forget that I own twenty - five per cent of the group!
Davis Leroy stared at him It was obvious that that fact had slipped his mind.
'Oh my God, Abel, I hope you didn't put all your money into me.'His voice was becoming thick.
'Every last cent,' said Abel. 'But I don't regret it, Davis. Better to lose with a wise man than win with a fool! He poured himself another bourbon.
The tears were standing in the comers of Davis Leroy's eyes. 'You know, Abel, you're the best friend a man could ask for. You knock this hotel into shape, you invest your own money, I make you penniless, and you don't even complain, and then for good measure my daughter refuses to marry YOU.
Tou didn't mind me asking herT said Abel, less increddlous than he would have been without the bourbon.
'Silly little bitch, doesn't know a good thing when she sees one. She wants to marry some horse - breeding gentleman from the South with three Confederate generals in his fan - lily tree or if she does marry a Northerner, his great grandfather has to have come over on The Mayflower.
If everyone who claims they had a relative on that boat were ever on board together, the whole damn thing would have sunk a thousand times before it reach America. Too bad I don!t have another daughter for you, Abel. No one has served me more loyally than you have.
I sure would have been proud to have you as a member of the family. You and I would have made a great team, but I still reckon you can beat them all by yourself. You're young, you still have everything ahead of you.'
At twenty - three Abel suddenly felt very old.
'Thank you for your confidence, Davis,' he said, 'and who gives a damn for the stock market anyway? You know, you're the best friend I ever had.' The drink was beginning to talk.
Abel poured himself yet another bourbon and threw it down. Between them they had finished both bottles by early morning. When Davis fell asleep in his chair, Abel managed to stagger down to the tenth floor, undress and collapse on to his own bed. He was awakened from a heavy sleep by a loud banging on the door. His head was going round and round, but the banging went on and on, louder and louder. Somehow he managed to get himself off the bed and grope his way to the door. It was a bellboy.
'Come quickly, Mr. Abel, come quickly,' he said as he ran down the hall.
Abel threw on a dressing gown and slippers and staggered down the corridor to join the bellboy, who was holding bark the lift door for him - 'Quickly, Mr. Abel,'he repeated.
'What's the hurry?' demanded Abel, his head still going around as the lift moved slowly down. Then he recalled the evening's talk. Maybe the bank had come to take possession.
'Someone has jumped out the window.'
Abel sobered up immediately. 'A guest?'
'Yes, I think so,' said the bellboy, 'but I'm not sure.'
The 11ft came to a stop at the ground floor. Abel thrust back.the iron gates and ran out into die street. The police were already there. He wouldn't have recognised the body if it had not been for the checked jacket. A policeman was taking down details. A man in plainclothes came over to Abel.
'You the manager?'
Tes, I am.'
,'Do you have any idea who this man might be?'
'Yes,' said Abel, slurring the word. 'His name is Davis Leroy.'
'Do you know where he's from or how we contact his next of kin?'
Abel averted his eyes away from the broken body and answered automatically.
'He's from Dallas and a Miss Melanie Leroy, his daughter, is his next of kin. She's a student living out on the Chicago University campus.'
'Right, we'll get someone right over to her.'
'No, don't do that. I'll go and see her myself,' said Abel.
'Thank you. It's always better if they don't hear the news from a stranger!
'What a terrible, unnecessary thing to do,' said Abel, his eyes drawn back to the body of his friend.
'It's the seventh in Chicago today,' said the officer flatly as he closed his little black notebook and strolled over towards the ambulance.
Abel watched the stretcher bearers remove Davis Leroy's body from the pavement. He felt cold, sank to his knees and was violently sick in the gutter. Once again he bad lost his closest friend. Maybe if he had drunk less and thought more, he might have