These Lonely, These Dead (1959) by Robert Colby

Author:Robert Colby [Colby, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781440539213
Publisher: F+W Media
Published: 1959-12-14T22:00:00+00:00

Andrea Lockridge

I FINALLY REMEMBERED the name of that awful delivery boy. It was Switzer. Willie Switzer. He used to work at that liquor store a few blocks from where Viv and I had an apartment in Glendale. I didn’t want to go on living with Viv anyway, but it was really that Willie Switzer who made up my mind in a hurry. I got out of there fast and moved over here in Santa Monica, about as far away as you could get.

Willie used to clerk in the store in the afternoons. Then when the night man came on, he would run orders until about nine or ten. He didn’t have a brain in his head, but he was built like Tarzan in a tree. He looked like one of those muscle ads and had hair almost as long as mine. He had a crafty face and dirty eyes. He used to be a lifeguard but if there was one ugly girl on the whole beach, a drowning man wouldn’t have a chance.

One thing, I’m sure we got the fastest delivery in town. You would call in an order and while you were hanging up, the door bell would be ringing. If Viv was there, he would give me a fast ogle and leave on the run. But if I was alone, he would hang around talking nonsense until he had stripped me down in his mind like a backyard hot rod.

I hated him. I just hated him! Intellectually, I mean. I treated him like what he was — something that crawled out from under a rock. But he did stir some crazy impulse I don’t understand and one night when Viv was out and I had had a fight with Jeff, I sent for a bottle. I was feeling low and restless and mean all at once. I think I knew when I picked up that phone what was going to happen.

After that he was unbearable. Just unbearable! He used to call at all hours and come around unasked even when Jeff or one of my other men friends was there. Imagine! He acted like he owned me. I couldn’t explain him and I couldn’t get rid of him without calling the police. So I moved.

But today (Wednesday), I did tell the police about him. I simply said that he was no friend of mine and never had been but that he used to hang around and stare like there was something wrong with him upstairs.

That Lieutenant Brehmer said he sounded like the best lead yet. They’re out hunting for him now and if they find him I’ll deny anything he says about me and be believed. Because it’s easy for me to see by the questions I’m asked and the respect with which I’m treated that none of my friends have said an unkind word about me. I choose my men friends carefully and I don’t think any of them would betray me. Except for Viv, I leave women out of my life.

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