The Deep Read Online Free

“You inherited a lot of trouble, Deep. You’ll never know.”
    â€œI inherited more,” I said.
    The notes under his hand balled up when he made a fist. His neck swelled into his collar and had a turkey-like color with the tendons standing out as if his head was Marconi-rigged. Still he tried to bluff it out. “What?”
    â€œHelen. Irish little Helen. I understand I inherited her too.”
    Each word was a soft little thing. “I’ll kill you myself if you go near her, Deep. Stay away, understand? Keep your filthy hands off the kid.”
    â€œLove, Roscoe? Distant affection?”
    The curse he spit at me was even softer than his words.
    I said, “She was Bennett’s too. Now she’s mine. She’s part of the inheritance.”
    â€œYou’re going to be dead fast, Deep.”
    â€œNot by you, little man. You’re too much a stickler for law and order. It might occur to you, but it won’t happen. You’ll wait for a slug or the law to get me and in between you’ll die a little yourself. I hear she’s quite a gal now. All big and beautiful like nothing else that ever came off the block. She was too young to deb in the old days, but I hear she’s even better now. Hit a couple big shows on Broadway and got the slobs running after her. Yeah, Roscoe, she must be some doll. How come you’re in love with her?”
    His mouth hardly moved when he spoke. “I’m not. You just have a short memory, Deep.” His eyes got heavy and dark. “She’s my half sister, remember?”
    I grunted at him. It was a point I had forgotten about. “I’ll play it real cool, son. Just don’t interfere or I’ll twist you a little bit.”
    â€œJust like the old days.”
    â€œThat’s right.” I looked straight at him and his eyes walked across my face, finding the scars and scratches that are the stamp of the jungle bred. He saw the rest of it too and let the disgust of it seep into his expression.
    â€œWhat is it you want to know, Deep?”
    â€œHow did Bennett die?”
    â€œYou read the papers.”
    â€œThat’s right, but review me.”
    Roscoe shrugged. “He answered the door of his apartment and the killer popped him one right in the neck.”
    â€œWith a .22,” I added.
    â€œYeah, and close enough to give him a powder ring.” He paused a moment. “A damn .22. A woman’s kick.”
    His voice had a sneer in it. “Don’t worry about your inheritance. Helen didn’t pop him. She was rehearsing for a show that night.”
    â€œWhere was Dixie?”
    â€œHe alibied out.”
    â€œThat’s what the papers said. Bennett sent him down for some Scotch. But how does it stand with you?”
    â€œIt was good. Bennett called him while he was at the place and told him to bring up a case of rye too. The guy there took the order and let his clerk go back with Dixie. They found the body together.”
    I said, “And everybody went for the picture.”
    â€œYeah, and it stands, too. The guy at the liquor store added a new note... he and Bennett had a code word that okayed all calls, meaning that it was Bennett calling and not half the mob getting in on his booze bill.”
    â€œSo Dixie was clear.”
    â€œHe never was smart enough to dream up a thing like that.”
    â€œThen who got Bennett?”
    â€œAsk the cops, sucker.”
    â€œThey’re too happy to see him dead to wonder much who killed him. Besides, I don’t want information. I just want guesses.”
    Roscoe’s face squinted up tight. “You know, Deep, I wish I did have a guess. I wish I had any kind of lead at all because I’d like to be around when you try taking the lid off.”
    â€œOff what?”
    â€œYour inheritance.”

Chapter Three
    The rain had started again; one of those slow, musty New York rains that has a meanness to it you can’t