Free Long White Con: The Biggest Score of His Life by Iceberg Slim Page B

her as much truth as he dared. Christina andhis reparations master plan flashed through his head. How could he ever share that with Pearl? He felt his first grave doubt as to whether they would be able to go on together much longer.
    He reached to stroke her hair but she recoiled. He sighed, “Baby, Saul and I sell real estate. That’s the guaranteed truth. We . . . uh, well, unethically resell the same property again and again. But, sweetheart, the saving grace is that we only . . . uh, well, cheat only greedy white buyers, thieves at heart who are out to cheat us—crooks, I swear, who are wealthy and can afford to be cheated, that need to be taught a lesson. I promise to get out of the business, maybe within a year. We’ll have enough money then to open that fabulous day care center for pre-schoolers that you dream about. Trust me, baby!”
    He stared at her flabbergasted as she burst into tears, tumbled to the carpet and rolled herself into an agonized fetal ball. Shaken, he leapt from the bed to her side on his haunches. He tried to take her into his arms.
    She gouged a red line with fingernails across his hand and blubbered savagely. “Don’t touch me! I’ll tear out your eyes! Liar!”
    He sat on the side of the bed and watched her roll pitifully in her tantrum. His face was deformed with aggravation and angry frustration. He said, “Pearl, I told you the truth, as much as you’re going to get for now. Now pull yourself together and act like a woman!”
    She clapped her palms over her ears and babbled in her misery. “You bastard! You lied! I know about title insurance and real estate abstracts. The police would bury you and Saul in prison and lose the key the first time you tried a deal. Wealthy people aren’t that stupid. Be fair, Johnny. Why hurt me? You said you wanted me with you always in Canada. I was doing all right until you came along with your lies. I had a man, a kind man who loved me, trusted me. I broke his heart for you. Oh, God! Don’t I deserve the simple truth for that, Johnny? Liar! Liar!” She rolled and sobbed piteously on the carpet.
    He decided he couldn’t take any more. He couldn’t run down how the cunning structure of the long con made the real estate swindle work. He regretted that he had told her anything. So, he eased away to spend the night across the hall with Speedy.
    She finally got to her feet and went toward the bathroom to wash her face. She stopped, did a double take at his blue silk suit jacket draped across a chair in a lance of bathroom light. She plucked a glittery Christina Buckmeister strand of golden hair from the jacket, studied it, held it to the light between her fingertips. Then she flung it away as if it were a cobra. She cried out like a scalded infant and renewed her wild weeping.
    At that moment, at the airport, Captain Ellis and Stilwell stood in a crowd of passengers waiting at an embarkation entrance to a mid-west flight. A con mob tailer stood behind them eavesdropping. The captain and Stilwell locked hands in a warm handshake.
    Stilwell said, “Thank you again, Captain Ellis, for your sympathy and counsel. I was in a bad way about all that money.”
    The captain embraced his shoulders. “Mister Stilwell, it has been an extraordinary pleasure to meet you and serve you. I vow to catch those crooked dogs that bit you!”
    Stilwell said, “Captain, you keep your promise and I’ll keep mine to fly back to witness against them.”
    The captain rippled his jaw muscles. “Cecil, in the name of the Lord, I’ll keep my vow!”
    They embraced. Stilwell turned and went into the embarkation tunnel with the crowd. Kid’s tailer hurried to a phone to give Kid the good blow-off news.

HOOK FOR A SHARK
     
    T he Vicksburg Kid called Folks and Speedy the next morning, Saturday, to a meeting. Folks drove his Eldorado. Rita let Folks and Speedy into the Kid’s posh high-rise apartment, led them into the den, then returned to a stool and her glass at the redwood