Part 18 (1/2)
”Listen toto hold Dulcy's gaze ”You're either going to getto lower the booave a violent start She giggled ”Thought you wasn't scared?” she said
chink's face becairl,” he said dangerously
She reached up as though she'd forgotten his presence and began to scratch her hair Suddenly she looked up and caught hi at her ”It's just one of Spookie's fleas,” she said He began swelling about the jowls, but she didn't notice ”Spookie,” she called ”Co cas, and she picked it up and held it in her lap ”It's just one of your little black fleas, ain't it, baby?” she said, bending over to let the dog lick her face
chink slapped the dog froainst the table leg and began running about the floor yelping and trying to get out
”I want you to listen to e
Dulcy's face darkened with lightning-quick fury and she tried to stand up, but chink put his hands on her shoulders and pinned her in the chair
”Don't you hit , you mother-raper!” she shouted ”I don't allow nobody to hit --”
chink cut her off ”God damn it, I want you to listen” Alamena entered the kitchen hurriedly, and when she saw chink holding Dulcy pinned to her seat she said, ”Let her alone, nigger Can't you see she's drunk?”
He took away his hands but said furiously, ”I want her to listen”
”Well, that's your problem,” Alamena said ”You're a bar jockey Get her sober”
”You want to get your throat cut again?” he said viciously
She didn't let it touch her ”No da to watch out fordone in a hurry”
”You don't need to watch out forit for you, nigger, you needn't worry 'bout that,” Alamena said as she left the kitchen and went back to her post ”Co followed her
chink sat down and wiped the sweat from his face
”Listen, baby, you're not that drunk,” he said
Dulcy giggled, but this time it sounded strained ”You're the one that's drunk if you think Johnny's going to give you ten grand,” she said
”He ain't the one who's going to give it to ive it to et it fro to do this, baby?”
”No, I just want you to give me tirowing onoing to do this,” he said ”First, it was your knife that killed hiave you for Christmas And don't tell me you've lost it, because I know better You wouldn't carry it around with you unless you intended using it, because you'd be too scared of Johnny seeing it”
”Oh no you don't, honey,” she said ”You ain't going tothat you showed me both of them when you told ht them back froirl friend in case you got too handy with yours I've still got the one you gave me”
”Let's see it”
”Let me see yours”
”You know da knife around with me”
”Since when?”
”I ain't never carried it on me It's at the club”
”That's just fine Mine's at the seashore”
”I ain't joking with you, girl”
”If you think I' with you, just try me I can putet it and stick it into you” She didn't sound the least bit drunk any more
chink scowled at her ”Don't threaten me,” he said
”Don't you threaten ot yours, why didn't you tell the cops about ot and cut your throat and maybe mine too?” she said
”If you're all that scared, why didn't you get rid of it?” he said ”If you think Johnny's going to find it and start chivving on you”
”And take a chance on you turning rat and saying it was oing to leave an to swell, but he ht then, let's say it wasn't your knife,” he said ”I knoas but let's just say it wasn't--”
”All together now,” she cut in ”Let's say bull”
”All right then, let's say it wasn't your knife,” he said to shake Johnny down for ten grand I know that for sure”
”And what I know for sure is that you andout the sa extract of gold or US rand”
”You'd better listen to ,” she said ”I just keep hearing stuff that don'tit was your idea,” he said ”But you were going to do it That's for sure And thaton Johnny that orth that otten up the nerve to try it”
Dulcy laughed theatrically, but it didn't co where the et on top' That I'd like to see--just what rand”
”Well, baby, I' to tell you,' he said ”It ain't as if I need to knohat you had on hih When that's tied together with the knife, which you clai nobody, that means a murder rap for one of you I don't knohich one and I don't care If it don't hurt you, don't holler I' to Johnny If he plays tough I' to have a little talk with those two Harleer and Coffin Ed And you knohat that's going to h”
Dulcy got up and staggered over to the sideboard and drank two fingers of brandy straight She tried to stand, but she found herself teetering and flopped into another chair
”Listen, chink, Johnny's got enough trouble as it is,” she said ”If you press him just a little bit now, he'll blow his top and kill you if they burn him in hell for it”
He tried to look uniht have a silver plate in his head but he don't want to burn any more than anybody else”