went to get coffee for Favio when he came in. Favio first got brandy for himself from the bar. He sat down, and stretched out his hand. Killane had forgotten the note. He handed over the folded paper. His only comment was about the Spanish writing on the note.

“You looked only on one side,” Favio grunted. “The map is on the other. Not much of a map.”

They both looked at a dim tracing.

“A map of what?”

“A map of a joke,” said Favio wearily. “This is the greatest joke in Mexico. My father gives you a map and writes with great difficulty, ‘This will save you trouble and wasting time.’ So he dies laughing. Señor, do you not have a saying up North: He died laughing? Well, you have seen it. There is a basement in the De Gorios bank and a door leading to the mine, besides the big vault door. I have seen it several times. The mine ran out years ago. But De Gorios is convinced it can still be worked for profit. So the work goes on. This is the De Gorios madness. De Gorios used to go in to inspect the shafts. But no more. Last year he was almost caught in a cave-in, which is, by the way, how his grandfather died. You understand our Mexican workmen are not very good with the wood supports in a mine. They are carelesss. But on and on the work goes, just as if the mine were worth something. Always, ‘Tomorrow we will find.’”

Favio dropped to the floor and began to make motions with his hands. Helen in anger at this foolery went to the kitchen.

“See me,” said Favio. “I am a Mexican mole. I dig.”

He got back in his chair. “One-third the population of Santo Alto is underground like moles playing chess. It is supposed to be hard to get to the bank. I can get you there from the cellar of this

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