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I laughed aloud。 Mink will do it every time。
8
THE MAN FROM THE DETECTIVE AGENCY ARRIVED WHILE WE WERE EATING SUPPER。 His name was Sam Vitale and if he thought it was odd that Jennie was eating in a full； almost black mink coat； his weary； wise eyes evinced no surprise。
〃It's cold in Chicago；〃 Jennie explained。
〃Yes； ma'am；〃 he answered politely。
〃Did you have any trouble finding him？〃 I asked。
〃Not too much。 All we had to do was check the credit agencies。 He left a trail of bad checks。 It was just a matter of time。 When we narrowed it down to around Chicago； we checked Social Security。 They may change their names but they generally don't fool with their Social Security。 He's going under the name of Amos Jordan。〃
〃Where is he working？〃 I asked curiously。
〃In a Cicero garage； as a mechanic。 He makes enough to keep him in booze。 He's hitting the bottle pretty hard。〃
〃Where does he live？〃
〃In a rooming house； but he only goes there to sleep。 He spends most of his spare time in a clip joint called La Paree。 You know the kind of joint。 Continuous entertainment。 There's always a stripper working on the stage； while the other girls take turns hustling the suckers for drinks。〃
Amos hadn't changed； I thought。 He still went where the girls were。 I pushed back my coffee cup。 〃O。K。； let's go get him。〃
〃I'm ready；〃 Jennie said。
Vitale looked at her。 〃Maybe you'd better stay here； ma'am。 It's a pretty rough place。〃
〃What？〃 Jennie said quickly。 〃And miss the chance of breaking in my new mink coat？〃
La Paree was one of about twenty similar clubs on a street that looked like every other Strip Street clear across the country。 Its windows were covered with posters of half…naked girls … Maybellene； Charlene； Darlene and the inevitable Rosie Tookus。 All were dancing tonight。
The doorman wore an ear…to…ear grin as the big limousine rolled to a stop。 He opened the door with a flourish。 〃Wele； folks。 They e from all over the world to La Paree。〃
They certainly did。 The doorman rushed into the club； where a small man in a dark suit materialized before us。 A hat…check girl； in a pair of tights； took our coats。 Jennie shook her head and kept her coat on as we followed him down the dark； narrow smoke…filled room to a tiny table right in front of the stage。
A stripper was working just over our heads。 The drums were taking a slow beat and she was grinding away； almost down to the bare essentials。
〃Two bottles of your best champagne；〃 I said。 This wasn't the place to order whisky。 Not unless you had a zinc…lined stomach。
At the word champagne； the stripper paused in her routine； right in the middle of a bump； and looked down。 I saw her appraising eyes flick over me as she put on her most seductive smile。
Then Jennie let her coat fall back on the seat and took off her turban。 Her long blond hair caught all the flashes of light from the spot as it tumbled down around her shoulders。 As quickly as it had appeared； the stripper's smile vanished。
I looked at Jennie。 She smiled back at me。 〃You gotta fight fire with fire；〃 she said。
I laughed。 A white…shirted waiter came up with two bottles of champagne in a bucket。 Quickly he put three glasses down on the table and opened the first bottle。 The cork popped and the champagne spilled down over the sides of the bottle。 He filled all three glasses without waiting for me to taste the wine and hurried off。
It was still warm but it was a good champagne。 I looked at the bottle。 Heidsieck； 1937。 Even if the label was a phony； it wasn't half bad。 Then I noticed a white chit beside me on the table。 Eighty dollars。
〃If you'd e in a cab；〃 Vitale said； 〃it only would have cost you twenty bucks a bottle。〃
〃How much if we'd walked？〃
He grinned。 〃Fifteen。〃
〃'Cheers；〃 I said； lifting my glass。
No sooner had we put down our glasses than the waiter was refilling them。 He moved quickly； slopping some over the edge of the glasses； then started to upend the bottle into the ice bucket。
I stopped him with my hand。 〃Not so fast； friend。 If I don't squawk at the tariff； the least you can do is let us finish the bottle。〃
He stared at me； then nodded。 He put the bottle into the bucket right side up and disappeared。 There was a roll of drums and the stripper went off； to a desultory clatter of halfhearted applause。
〃He's over there； down at the end of the bar；〃 Vitale said。
I turned to look。 There still wasn't much light。 All I could see was a figure hunched over the bar； a glass cupped in his hands。
〃I might as well go get him。〃
〃Think you'll need any help？〃 Vitale asked。
〃No。 You stay here with Miss Denton。〃
The lights went down again and another stripper came on。 As I walked toward the bar； a girl brushed against me in the dark。 〃Looking for someone； big boy？〃 she whispered。 It was the stripper who had just e down off the stage。
I ignored her and walked down the bar to Amos。 He didn't look up as I climbed onto the empty stool alongside him。 〃A bottle of Budweiser；〃 I said to the bartender。 The bottle was in front of me and my dollar gone before I was fully settled on the stool。
I turned to look at Amos； who was watching the stage； and a feeling of shock ran through me。 He was old。 Incredibly old and gray。 His hair was thin and his skin hung around his cheeks and jowls the way a skinny old man's flesh hangs。
He lifted his drink to his lips。 I could see his hand shaking and the grayish…red blotches on the back of it。 I tried to think。 He couldn't be that old。 The most he could be was his middle fifties。 Then I saw his eyes and I knew the answer。
He was beat and there was nothing left for him but yesterdays。 The dreams were gone because he'd failed all the challenges and the dry rot of time had set in。 There was nowhere left for him to go but down。 And down and down； until he was dead。
〃Hello； Amos；〃 I said quietly。
He put his drink down and turned his head slowly。 He looked at me through bloodshot； watery eyes。 〃Go away；〃 he whispered in a hoarse； whisky…soaked voice。 〃That's my girl dancing up there。〃
I glanced up at the stage。 She was a redhead who'd seen better years。 They were a good bination； the two of them。 They'd both fought the good fight … badly … and lost。
I waited until the music crashed to its finale before I spoke again。 〃I got a proposition for you； Amos。〃
He turned toward me。 〃I told your messenger I wasn't interested。〃
For a moment； I was ready to get down off that stool and walk off。 Out into the fresh； cold night and away from the stench of stale beer and sickness and decay。 But I didn't。 It wasn't only the promise I'd made Forrester。 It was also that he'd been Monica's father。
The bartender came up and I ordered us both a round。 He picked up the five and left。
〃I told Monica about the job。 She was very happy about it。〃
He turned and looked at me again。 〃Monica always was a damn fool；〃 he said hoarsely； and laughed。 〃You know； she didn't want to divorce you。 She was crazy mad； but afterward she didn't want to divorce you。 She said she loved you。〃
I didn't answer and he laughed again。 〃But I straightened her out；〃 he continued。 〃I told her you were just like me； that neither of us could ever resist the smell of cunt。〃
〃That's over and done with；〃 I said。 〃A long time ago。〃
He slammed the glass down on the bar with a trembling hand。 〃It's not over！〃 he shouted。 〃You think I can forget how you screwed me out of my own pany？ You think I can forget how you beat me out of every contract； wouldn't let me get started again？〃 He laughed craftily。 〃I'm no fool。 You think I didn't know you had men following me all over the country？〃
I stared at him。 He was sick。 Much sicker than I had thought。
〃And now you e with a phony proposition； huh？〃 He smiled slyly。 'Think I'm not wise to you？ Think I don't know you're tryin' to get me out of the way because you know if they ever get a look at my plans； you're through？〃
He slid off the stool and came at me with wildly surging fists。 〃Through； Jonas！〃 he screamed。 〃Through！ Do you hear me？〃
I swung around on the stool and caught at his hands。 His wrists were thin and all fragile old bone。 I held his arms and suddenly he slumped against me； his head on my chest。
I looked down at him and saw that his eyes were filled with weak old tears of rage at his helplessness。 〃I'm so tired； Jonas；〃 he whispered。 〃Please don't chase me any more。 I'm sorry。 I'm so tired I can't run any… 〃
Then he slipped from my grasp and slid down to the floor。 The redhead； who had e up behind him； screamed and the music stopped； suddenly。 There was a press of people around us as I started to get down from the stool。 I felt myself pushed back against the bar violently and I stared into the face of a big man in a black suit。 〃What's goin' on here？〃
〃Let him go； Joe。〃 Vitale's voice came from behind and the bouncer turned his head around。 〃Oh； it's you； Sam。〃 The pressure against my chest relaxed。
I looked down at Amos。 Jennie was already kneeling beside him； loosening his shirt collar and slipping down his tie。 I bent over。 〃He pass out？〃
Jennie looked up at me。 〃I think it's more than that；〃 she said。 〃He feels like he's burning up with fever