Eye of the Cricket by James Sallis Read Free Book Online

down the volume.
    "Please have a seat."
    Still knew how to act when company came, after all this time.
    Mr. and Mrs. Prue sat on the couch, Norm and his son in chairs close by.
    "I guess I'm here as a kind of representative."Norm glanced at the Prues. "Speaking for a lot of your, our, neighbors.
    "You may not know what's been going on, Lewis. Have to be busy with your teaching, and writing all those books—can't imagine
     how much time tliat takes. And I know you like to keep to yourself, of course, value your privacy. We respect that It's part of what makes the
     neighborhood work. Any community.
    "So we apologize again for intruding on you."
    He looked over at his son.
    "And for waking you up," Raymond said.
    "Can I get you folks anything?"
    Four heads went no. Good. I didn't have anything to get them.
    "Last few weeks there's been a team of robbers, purse snatchers, working the neighborhood. Kidsreally. Riding bikes and carrying
     guns. They held up one of the college girls down the street last week. Big house where all the students live? She waits tables
     in the Quarter two or three nights a week, took the streetcar home to Napoleon and was walking the rest of the way. Had the
     night's tips on her, just under a hundred dollars. Now, she thinks she remembers seeing them circle by once or twice before
     they pulled up at the curb, but at the time she didn't think anything of it. Who would? Then they pulled up by her, flashed
     the gun and told her to hand over her purse.
    "There've been at least a couple more. Last night Janet and Gene were late for—some kind of alumni dinner, right?"
    They nodded.
    "Janet came out, got to the car and realized Gene wasn't behind her anymore, and went back in to check on him. He says he'll
     be right there, so she comes back out and stands by the car. Porch light's on. She doesn't remember seeing any bicycles going
     by, no. But all of a sudden, there they are. One of them's got a passenger on the back. He leans over—like Indians going from
     side to side on their ponies in old movies, she says afterwards—and snags her purse. Strap pulls tight and snaps, she reaches,
     but it's gone.
    "I could use a glass of water, it's not too much trouble."
    I brought him one from the kitchen. Even found a clean glass.
    "We're talking black here, Lewis. You understand that? Black kids on bikes with guns, hitting their own neighborhood. Ours.
     Never mind the robberies, that's bad enough. But sooner or later someone they pull up beside's going to talk back, or else
     someone looking out his window is going to go get his gun, next thing you know we've got a street full of police cars."
    "Okay, Norm, what do you want me to do?"
    "I don't know. But everybody on the street knows you're a detective—"
    "Used to be."
    "Used to be, right. So anyway, they thought maybe you'd have some idea how we could get on top of this. Thought maybe you
     could check around, ask some questions."
    "What kind of questions?"
    "You'd know that better than us. Meanwhile, we're handing this out to everyone in a six-block radius."
    He passed me a sheet of standard typing paper, computer generated.
    IMPORTANT MEMO! DISTRIBUTE IMMEDIATELY!
    There has been a rash of armed robberies in this part of Uptown New Orleans in the last several weeks. At least 4—5 have happened
     in our area alone.
    The perpetrators are Negro male juveniles, 12-16 years old in school type uniforms—white shirts and khaki pants. *
    They go about in groups of 2-4 and are armed with at least one blue steel revolver. The time frame of the robberies is after
     school until 8 P.M. They " case " the area first—walking or riding bikes up and down the block-then approach the intended
     victim with a question, i.e.,
    What time is it ? Victims have been walking home or sitting on t heir front porches.
    WE MUST BE VIGILANT! Do not allow these juveniles to engage you in conversation—this is a DELAY TACTIC to SET YOU UP AS THEIR
     NEXT VICTIM!
    Be even more