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SIX

My suit was dirty

So was the left side of my head

That&039;s what happens when you lie facedown in a sandy driveway, I guess I felt the back of et up No sticky layer of blood Thank God for sot up on one knee, a little wobbly I put ainst the trunk of the Buick for support, climbed to my feet

I brushed myself off

I looked up at the sun, down at

I was very very late toaround, scanning the yard The briefcase- the eel-skin briefcase with the initials A A, the briefcase I&039;d pried open with a knife, the briefcase I&039;d shot everybody dead in a titty bar for- was gone

Shit

I bent, looked under the Buick The gy elbowed its way out of my throat, skipped away on the , took the stairs two at a time back up to my aparts No answer

I dialed Bob Tate Three rings and an answering ht now but-"

I hung up

I dialed Benny Fifteen rings No answer

Where the hell was everybody?

I called O&039;Malley&039;s Twelve rings and no answer I let it ring five

I looked out myScanned the yard No trouble At least none that I could see

Okay, Charlie old boy, nohat?

I called Ma She answered after three rings

"Ma, let "

"Get hi?"

"I just want to talk to Danny"

She went for hi "Charlie?"

"Look out the frontI&039;ll wait"

"What?"

"Just do it"

"What ae car parked across the street Maybe soood look Maybe parked down a block"

"What&039;s going on?"

"Just do it"

"Hold on"

I waited, looked out my o

Danny came back "It&039;s clear"

"Okay Still want to help?"

"Does this ot your Buck Rogers gun?"

"Yeah"

"Keep it handy Don&039;t let Ma see No sense sending her off the deep end Stay inside and try to talk her out of going anywhere"

"She&039;s Ma Where would she go?"

"Keep an eye on theDon&039;t let anyone near that you don&039;t know I&039;ll be in touch later"

"Charlie, what&039;s going on?"

"Probably nothing Just being careful"

"That&039;s what you need me to do? Guard Ma?"

"That just shows you don&039;t know anything," I said "First thing you learn in the e is watch after your own"

"Okay, okay Take it easy"

"I&039;ll be in touch"

I hung up and took the ain I withdrew the Colts and put them in the shoulder holsters but didn&039;t wear the with the books

I left the apartment, locked the door I was halfway down the stairs when the phone started ringing behind me I ran back up, fumbled the keys out I unlocked the door and answered the phone on the eighth ring

"Yeah?"

"Charlie?"

Lou Morgan New Guy "Where in the shit are you?"

"O&039;Malley&039;s," he said "Where&039;s everybody else? Place is locked up tighter than Bob Tate&039;s colon after a chunk of cheese"

"Can the co you been there?"

"An hour "

"I was across the street," said Lou "I thought , so I wanted to see if Jan&039;s was open" The deli across from O&039;Malley&039;s "I mean it&039;s dead here, e Nothing"

The wheels in an to turn "Have you talked to Bob or Benny?"

"No I tried calling Bob first"

"Lou," I said,over one another, "I think et out of there"