Charlie Martz and Other Stories Read Online Free Page A

you ever seen him before?”
    â€œOh yes, I think it’s Mr. Di Vico.”
    â€œBuddy?” She seemed pleased. “Why didn’t you say so. Send him up.”
    I entered the Imperial through the side entrance and went up the stairs without the night clerk spotting me. I did get a glance at him. Looked just like his voice.
    Room 220 was three doors from the stairs. I knocked gently and tried to feel like a Buddy Di Vico.
    â€œJust a sec, honey.” From within.
    As soon as the knob started to turn I pulled my gun, threw a shoulder, and was in the middle of the room before she knew what had happened. I covered her with the .32. It was a good thing because the black negligee was falling down on the job.
    â€œAren’t you cold?”
    â€œBrother, that’s a new one.” She wasn’t the least bit flustered and made no attempt to cover up. “If it wasn’t for the suit, I’d hardly recognize you, Buddy.”
    â€œI have a confession to make,” I said, “that was me on the phone. I want to see your boyfriend pretty bad, so I thought I’d wait here.”
    â€œI’ve met funnier guys.” She was turning on a bored look, but still didn’t adjust her uniform.
    â€œI’m not joking, Gloria. This is official business. You’re looking right into the eyes of the grim reaper.”
    She didn’t get it. “You wrestle?”
    â€œAre you propositioning me?”
    â€œNow you’re getting funnier.” She laughed, low, but at me, not with me. “You’re in the wrong ballpark, sonny. You couldn’t even tie Marty’s shoelaces.”
    â€œI’ll bet I could untie yours though.”
    We probably would have waltzed around a couple of more times, but two sharp raps on the door ended the bout.
    I grabbed her by the wrist. “Open it, but act nice. No signs.” Imoved to the right of the door and flattened myself against the wall.
    Gloria had been in the game much longer than I had. She opened the door without a word, but not more than three inches before she was telegraphing like hell with her eyes, with a faint nod in my direction. The door slammed. Pulled from the outside. With the bang of the door there was a louder noise. In fact, a few, but they all mixed together and sounded like one big bang. Something ripped through the door, and the lamp on the end table shattered. Gloria broke from the door, took a few steps and then jerked, clenched her fists tight to her sides and fell next to the lamp.
    For a second it was quiet. In almost one motion I had the door open and was out in the hall expecting to see Carrito’s back heading for the stairs. That’s when I made my mistake.
    I felt the hot, sharp pain between my shoulder blades the same time I heard the shot. I turned on my way down and opened up; I don’t know how many times. Carrito was running down the hall, his back to me, and was almost at the end when I fired. I expected him to freeze and fall backward. Then I thought I had missed . . . until he crashed into the wall. He lay sprawled on his back and didn’t move.
    I was on my hands and knees. I tried to move my arms, but couldn’t. I felt paralyzed and sick to my stomach. Then I don’t know . . .
    A GUY IN A white coat was looking down at me like he was trying to figure out what I was. Cops were all over the place, but mostly around me. I moved my hand up to my chest, underneath the blanket, and was surprised that I was stripped to the waist. An elderly man in a blue-gray suit bent over me.
    â€œYou’ve done us a favor, son, but I don’t know if you’ve done yourself one. Want to tell me about it?”
    I looked up at him. “It’s a long story. How about later on?”
    â€œSuit yourself, son.” He turned to the white coat. “Get him in a talking mood as soon as you can, Doc.” He yawned, walked away, and the policemen around him followed.
    The doctor