Chapter 8 Chapter Eight Betting on the Cooper Kid
I spent most of the afternoon writing the three-day report on the Donna Wilson case.Then I sat around, smoking Fatima, thinking about what to do with the Elihu Wilson case, until dinner.
I went downstairs to the hotel restaurant and had just decided on beef shank with mushrooms when my name was called on the radio.
The waiter took me to the cubicle next to the hall, and Dinah Brand's lazy voice came out of the microphone: "Max wants to see you, can you come tonight?"
"Is it your home?"
"right."
I agreed to go and went back to the restaurant to continue my dinner.After dinner, I went upstairs to my room at the front of the fifth floor.I opened the door, went in, and snapped on the light.
A bullet kissed the doorjamb next to my head, making a hole.
More bullets punched more holes in doors, door frames, and walls, but by this time I had moved my head to a safe corner, out of line with the windows.
I know that there is a four-story office building across the street with a roof slightly higher than my windows.It was not wise to poke around in the darkness of the roof while the lights in my room were on.
I looked around for something to smash the light bulb in, and finally found a Bible, picked it up and threw it.The light bulb snapped, bringing me the darkness I needed.
The gunfire stopped.
I tiptoed to the window, knelt down, and glanced out along the sill with one eye.The roof opposite was so dark and high that I could not see above the eaves.Ten minutes of one-eyed reconnaissance did nothing but make my neck sore.
I called the operator and asked the hotel security to come up.
The visitor was a chubby man with a white mustache and a hat that was one size smaller on the back of his head, exposing a round forehead like a child that had not yet fully developed.His name was Kiefer, and he was overly excited about the shooting.
Then the hotel manager came, a chubby man with a cautious and reserved expression, tone and behavior.He wasn't excited at all, like a black street performer whose props suddenly broke when he was performing, but he showed an attitude of "I've never heard of such a thing, but it's not a big deal".
We ventured a new light bulb, turned on the light, and counted the holes made by the bullets, ten in total.
The police came in and out and finally came back to report that they found nothing.Noonan was also called. He first talked with the team leader in charge of the investigation, and then found me.
"I just heard about the shooting," he said. "Who do you think would come after you in this way?"
"I can't guess." I lied.
"It didn't hit you, did it?"
"No."
"Oh, that would be wonderful!" he said with great joy. "We'll get hold of that darling, whoever he is--I'll swear on it. I'll keep some brothers with you, and we'll keep you Prevent anything from happening again?"
"No thanks."
"They're yours for as long as you want them," he insisted.
"No thanks."
He asked me to promise to call him as soon as something happened, and told me that the Bosheng City Police Station was always on call from me, and explained to me that if something happened to me, his life would be ruined.Finally, I managed to get rid of him.
The police are gone.I moved my luggage to another room—one that wouldn't attract bullets so easily—and then dressed and headed to Hurricane Street for my date with the Whisperer's gambler.
Dinah Bland opened the door for me.Tonight her rouge was applied evenly on her thick mature lips, but her brown hair still needed a trim and was parted in a mess.The orange silk dress had a stained front. "Looks like you're still alive," she said. "I guess that's just let it go. Come in!" I walked into the messy living room.Dan Rolfe and Max Thaler playing pinacel.Rolf nodded at me, and Thaler stood up to shake my hand. He whispered in a hoarse voice: "I heard that you have written a war letter to the drug town." "Don't blame me. I have a customer who wants to air the place." "I used to want it, but now I don't want to." We sat down, and he corrected, "Why don't you just leave?" I gave a speech. "No. I don't like the way Drug Town treated me. Now I've got a chance to get justice. I believe you're back in that little group again, the bros coming together and letting go of the past and letting go of the past. You I hope that outsiders don't care about you. I also hope that no one cares about me; if I had my wish at that time, I might be sitting in the car back to San Francisco by now. But it didn't work out. Especially that fat Noonan, within two days, He tried twice to scalp me. Too much. Now it's my turn to fuck him up, which is exactly what I'm going to do. Drug Town is ripe for harvesting. It's a job I love, and Must do." "As long as you live," said the gambler. "Yeah," I agree. "I read in the paper this morning that a guy choked to death eating long bars of chocolate cream puffs in bed." "That's probably better for him," said Dinah Bland, her plump body stretched out and slumped in the armchair, "but it wasn't in this morning's paper." She lit a cigarette and dropped the match out of sight under the couch.The tuberculosis patient put away the cards and shuffled them aimlessly over and over again. Thaler frowned and said to me, "Wilson is happy to let you take the ten thousand dollars. Take it when you see it." "I'm mean by nature and trying to assassinate me would drive me crazy." "That's only going to get you a coffin. I'm doing it for your own good. You helped me out of Noonan's trap. That's why I'm telling you this. Forget it, go back to San Francisco!" "I'm telling you this for your own good," I said, "and part ways with them! They've betrayed you once, and they'll betray you a second time. Anyway, they've paved the way, and you should hurry when the time is right. come out." "I'm sitting comfortably now," he said, "and I can take care of myself." "Perhaps. But you should know that business is too good to last. You have tasted the sweetness, and it is time to reap the benefits." He shook his little black head and said to me: "I know you are powerful, but I'm not stupid enough to think you can bring down the whole group. That's too hard. If I think you can shake them, I Will join you. You know what I think of Noonan. But you can't do it, so forget it!" "No. I'll spend every penny of Elihu's ten thousand dollars on this." "I told you he's not going to listen to your reasoning with his bloody pig brain," Dinah Brand said, yawning. "Dan, is there anything to drink in the locker?" The tuberculosis patient got up from the table and walked out of the room. Thaler shrugged and said, "Whatever you want, you should know what you're doing. Going to the fight tomorrow night?" I said maybe.Dan Rolfe is back with gin and snacks.We each had a drink or two and talked about boxing, but never mentioned my fight against the drug town.The gambler had apparently let me go and held no grudge against me for my stubbornness.He even gave me the inside scoop on tomorrow night's fight - told me to just remember that Cooper Kid was going to knock Ike Bush unconscious in the sixth round of the final and would win any bet.He seemed to know what he was talking about, but the others didn't take it seriously. I left just after eleven o'clock and returned to the hotel without incident.
Dinah Bland opened the door for me.Tonight her rouge was applied evenly on her thick mature lips, but her brown hair still needed a trim and was parted in a mess.The orange silk dress had a stained front. "Looks like you're still alive," she said. "I guess that's just let it go. Come in!" I walked into the messy living room.Dan Rolfe and Max Thaler playing pinacel.Rolf nodded at me, and Thaler stood up to shake my hand. He whispered in a hoarse voice: "I heard that you have written a war letter to the drug town." "Don't blame me. I have a customer who wants to air the place." "I used to want it, but now I don't want to." We sat down, and he corrected, "Why don't you just leave?" I gave a speech. "No. I don't like the way Drug Town treated me. Now I've got a chance to get justice. I believe you're back in that little group again, the bros coming together and letting go of the past and letting go of the past. You I hope that outsiders don't care about you. I also hope that no one cares about me; if I had my wish at that time, I might be sitting in the car back to San Francisco by now. But it didn't work out. Especially that fat Noonan, within two days, He tried twice to scalp me. Too much. Now it's my turn to fuck him up, which is exactly what I'm going to do. Drug Town is ripe for harvesting. It's a job I love, and Must do." "As long as you live," said the gambler. "Yeah," I agree. "I read in the paper this morning that a guy choked to death eating long bars of chocolate cream puffs in bed." "That's probably better for him," said Dinah Bland, her plump body stretched out and slumped in the armchair, "but it wasn't in this morning's paper." She lit a cigarette and dropped the match out of sight under the couch.The tuberculosis patient put away the cards and shuffled them aimlessly over and over again. Thaler frowned and said to me, "Wilson is happy to let you take the ten thousand dollars. Take it when you see it." "I'm mean by nature and trying to assassinate me would drive me crazy." "That's only going to get you a coffin. I'm doing it for your own good. You helped me out of Noonan's trap. That's why I'm telling you this. Forget it, go back to San Francisco!" "I'm telling you this for your own good," I said, "and part ways with them! They've betrayed you once, and they'll betray you a second time. Anyway, they've paved the way, and you should hurry when the time is right. come out." "I'm sitting comfortably now," he said, "and I can take care of myself." "Perhaps. But you should know that business is too good to last. You have tasted the sweetness, and it is time to reap the benefits." He shook his little black head and said to me: "I know you are powerful, but I'm not stupid enough to think you can bring down the whole group. That's too hard. If I think you can shake them, I Will join you. You know what I think of Noonan. But you can't do it, so forget it!" "No. I'll spend every penny of Elihu's ten thousand dollars on this." "I told you he's not going to listen to your reasoning with his bloody pig brain," Dinah Brand said, yawning. "Dan, is there anything to drink in the locker?" The tuberculosis patient got up from the table and walked out of the room. Thaler shrugged and said, "Whatever you want, you should know what you're doing. Going to the fight tomorrow night?" I said maybe.Dan Rolfe is back with gin and snacks.We each had a drink or two and talked about boxing, but never mentioned my fight against the drug town.The gambler had apparently let me go and held no grudge against me for my stubbornness.He even gave me the inside scoop on tomorrow night's fight - told me to just remember that Cooper Kid was going to knock Ike Bush unconscious in the sixth round of the final and would win any bet.He seemed to know what he was talking about, but the others didn't take it seriously. I left just after eleven o'clock and returned to the hotel without incident.