Chapter 27 Chapter Twenty Six

Ordell believes that looking out the window is a waste of time.If they'd known where he was, they'd have smashed the lock with a sledgehammer and broken in, or they'd have used one of those goddamn prying tools he'd seen SWAT teams use on TV to pry open the shutters and lock the door Tossed off.They come in and yell and yell at you and then there's a gun to your head and you're like, what's going on, man, what's going on.All in vain. Rainier was still dozing off on the sofa, as she was, and he had been pacing up and down the room when he got to the window and looked out and saw Max Cherry walking down the sidewalk.Ordell looked out of the street window for a while, looking up and down the street, to see if there was a car or two with "Investigative Department" or other capital letters on it. Package car.There was nothing suspicious on the street outside, it was almost dark, there were a few people walking on the street, they were all ordinary people.Ordell walked briskly to the couch, moved Resnel's bony ass out of the way, and drew his pistol from under the couch cushion.Max Cherry is knocking now.Ordell tucked the Barletta into his waist, pulled the woman by the arms, pulled her up from the couch, helped her into the bedroom, and put her on the bed.He also had a pistol under his pillow and another in the kitchen.Max Cherry knocked on the door for a while, and Ordell was thinking about how Max would find him, and he told himself, it's okay, this man is a bailman, you must calm down, do you hear me?Be sure to stay calm.If you want to know something, just ask him.

Ordell let him in and closed the door behind him. He watched Max Cherry go in, one hand inside his crepe coat, surveying the room.Ordell drew his Baletta and aimed it at him.that's it.Max said to him, "Do you want your money? Your bail money back?" He pulled his hand out of his coat, took a wad of rubber-banded bills, and threw it at him. Ordell flicked the air with his free hand and took it. "And that's all?" "I have a receipt for you to sign." "I said 'That's all?' You know what I mean. Have you talked to her?" Ordell said, walking to a street window and looking out again.

"I didn't bring anyone," Max said. "She wanted to give you the money. If she didn't, the police would come in through the goddamn door when you questioned me." "Where's the money, is it in your car?" "She wants to hand it over to you, and at the same time collect her commission, 10%. She wants to explain why she took the money first and refused to give it to you." "I was just about to hear that too." "And why she didn't give it to Melanie." "Turn around," Ordell said, patting Max to sit down. "You tell me why."

"Jackie can't trust her. Melanie already wants to get Jackie to partner with her, and the two of them will work together and share the half a million dollars equally. She brought you your money, but she took a big risk." "You lifted your trembling legs," Ordell said, "to help her, didn't you?" "I just walked out with money." "Your bailman's way, huh? Sniffed all the bills? Now tell me, you're going to give it to me?" "The only reason I'm here is because I don't want to see Jackie get shot or arrested." "Protect her?" Ordell: "I see, what you're doing now is pimping."

"Then I didn't say anything," Max said. "Stay here with your druggie friend and your Volkswagen." He got up and headed for the door. "Hey, man." Ordell waved the pistol at him, and Max stopped. "Go and sit on the couch." He saw Max staring at the stained cushion. "Do as I say, man, sit down. That's what it is. My friend hasn't thrown up in two days. That's right. Now, tell me, where's my money." "In my office," Max said. "Where's Jackie?" "She's been there since Thursday night."

"Since she wants to see me, why doesn't she stay at her house?" "She's scared." "I need to figure it out." "She's afraid. She doesn't want to be beaten to death before she can tell you what happened." "Tell her to bring me the money here." "The money is in the safe, she can't get it." "Call her and tell her how to open the safe." "She won't leave there until you get the money and go away. I'll tell you right now." "But you'd rather I go to jail." "If I wanted to denounce you," Max said, "as I said, the police would have come in by now. She understands that if you get caught, you'll call her an accessory. That's what scares her the most. .”

"That's why she gave me the money back, huh? It's not about Melanie the stinky shit. I don't really trust her either, but I know what to do with her." Ordell went to the window again. "She's my pretty big girl." It was dark outside and the street was very quiet. "I said to Louis, 'Dude, you can punch her.' Punch her in the mouth." He turned to Max. "Jackie wants her commission, doesn't she?" "fifty thousand." "If she goes to jail, how will she spend the money she wants?" "She's gone."

"Yeah, I forgot. Well, I gave her the fifty thousand that the Authority marked, who told her to let them do that. She gave me my money, and just got it done in your office ,Right?" "She's there now." "Where's your partner, Winston?" "He's in prison now." "I'm calling your office, and it's better for her than someone else to answer the phone." Ordell took Max's business card out of his shirt pocket, glanced at it, and walked over to a chair where there was a telephone covered in clear plastic on the floor.He hated that chair, always tripping over it.He needs to move away from here.He needs his clothes.He needed a haircut, and his braids were all untied from carelessness.He also needs his car.He could take the plates off the Volkswagen and put them on the Mercedes.Stop on the way to change... Or tell Jackie to drive it back now, the key is under the front house, drive the car to Max's office, park there and wait.Of course no one will steal it.Put the money in the trunk and you're off the hook, man.Put all the money in the luggage compartment.Five hundred thousand and the fifty thousand marked money.Just tell them so.Well, that's it.

Ordell dropped the pistol to his lap, picked up the receiver, and dialed the number.He waited, then smiled and said, "Hi, baby, how are you? Do you know who I am?" Nicolai watched the couple behave whenever Faron's wife, Cheryl, came, and then desperately wanted to see his ex-wife, Anita.It wasn't really interesting, because he thought the way Fallon was talking to Cheryl was stupid—hello, honey.How do you feel, dear?Not bad, dear.They're both darling, with no personalities of their own when they're together.Just like all fathers are daddy or daddy to their children.Nicolai could not see himself in this featureless being.However, almost every time he saw Faron and Cheryl together calling each other honey and caressing each other, he would miss Anita and ask her to have a drink with him.He'd say, "What drink would you like, darling?" and watch her frown and give him a serious, ridiculous look.Cheryl is a housewife, and Anita is an X-ray technician at Enshi Hospital.He met her when he went there for a medical examination.She gave him some barium enemas and he asked her how she got a job pumping white potion up people's asses all day long.Anita said she thought she was lucky.After they got married, they never called each other honey, didn't know what they were supposed to eat, and both had to go to work.He also wanted to curry favor with Jackie.she is there.But there was also Anita.He'd seen her more often since Faron was in the hospital, and when he suggested going back to her apartment tonight, Anita finally said "OK."

His BB button rang on her bedside table. Anita said, "Damn it." Nicolai said, "Hold it, honey, we can't live without it." He dialed the number shown and heard Jackie Burke The voice of answering the phone surprised me.He asked where she was and was again taken aback. "What are you doing there?" "Ordell called and left a message on my answering machine. He said I had to sign something and he could get back the bond he paid for me." "You don't have to sign anything." "Me too. I have a feeling he wants me to bring the rest of his money back from Freeport. What do I do?"

"Is he going there?" "He said around eight o'clock." Nicolai glanced at the clock on the bedside table. "Why didn't you call me earlier?" "I just got the news too. Are you coming? Please!" Anita said, "Please." Jackie said, "What?" "Is Max there?" "No, but someone else is." "I'll be right there. Wait." Jackie said, "Come on." Nicolai hung up the phone. "I've got to get there and have support in fifteen minutes." Anita said, "You go, dear. You can't do much here." Ordell was driving, and he had to take the Volkswagen to the boardwalk after the fact and transfer the license plates to the Mercedes.Then get on the highway and head north at night. "In all the days I've known her," he said to Max, who looked huge in this little car, "I've never been so scared by her voice. Usually, man, she It's very calm. She just hailed a taxi to where I parked and handed me the money. She wouldn't." Ordell liked to talk when Max Cherry was silent.But when Ordell was lighting a cigarette, he asked for one. "Since you smoke, why do you still have that 'No Smoking' sign in your office?" "I started smoking again," Max said. "Yeah, I remember the first time I went to your office, there wasn't even a soot in there. I told you I had cash for bail, and you said, oh, use that coffee mug. Actually, I can use whatever I want What. I was like, you really know how to save money, don't you? Because you guys are all liars in your line of business. The woman told you her tricks, man, your greedy eyes lit up. You two discuss To get my money, I know, but you're timid, aren't you? Going to go on to be your bailman, and you try to look respectable when you're dealing with the scum of society, huh? Live the rest of your life like this." Max Cherry just sat there, Ordell thought, this guy knows what he is. They were almost on Bunyan Street.Max said, "On the other street." "I know where," Ordell said. Max said, "Turn left." "I know where to turn." They parked in the parking lot next door, the Volkswagen against the side of the house on the street.Max came out and stood by the luggage compartment.He also watched Odell walking this way, adjusted the pistol on his waist, and covered it with his shirt. "Why are you carrying a gun?" "You never know, do you?" Ordell walked toward the front of the house. Max waited. "What happened to the fifty thousand dollars?" "In the trunk," Ordell said, "until I see her pay me back." He went around the front of the car and walked up ahead to the window painted with the words Bail Bond Max Cherry."Now I want you to go ahead of me," Ordell said. Max opened the door covered with a piece of plywood and stepped into the lighted doorway. Ordell said behind him, "It's easy now." Max walked inside. He saw Jackie sitting at his desk, holding a cigarette, legs crossed.He took a side step towards Winston's desk and caught a glimpse of her looking at Ordell.She was wearing a men's shirt and very light makeup. Ordell said, "Girl, you're not allowed to smoke here. Don't you see the sign?" Max watched Jackie slowly turn the chair, towards the door leading to the reception room.Gatekeeper.He saw her look up at the sign above. He saw the door open and Ray Nicolai come out and heard Ordell's voice. Ordell was saying, "What the fuck is going on?" Max turned to look at him, and saw that Jackie was still holding the cigarette, and then turned back towards Ordell.Jackie said, "Ray..." Her expression didn't change, she just raised her voice, "He's got a gun!" Max saw Ordell's face change, saw his eyes wide open, his expression was first surprised, then flustered.Saw him throwing off his shirt, going to draw his gun, and the gun was already in his hand.But Nicolai beat him down.Nicolai drew the Barletta 9 from his lap and shot Ordell in the chest.Three consecutive shots were fired within more than an hour, and it was over. After the gunshots, the house seemed unusually quiet. Nicolai walked up to Ordell, who was lying in the doorway outside the office.A police officer with a gun came out of the shadows, followed by another.Nicolai looked at them.He bent down and felt Ordell's throat, then straightened up and turned to Jackie.He didn't say anything.He looked at Winston, who was now standing in the doorway of the reception room, and turned again, this time to face Max. "Are you with him?" "I'm going to refund him so he doesn't have to come here." "How do you know where he is?" "I found it." "You didn't tell the police, did you? Not even these two?"—referring to the two officers—"You used to work there." "I think you're going to get him," Max said, keeping his eyes wide open to stay focused. But Nicolai turned to look at Ordell again.What was going on in his head."We don't know who took his money, do we? Those marked notes," he said. Max looked at Jackie.She took a drag on her cigarette.Neither of them spoke.Nicolai will be inspecting Ordell's car soon. Nicolai seemed to want to say something, but didn't know how to put it - just looked at the man he had killed. "You told me," Jackie told him, "that you wished you'd knock him down before he shot me. Remember?" Nicolai turned around, his gun still leaning against the legs.He nodded. "Look, you remember," Jackie said. "Thank you."