Muller, Marcia, [McCone 01] Edwin of the Iron Shoes(v1, shtml) Read Free Book Online Page B

down on the floor close to the love seat. "Look, Charlie, don't you think you should get some sleep?"
    "Sleep?" He laughed mirthlessly. "I lay down, all I'm gonna get is the whirlies. You ever had the whirlies? Round and round…"
    "Yes, I've had the whirlies. Everybody's had the whirlies. Charlie, what happened at the Merchants' Association meeting?" I was impatient to get the answer I'd come for.
    "Oh, we took up a collection. Gonna get the biggest goddamn wreath for Joanie. You wanna contribute?" He leaned forward, holding out his hand.
    I sighed inwardly and said, "How much should I?"
    "Couple of bucks would do."
    I reached for my bag and got out a five. "That's from me and Hank and the others at All Souls."
    Charlie stared at the bill. "That's a lot. They don't pay you much. Can you afford it?"
    "I'll make them pay back their shares out of petty cash."
    Charlie kept staring at the bill. "Petty. That's what it was. I was petty. She's of still been alive if I wasn't a petty bastard."
    "How do you mean?" The night before, Charlie had lashed out at me for failing to unmask the vandals and thus prevent Joan's death. Now I wondered if his attack on me had been on extension of some secret guilt of his own. If so, how much of that guilt was founded on fact?
    Charlie said, "She wouldn't of been alone, that's what I mean. All alone with Old Father Death. If I hadn't of been so petty."
    "I don't understand."
    He looked up at me, a sly light in his tiny eyes. "She was alone and Old Father Death came creeping…"
    I decided we were getting nowhere this way. "Charlie, what else happened at the meeting?"
    He looked blank. "What?"
    "Are they going to hire me?"
    "Hire you?"
    "The Merchants' Association! Do they want me to investigate the murder?"
    "Oh, hire you. No. They voted against it, Sharon." An apologetic note crept into his voice. "I guess Joanie's death ended the Association. There's no feeling of togetherness any more. Joanie's gone, and nobody can bring her back."
    I felt a disappointed twinge. "They don't want to find her killer?"
    "Yes. No. I don't think anybody cares. We just all want out before it's one of us next." He glanced furtively over his shoulders. "You see, Old Father Death's lurking around Salem Street, and he's going to strike again. He could be out there in the dark right now. Who knows? I want out, too." There was a wild light in his eyes.
    I shook my head, shivering. Charlie might be babbling drunk, but he raised spectres I couldn't deal with. "Stop talking like that, Charlie. Nobody else is going to die."
    "I'm going to die. You're going to die. We all are. In our time, in our own special way. Who knows but that our time is now? Maybe it's there, just seconds away, out there…"
    I stood up. "Look, Charlie, I've got to go. You better follow me out and make sure you lock up after me."
    "You can go out the back way. It locks behind you."
    "No," I said firmly. "My car's in front." Damned if I would go out into the alley with Charlie's Old Father Death lurking in the dark!
    It was bad enough to pass through the roomful of junk on the way to the front door. Several times, I glanced from side to side but saw nothing more threatening than a huge, ugly armoire with gorgons carved on its doors. Just the same, I was glad to get out of there. I waited long enough to make sure Charlie shot the bolt, then raced for my car, fumbling with the keys.
    I needed light, and reasonable, sober people to dispel the gloomy foreshadowing of my own uncertain death. I also needed to talk to Hank about the new turn of events. Could I investigate Joan's murder without the Merchants' Association's sponsorship? I wanted to investigate it very much.
    I headed for All Souls to see Hank. If he was anything, it was reasonable and sober.

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CHAPTER 8
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    My gloom was somewhat alleviated when I arrived at All Souls. The windows of the Victorian . building glowed cheerfully, and the porch light spread a wide circle of