Free Dead on the Island by Bill Crider Page B

parking
spot.
    The car that had turned in came to a stop,
and I heard a door slam. I still didn't feel much like getting
up.
    Before long, there was a man standing over
me. He had what appeared to be a normal-looking haircut, but when
he bent over to get a better look at me, a ponytail fell over his
shoulder. I couldn't really tell in the bad light and in my feeble
condition, but it looked as if it might have been dyed blue.
    "Hey, man, you OK?" he said.
    "M-ugg-unmph," I said.
    "Sure, man. I'll help you get up." He
reached down and put his hands under my armpits.
    He pulled up, and I tried to stand. I
thought I could manage all right as long as I didn't put any weight
on the knee. I stuck out a hand and leaned on the car.
    "How you feelin', man?"
    I took a deep breath. It hurt, but I didn't
think I had any broken ribs. Cracked, maybe. "Like six pounds of
shit in a five pound bag," I said.
    "Yeah. I know what you mean. Did they get
your money?"
    I told him they hadn't taken my money. "You
got here just in time."
    "You want me to call an ambulance? The cops,
maybe?"
    I opened the car door and sat in the seat,
my legs sticking out into the parking lot. "No, thanks," I said. "I
think I'll just go on home. You scared them off before they did any
real damage." I twisted around, which hurt like hell, and took my
billfold out of my back pocket. "See? Money all still here. And the
cops'd never catch those three."
    "Yeah, you got that right. You sure you're
all right, though? You don't look so good."
    "No blood, right? I must be OK if there's no
blood."
    He didn't look convinced, but he said,
"Well, if that's the way you want it."
    "That's the way I want it. Go on in and
enjoy the band. They're really cooking tonight."
    "They're cookin' every night," he said. "I
guess I'll go, then." He started on across the lot. He looked back
a couple of times, and I waved a jaunty hand at him. Then he was
inside.
    I just sat there for a while, maybe fifteen
minutes. A couple of other cars came in, a couple left. No one paid
me any attention. The three goons didn't come back.
    Finally I got myself turned around and
completely inside the car. I tested my right leg. I could work the
accelerator all right, so I cranked up the engine and drove away
from there, hauling what was left of me back to the Island.
     

8
     
    I suppose I could have gone back inside The
Sidepocket then and tried to beat the truth out of Ferguson, but
right at the moment I couldn't have beat the truth out of Pee Wee
Herman. I wondered why Ferguson hadn't picked a nicer way of
telling me to lay off instead of being so stupid and obvious. After
all, I might have believed his lies. How was he to know I hadn't?
Now I'd be certain to follow up on him.
    I got back to the Island and drove to the
house. Nameless was nowhere in sight. Just like a cat, thinking
only of himself. Who was going to help me get up the stairs?
    I managed to swivel around and get my legs
out the car door. Then I put my left foot down and stood up. Now
all I had to do was hop over to the door. I managed to do that,
too.
    I looked around in the darkness for
something to use as a cane or a crutch. I had a cane that I'd used
years before, but it was somewhere up on the second floor where it
was doing me no good at all.
    There was a piece of an old one-by-four
lying on the ground by the steps. I leaned down, balanced myself
carefully with my hand on a step, and picked up the board. It was a
little too short, but it would have to do.
    I tried a couple of steps in the yard with
it before attempting the stairs. If I didn't put my right foot down
too solidly, I could walk without screaming. I was a pretty tough
guy, all right.
    Getting up the steps wasn't easy, but I did
it. Just as I got the door open, Nameless streaked by me and into
the house. Typical. Now he'd expect to be fed. There were times
when I wished I were a cat. It must be nice to live a life of total
irresponsibility. All you had to do was find some sucker