Free A Hell of a Woman (Crime Masterworks) by Jim Thompson

string of cars shuttled onto the siding: an empty box and a gondola and a couple of flats. And I thought, oh, oh, no damned sleзp in the morning. They'll be in here humping those cars at six a.m.; and- I gulped. I stood staring at the open door of the box car, and I sort of froze in my tracks.
    It was dark on that Street. Ours was the only house in the block. I'd already locked up the car and I knew I'd never have time to get my hands on a wrench or something to slug with before this guy could get to me. Because he'd already started toward me. He'd swung down out of the door of the box, a hell of a big guy, and was coming across the yard. And I couldn't see what he looked like, of course. But I reckoned he wasn't up to any good or he wouldn't have been
    He stopped about six steps away from me.
    "Dillon?" he said. "Iss Dillon, yess?"
    And I sagged back against the car.
    "P-Pete," I said weakly. "Pete Hendrickson."

10
    HE'D TAKEN the five I gave him the night before and jungled up with some 'hoes down on Salt Creek. They'd all got on a hell of a wine binge and he hadn't woke up until tonight, needing a drink like a baby needs its mother. A drink and some chow and an inside flop. And there was just one guy he could think of who might hold still for a bite. I had been "so nice" to him. The "fife dollars" I had given him, and I had spoken of a "chob," so…
    He cleared his throat, uncomfortably, misunderstanding my silence. "I did not go to your door, Dillon. Your vife-you have a vife, yess?-I was afraid of alarming; so late at night to see a bum like me at the door. So I vait in the box until I hear your car, and-"
    His voice trailed away.
    I snapped out of the jolt he'd given me.
    "I'm glad you came by," I said. "I've been wanting to see you. Come on inside and-"
    "Better I had not. Such a bum I look, and your vife vould not like. If you could chust-vell, a dollar or two-chust until I find york…"
    "Huh-uh," I said, and took him by the arm. "You need a lot more than that, Pete. Come on in, and I'll tell you about it, and, no, don't worry about the wife. She's away on a little trip."
    I got him inside. I saw that the shades were drawn, and I turned on the light, and gave him the opened pint.
    He killed it at a gulp, shuddered, sighed. I passed him the fresh pint and gave him a cigarette.
    He took another drink, drew a long drag on the cigarette. He leaned back in his chair, sighing.
    "Ahhhhh," he said,just like that. "Ahhhhh. My life you have safed, Dillon."
    "Maybe not your life," I said. "Just about forty years of it. I think that's the stretch in this state for raping a minor."
    It didn't register on him for a moment. He'd been stuck in the basement, and now he was riding the express car up; and it wasn't stopping for signals.
    He took another swig from the jug. He wiped his mouth, and said I was a nice man. He said I was a "chentleman" and a fine friend. And then he said, "Vot! Rape?" And leaned forward in his chair.
    "You heard me," I said. "Old lady Farrell's niece. Mona."
    "B-b-but," he said. "B-b-but-"
    "Yeah?"
    "A lie it iss! I-I-" He swallowed and his eyes shifted away from mine. "With the girl I was, yess. Vy not? I york, and dot is some of my pay. She does not object, it iss agreeable with her and-"
    "It was, huh?" I said. "Maybe she took it away from you, huh?"
    _And I thought, oh, you dirty bastard! You dirty lying bastard! You just wait_.
    "Vell"-he started to smirk, then straightened his face when he saw the look I was giving him. "Vell, no. I haf told you how it vas. I york, she iss the pay."
    "And she's a minor. A child in the eyes of the law."
    "But she iss not! She could not be! And anyway, I did not force-"
    "The old woman says she's a minor," I said. "She says you threatened to kill her and the girl, and then you took it."
    "B-but-but-"
    He lifted the bottle again. He stared at me, his eyes crafty.
    "I t'ink maybe you-maybe you not tell truth, Dillon."
    "All right," I said.
    "Vy-vy vould she do such a