Hazard Read Online Free

they turned onto 49th, that one-way street was backed up with cars, barely moving because a delivery van was double-parked, causing a tight squeeze for the cars wanting to get by. Carl’s building was halfway down the block. When they were almost to it they saw Carl come out. He was flanked by two men in black suits. Dark-haired with swarthy complexions.
    Carl and the two men entered a waiting limousine. Another man of similar appearance was in the front seat next to the driver, who had on a visored chauffeur’s cap.
    Hazard thought it best to wait until he was alongside the limousine; then it would be simply a matter of getting Carl’s attention. But the limousine at once started away from the curb, aggressively using its left fender to pull out into the line of traffic. It was three cars ahead of the Packard, and Hazard could only watch it proceed around the double-parked van and increase its speed to the corner, where it turned right against the light and was gone.
    Hazard remembered how tired Carl had been. What was more important than the rest Carl needed so badly? Hazard didn’t want to believe Carl was allowing himself to be used to the breaking point by the damned government. Some extreme emergency must have come up, something important that truly demanded Carl’s attention.
    Hazard considered leaving the attaché case with the doorman of Carl’s building but decided that would be too casual. He’d call Carl the next morning. If Carl needed the case, Hazard would make a special trip down from Connecticut the following night.
    He replaced thoughts of Carl with the expectation of picking some winners at the track that night. Also, he anticipated having a couple, or maybe three, hot dogs. He was hungry and no hot dogs ever tasted as good as the ones sold at the track. His stomach concurred with a grumble.
    At that moment Keven told him, “I’m hungry too.”
    Hazard wished for some sure way to keep his thoughts to himself. She was incredible.
    She insisted that he stop at a health-food store on upper Madison. While she went in to shop, Hazard read the racing form. He didn’t have to study it. No straining to assimilate the crowded lists of rather hieroglyphic abbreviations and numerals. He merely scanned each page once, using his eyes like a camera to record all the information. In less than two minutes he had it all in mind. He folded the paper and dropped it to the floor of the car. The Yorkshire immediately began tearing at it as though it were a helpless enemy.
    Hazard slouched down and started handicapping, mentally reviewing and comparing the past performances, workouts, best times, distances, and all other possibly meaningful statistics of the horses that would be running that night. By the time Keven came from the store he’d made his selections in four races.
    He drove while she fed.
    Into his mouth she stuffed prunes and dried apricots, raw almonds, cashews, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Deaf to his complaint that he wasn’t a goddamn bird, she kept on feeding him: little mealy apples and sections of anemic stunted oranges not half as tasty as the ordinary but twice as expensive because they were guaranteed to have been organically grown. She topped a carton of natural cultured yogurt with a generous sprinkle of raw wheat germ and shoved spoonfuls at him. He opened his mouth and took it rather than have it slop all over him. She encouraged him with remarks of how much better all these things were for his well-being, and although he was grateful for her caring for him, he had to say the flavor and consistency of the yogurt resembled coagulated milk of magnesia. For a final test Keven unwrapped a pressed-fig-and-sesame bar that didn’t taste bad but not good enough really to qualify as dessert in Hazard’s opinion. All the while Keven blithely munched away, making appreciating sounds as though everything tasted marvelous. But Hazard noticed she