Gay Place by Billy Lee Brammer Read Free Book Online

terrible.”
    “You’ve seen him?” Ouida said. “Where’ve you seen him?”
    “This mornin’,” Giffen said. “Downtown. He was drinkin’ before noon. I’m worried about him.”
    “I am, too,” Ouida said. “Especially when he comes to town and doesn’t call or even come by to visit his son. He say anything?”
    “You didn’t know he was here?”
    “Of course not. He say anything at all?”
    “I only saw him a minute,” Giffen said. “I told him I’d been lookin’ in on you and little Earle — just to head off any malicious stories that might be goin’ round. About you and me, I mean.”
    “That was probably very wise,” Ouida said.
    “I think I’ll take a run-by the Friendly,” Giffen said.
    Ouida and Roy were silent, looking at one another.
    “You seen my new car, Roy?” Giffen said.
    “Yes.”
    “You said Huggins was at the Friendly?”
    “Yes.”
    “Had he been out to that place again?”
    “What place?”
    “That cat house.”
    “He didn’t say.”
    “I’ve been worried about him,” Giffen said. “He goes out there all the time. It’s getting so it’s a crutch for him.”
    Again they were silent. Giffen took a deep breath; his brow furrowed; his eyes bulged. The phone rang, and Giffen said: “That’s probably Earle now. He’s probably been tied up all day.”
    Ouida answered, listened for a moment, turned and said: “It’s for Roy. I think there’s a madman on the other end.”
    “Really?” Roy seemed delighted with the prospect. “What’d he say?”
    “He said something about you’re being down in the shortrows — what in hell does that mean? — and for me to send you home to sleep as soon as you’re finished talking. To whoever it is.”
    Roy went over to take the phone. Giffen kissed Ouida again and laughed.
    “Hello,” Roy said.
    “Who is it?” Giffen called out from behind him.
    The voice came to Roy, rasping and hilarious: “Goddamit, Roy, you got to cut out all this hoo-hawin’ and get serious. You ought be home studyin’ that legislation. You ought have it set by God to memory. You goin’ be home early tonight?”
    “Are we down in the shortrows?” Roy said.
    “Goddam right,” Fenstemaker said.
    “What does that mean?”
    “Cotton pickin’ expression. You ever picked cotton? Bet your daddy ginned a lot of it, exploitin’ them masses. How many tenants you got on your family land?”
    “I don’t know,” Roy said. “I never looked real good. I was probably too busy joining the N Double A C P.”
    “You better not have,” Fenstemaker said. “Not recently, anyhow. I got to keep you clean till this bill’s passed. You study it this afternoon?”
    “Yes, sir,” Roy said.
    Giffen called out again: “Who the hell is it, Roy?”
    “You got it down real good?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Giffen looked at Ouida. “Who’s Roy sir-in’ like that?” he said. Ouida shook her head.
    “You gonna be ready tomorrow?” Fenstemaker said,
    “No,” Roy said. “Not about to be. I could memorize everything, and I’d still need to talk to you about how to handle the damn thing. I don’t know how to work a bill. Never did it in my life.”
    “You know, goddamit,” Fenstemaker said. “But that’s a good answer. You’ll never know as much as I know, unless I teach you, and I’m gonna teach you tomorrow. Day after all right?”
    “For what?”
    “The bill, dammit and hell. You think you be in condition to work that bill then?”
    “Maybe.”
    “Okay. Now go home and get some rest. You ain’t learnin’ nothin’ over there with old Earle’s wife. Least I hope not. You know he’s in town?”
    “I just found out,” Roy said.
    “Well … You gonna get the hell out of there?”
    “I wasn’t plannin’ on it,” Roy said.
    “You nutboy liberals …” Fenstemaker began.
    “I’m a conservative States’ rights Democrat,” Roy said.
    “Well that’s worse,” Fenstemaker said. “Don’t go round talkin’ like that or you’ll be a