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When the waitress ca the season," she said "It's really too cold out for summer drinks But I'm such a warm person emotionally that I can carry it off, don't you think?"

"Whatever you say, Mrs Ethridge"

"Why do you keep forgetting my first name? Blackmailers shouldn't be so formal with their victims It's easy for ged I didn't really know the answer myself It was hard to be sure as my own reaction to her and as a part of the role I was playing I didn't call her Beverly largely because she wanted me to, but that was an answer that only led to another question

Her drink cain and tonic She breathed deeply, and her breasts rose and fell within the pink sweater

"Matt?"

"What?"

"I've been trying to figure out a way to raise the money"

"Good"

"It's going to take me some time"

I played them all the same way, and they all came back with the saet a few dollars together Maybe the country was in trouble, maybe the economy was as bad as everybody said it was

"Matt?"

"I need the ht away"

"You son of a bitch, don't you think I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible? The only way I could get the money is from Kermit, and I can't tell him what I need it for" She lowered her eyes "Anyway, he hasn't got it"

"I thought he had more money than God"

She shook her head "Not yet He has an income, and it's substantial, but he doesn't come into the principal until he's thirty-five"

"When does that happen?"

"In October That's his birthday The Ethridge est child turns thirty-five"

"He's the youngest?"

"That's right He'll come into the money in October That's in six months I've decided, I've even mentioned it to him, that I'd like to have some money of my own So that I won't be dependent upon him to the extent that I am now That's the kind of request he can understand, and he's ive me money I don't kno much, but it will certainly be more than fifty thousand dollars, and then I'll be able to work things out with you"

"In October"

"Yes"

"You won't have h There'll be a lot of paperwork involved October's six months froot cash in hand"

"Will it really take that long?"

"Easily So we're not talking about sixEven six e I want to get out of this town"

"Why?"

"I don't like the cli's here These are New York 's best months, Matt"

"I still don't like it"

She closed her eyes, and I studied her face in repose The lighting in the rooainst the red flecked wallpaper At the bar, one of the e in front of hi, and one of the wohed loudly Another man entered the bar Somebody put money in the jukebox, and Lesley Gore said it was her party and she would cry if she wanted to

"You've got to give ive"

"Why do you have to get out of New York? What are you afraid of, anyway?"

"The sahtfully "He was very nervous toward the end," she said "It "

"ItHe , Matt? Or just e"

"Yeah, I like it myself Who killed him, Matt? One of his other customers?"

"You mean he's dead?"

"I read newspapers"

"Sure Sometimes your picture's in them"

"Yeah, and wasn't that just my lucky day Did you kill him, Matt?"

"Why would I do that?"

"So that you could take his nice little nuht you shook him down Then I read how they fished him out of the river Did you kill him?"

"No Did you?"

"Sure, with my little bow and arrow Listen, wait a year for your money and I'll double it A hundred thousand dollars That's nice interest"