She came to the doorway, her face stiff-looking. “It’s for you, Johnny.”
I got up fast and went into the vestibule. It was dark in there and smelled of raincoats and rubbers. She showed me where the phone was and left me there without a word.
I picked up the receiver. “Yes.”
“Johnny? This is Alice.”
“How’re things?”
“It’s all set.” I could hear her breathing. She sounded like she’d been running hard.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. He’s leaving for Wisconsin tonight. Alone.”
“How about the other angle?”
“He’ll be there. Eight-fifteen.”
That was it. Everything was ready. My fingers were tight on the receiver. For a while we didn’t say any more but I could still hear her breathing.
“Okay then,” I said. “I’ll see you.”
“Where are you, Johnny?”
“At a friend’s.”
“Who was the girl who answered the phone?”
I was nervous enough without getting into that. “That doesn’t matter. I’ll see you at eight.”
“Wait a minute, Johnny. I can talk a while. He’s getting packed. I’m phoning from the drug store. Do you love me, Johnny?”
“Sure.”
“You don’t sound very enthusiastic. Is your girl friend listening?”
“Now look—”
“All right. I guess you can’t talk.” Her voice was tough and mean now.
“I love you, baby,” I said. I said it as soft as I could and I hated to say it, but I didn’t want her getting any funny streaks now when so much was hanging fire.
“I’ll see you tonight. I love you, Johnny.”
She hung up then and I put back the receiver and went into the living room. The old man was sitting where I’d left him, reading Dick Tracy, and Marie had gone back to the kitchen.
He started to put down the paper, but I said, “Go on with your reading. I’ve got a call to make. Can I use the phone?”
“Sure, it’s okay.” He waved his hand like he was giving me a farm. “Use it all you want.”
I went back and called a guy by the name of Abe Morelli, who owned a pawn shop on South State Street. I was depending on him to get me a ring. That was important now. The deal was set for tonight and I wanted to cover up, but good. I knew I was going to be in the clear and that Frank was going to hang himself, but I still had that cold feeling. I wanted to be sure of my out.
When Abe answered the phone, I said, “This is Johnny Ford, Abe, I want you to help me get a good diamond engagement ring.”
“Sure thing, Johnny. I got some fine ones. How about dropping in tomorrow and taking a look?”
“I got to have this tonight, Abe. By six o’clock, at my hotel.”
“Now wait a minute, Johnny. I’m here all alone today. I can’t close up and go around delivering jewelry.”
“I wouldn’t ask if this wasn’t important, Abe.”
“Well... What kind of a ring do you want?”
“A flashy one, Abe. But a damn good one.”
It had to be that way. Everybody around town knew the kind of guy I was and it wouldn’t have looked right if I was to give a girl a hundred dollar rock.
“I got ’em,” he said. “I’ll bring it over, Johnny. This is cash, understand?”
“Sure. How much cash?”
“Fifteen hundred.”
“Goddamit, I don’t want something to go around her neck.”
“Diamonds are high now, Johnny. I can let you have one for a grand but it’s not as good as this other one.”
“Bring it around. About six at my hotel. You know my room number?”
“Yeah. I’ll be there.”
I hung up and went back to the living room. The old man was halfway through Dick Tracy. When Marie came in I told her I thought we ought to be going. She went out to get her hat and I told the old man what a swell time I’d had and he said that was fine and be sure to come again.
It was four o’clock when we reached the car. The kids were off the street and the boy I’d paid half a buck to was gone.
When we pulled away from the curb she snuggled up close to me and put her hand on my knee.
“It was nice of you to come over for dinner,” she said. “I know Pa isn’t much but he worries about the guys I go out with. He feels better after he’s had a look at them.”
She drummed her fingers on my knee for a while before she said, “I didn’t tell him we’re getting married. I thought I’d wait until I can show him the ring.”
“You won’t have to wait long.”
“Oh, Johnny!” She caught my arm tight and put her face against my shoulder and looked up at me with a little smile on her lips.
I drove around for an hour, then back downtown. We got up to my room about five-thirty. She went into the bathroom to put on a new face and I put together a couple of drinks, making hers strong, but mine mostly ice water.
I sat down in the big chair and put her drink on the floor. While I waited I tried to go over everything as carefully as I could, but it didn’t help much. There was too much on my mind and I couldn’t lick the tight nervous way I felt.
She came out finally and climbed into my lap and I reached down and got her the drink.
“This will do you good,” I said.
“You’re all I need,” she said. She put her head on my shoulder and snuggled closer under my arm.
“Take it anyway. It will warm you up.”
She giggled. “I’m warm enough right now.”
But she sat up and sipped the drink. “It’s strong,” she said, making a face. “Did you put the bottle in it?”
“Are you going to be a woman about it?”
“I can take it,” she said. She drank a little more and then tried kissing the tip of my nose. She looked cute with her blonde curls and her mouth painted into a small red bow, but I was too nervous to pay much attention to that. I had to get her tight.
I told her to drink up, and when she did I got up and filled her glass.
“Are you trying to get me tight?”
“Maybe. It’d be fun to see how you’d act.”
“I might surprise you.”
“I like surprises.”
She smiled at me and tilted the glass again. She was being coy now, but letting me know any play I made would be all right with her. I pulled her closer.
“You’re pretty cute. A guy could get a lot of ideas around you.”
“There’s nothing wrong with ideas,” she said, and laughed.
We sat there, kissing every now and then while she finished the second drink. After a while it began to get to her. She put her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes. Every time I kissed her she would open her eyes drowsily and smile at me.
There was a knock at the door about six o’clock and I knew it was Abe. Marie sat up and pushed the hair away from her forehead and gave me a scared look.
“Who’s that?” she whispered.
“The surprise, honey,” I said. While I was on my way to the door, she smoothed her skirt and sat primly in the chair, looking guilty.
It was Abe, all right. He stood there, a little dark guy in sloppy clothes.
“How’s the keed, Johnny?” he said.
“Fine. You got it?”
“Sure, sure.”
I opened the door enough so that he could see the blonde sitting in the chair.
“Swell, I’d like to ask you in for a drink, but you know how it is.”
“Sure,” he said. “This ain’t a social call. I don’t drink anyway.” He had a lot of dignity for a little guy. He took a package from his pocket and gave it to me. “That’s an even grand, Johnny.”
I took the package, which was about the size of a big ice cube, and dropped it into my pocket. When I started counting out the money, he said, “Don’t you want to look at what you’re buying?”