One Lonely Night Read Online Free Page A

special agency called Death that could hear what I was thinking and make a try for me. I’d like to take that stinking black shadow and shove his own scythe down his bony throat and disjoint him with a couple of .45’s! Come on, bony boy, let’s see you do what you can! Get your white-haired judge and your good people tried and true and let’s see just how good you are! I think I’m better, see? I think I can handle any one of you, and if you get the idea I’m kidding, then come and get me.
    And if you’re afraid to come after me, then I’m going after you. Maybe I’ll know what I’m like then. Maybe I’ll find out what’s going on in my mind and why I keep on living when fat cold-blooded killers and nice warm-blooded killers are down there shaking hands with the devil!
    I pulled the green card out of the cigarettes and matched it to the one from the wallet. They fitted—Twins. I put them in my shirt pocket, grabbed my coat and hat and slammed the door after me when I left the office.
    At a little after ten I pulled up outside the brick building that was the house of the law. Here was where the invisible processes went on that made cops out of men and murderers out of clues. The car in front of mine was an official sedan that carried the D.A.’s sticker and I smoked a butt right down to the bottom before I decided to try to reach Pat even if the fair-haired boy of the courts was around.
    I should have waited a minute longer. I had my hand on the door when he pushed through and it looked like a cold wind hit him in the face. He screwed his mouth up into a snarl, thought better of it and squeezed a smile out.
    Strictly an official smile.
    He said, “Morning.”
    I said, “Nice day.”
    He got in his car and slammed the door so hard it almost fell off. I waved when he drove by. He didn’t wave back. The old guy on the elevator took me upstairs and when I walked into Pat’s office I was grinning.
    Pat started, “Did you ...”
    I answered with a nod. “I did. We met at the gate. What got into the lad, is he sore at me?”
    “Sit down, Mike.” Pat waved his thumb at the straight-back wooden chair reserved for official offenders about to get a reprimand. “Look, pal, the District Attorney is only an elected official, but that’s a mighty big ‘only.’ You put him over a barrel not so long ago and he isn’t going to forget it. He isn’t going to forget who your friends are, either.”
    “Meaning you.”
    “Meaning me exactly. I’m a Civil Service servant, a Captain of Homicide. I have certain powers of jurisdiction, arrest and influence. He supersedes them. If the D.A. gets his hooks into you just once, you’ll have a ring through your nose and I’ll be handed the deal of whipping you around the arena just to give him a little satisfaction. Please quit antagonizing the guy for my sake if not for your own. Now what’s on your mind?”
    Pat leaned back and grinned at me. We were still buddies.
    “What’s new on the dockets, chum?”
    “Nothing,” he shrugged. “Life has been nice and dull. I come in at eight and go home at six. I like it.”
    “Not even a suicide?”
    “Not even. Don’t tell me you’re soliciting work.”
    “Hardly. I’m on a vacation.”
    Pat got that look. It started behind the pupils where no look was supposed to be. A look that called me a liar and waited to hear the rest of the lie. I had to lie a little myself. “Since you have it so easy, how about taking your own vacation with me? We could have some fun.”
    The look retreated and disappeared altogether. “Hell, I’d love to, Mike, but we’re still scratching trying to catch up on all the details around here. I don’t think it’s possible.” He screwed up his forehead. “Don’t you feel so hot?”
    “Sure, I feel fine, that’s why I want a vacation while I can enjoy it.” I slapped my hat back on my head and stood up. “Well, since you won’t come I’ll hit the road alone. Too bad. Ought to be lots