six. . . . Just after the seventh ring, somebody picked it up. I pressed down at the same instant, breaking the connection. I hung up.
“I’ll bet that was a real smart move,” Trudy said. “If I was stupid enough to figure it out.”
“You don’t have to,” I said. “You just do what I tell you. In about two minutes, as soon as he gets back to bed, you’re going to call him. I’ll tell you what to say.”
“Up yours,” she said.
I slapped her.
She staggered sideways and fell to one knee. When she got up she tried to scratch me. I caught both her wrists in my left hand and slapped her twice more, forehanded and backhanded. I shoved and let her go. She fell backwards.
She looked up at me with the beginnings of doubt.
“You sumbitch, you’re crazy-”
“Get up, Trudy,” I said.
She climbed to her feet, watching me warily and trying to back away. I said nothing, and merely slapped her again, feeling a little sick at my stomach. She was about eighteen. But it had to be done. This was the method they’d left us.
“You cut it out,” she said, sullen now instead of insolent.
“Your trouble, Trudy, is that you’ve been milking complacent mopes all your life and never did run into a desperate mope before. I haven’t got anything more to i lose. Catch?”
I pulled the .38 from my pocket and cocked it.
“You wouldn’t.” She licked her lips nervously.
“We can use T.J. if you don’t want to do it. He’ll be easier to convince, too.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Guess,” I said.
She cracked. All the brass melted at once and she began to whimper. “What do you want me to do?”
“That’s better,” I said. I want you to call Frankie. If his wife answers the phone, don’t say anything. I’ll ask for him myself, because she might recognize your voice. As soon as we get hold of him, you do the talking. Here’s what you say.” I told her. “You got it?”
She nodded.
“All right,” I said grimly. “And remember. If you try to tip him off, God help you. The State can’t kill me any deader than Redfield.”
I dialed the number and held the instrument so she could speak into it and we could both hear. Crossman himself answered.
“Listen, Frankie,” she said hurriedly. “Pearl just called from town, and he’s on his way out here now. He said he tried to get you, but you didn’t answer—”
“He hung up before I could get to the phone,” Frankie grumbled. “What is it?”
I don’t know, except something’s gone wrong. All he said was he was leaving right then and for me to call you and keep calling till I got you, if I had to try every place in town. Don’t tell anybody, not even your wife, but just get out here as fast as you can.”
“I’ll be right there,” Frankie said. He hung up.
I replaced the instrument and looked at my watch. It was 12:47. We were cutting it dangerously fine. She’d said Pearl sometimes came home as early as one. It would take Frankie a couple of minutes to dress, and then Calhoun would wait two or three more. It was very still in the room. I was hot in the flannel jacket. Sweat ran down my face. My hands were so stiff now I could hardly close them.
“How long have you been living with Pearl?” I asked Trudy.
“Three or four months,” she said defiantly. Then she started to whine again. “I didn’t have nothin’ to do with anything. I came here from Tampa.”
“When did T.J. show up?”
“About the same time. He was in a cuttin’ scrape up in Georgia.”
They were small change, I thought. I had to have the three big ones, and some kind of proof, and even then it might do me no good at all.
“What’s in the safe?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” she replied sullenly.
“What’s in the safe?” I repeated harshly, taking a step towards her.
“Honest to God.” She began to whine again. “He never lets nobody see in it. Or watch him open it. That Miz Redfield offered me three hundred dollars if I could steal the combination—” She stopped abruptly.
“Why?” I asked. “What did she want with it?”
She retreated into sullen stupidity. “I don’t know. But Pearl carries it in his head. Nobody’ll ever know it but him.”
I looked at my watch again. It was 12:55. Calhoun should be talking to Mrs. Crossman now. And Frankie should be here any moment. “When Mrs. Crossman calls,”