Dark Passage by David Goodis Read Free Book Online Page A

the
homestretch, but he didn’t hear it, he was staring at the
window.
    The fourth series of raps got through the
door and bounced around the room, and following the raps a voice
said, “Irene—are you there?”
    It belonged to a woman. Then it couldn’t
be the police. And yet there was something about the voice that was
worse than the police.
    “Irene—open the door.”
    The music was music again. Parry figured
if he made the music louder he wouldn’t hear the voice.
    It was a voice he knew and he was trying
to place it and he didn’t want to place it. He made the music
louder.
    “Irene—what’s the matter? Let me
in.”
    Shorty George was coming down the
homestretch. The voice outside the door was louder than Shorty
George.
    “Irene—I know you’re in there and I want
you to let me in.”
    The voice was getting him now, closing in
on him, forceps of sound that was more than sound, because now he
recognized the voice, the pestering voice that belonged to Madge
Rapf.
    CHAPTER 5
    It was as if the door was glass and he
could see her standing out there, the Pest. His eyes made a turn
and looked at the ball of yellow glass with the lighter attachment.
All he had to do was grab hold of that thing and open the door, go
out there and start banging her over the head to shut her up. This
wouldn’t be the first time he had liked the idea of banging her
over the head.
    “Irene—I don’t think this is a bit funny
and I want you to open the door.”
    Parry reached over and picked up the heavy
ball of yellow glass.
    “Irene—are you going to open the
door?”
    Parry tested the weight of the ball of
yellow glass.
    “Irene—you know I’m out here. What's the
matter with you?”
    Parry took a step toward the door. He
wasn’t shaking and he wondered why. He wasn't perspiring and he
wasn't shaking and the ball of yellow glass was steady and all set
in his right hand. He wondered why he felt so glad about this and
all at once he understood he was about to do mankind a
favor.
    “Irene—do you intend to open the
door?”
    Shorty George crossed the finish line and
the glazed center spun soundlessly under the needle.
    Rapping again. Angry, puzzled
rapping.
    “Irene—open the door.”
    Parry took another step toward the door
and he began to shake. He began to perspire. His teeth were
vibrating. A grinding noise started deep in his belly and worked
its way up toward his mouth.
    “Irene-”
    “Shut up,” Parry yelled, realized that he
was yelling, tried to hold it, couldn’t do anything about it. “For
God's sake—shut up.”
    “What?”
    “I said shut up. Go away.”
    He knew that she was stepping back and
away from the door, looking at the number to see if she had the
right apartment.
    Then she said something that was Madge
Rapf all over. She said, “Irene, is someone in there with
you?”
    “Yes, someone’s in here with her,” Parry
said. “Now go away.”
    “Oh, I didn’t know.”
    “Well, now you know. So go
away.”
    She went away. Parry had an ear next to
the door crack and he could hear her footsteps going down the
corridor toward the elevator. He moved to the phonograph and picked
up the needle from the silent record. He lit another cigarette and
then took a position near the window and waited there. He estimated
two minutes and it was slightly under two minutes when he saw Madge
Rapf getting past the partition of yellow brick. He knew she was
going to turn and have a look at the window and he ducked just as
she turned. When he came up she was on her way again and he watched
her crossing the street. He figured she had to cross the street but
when she got to the other side he knew that was wrong. She was
there because she wanted to get a better view of the
window.
    He kept one eye past the limit of the
window. He didn’t know whether she could see that half of his face.
But even if she could see that one half of face she wouldn't be
able to recognize it. Now she came walking down the other side of
the street and stopped when she was directly across from