Such Men Are Dangerous by Lawrence Block Read Free Book Online Page B

him.”
    I felt muscles tightening in my arms and legs. I made them loosen up again.
    “He might make a nuisance of himself, Paul.”
    “I could work it out.”
    “Suppose the State Board of Health decided to examine your shack. You’d be surprised how many friends the Agency has and how many people like to do us favors. If you don’t turn this trick for us, I’ve got a hunch you won’t be as comfortable here as you have been.” His voice softened. “Of course, it works both ways. Cooperation is a two-way street. Play straight with us and you’ll never have to worry about Mr. Fenstermacher or the State of Florida. We could smooth things out. Your fee for your work would probably cover the cost of buying the island outright, as far as that goes. And it never hurts to have important friends, Paul. You know that.”
    He wouldn’t get back in his boat and go away forever. I should have known that. He had too much leverage, he was too well placed.
    “Just one job,” I said, slowly. “Right?”
    “If that’s the way you want it.”
    “And then nobody bothers me again.”
    “If you say so, that’s how it’ll be. You may change your mind once you’re back in action, but the choice is yours all the way, Paul.”
    The hell it was. If they had a lever now they’d have a lever until hell froze.
    I frowned thoughtfully. “How long would it take?”
    “As little as one week or as much as three. Split the difference and call it two weeks flat. A fortnight. Two weeks from today you’ll be back on your tight little island.”
    “That’s not so bad.”
    “Not bad at all.”
    “And I’d have my choice afterward? I could do more work or be left alone forever?”
    “Right. No strings either way.”
    I let my face relax. “You make it sound good.”
    “It is good, Paul.”
    “I’d like to know what it’s all about. “I hesitated. “Look, uh, George, I didn’t mean to pop off like that. When you go days on end without seeing another human being—”
    “I understand completely.”
    “I mean, no one but me has ever been out here before.”
    “You don’t have to explain, Paul. My apologies.”
    “Well,” I said. I headed for the shack. He was standing just to the right of the doorway. “Suppose I fix us a drink. And you’ll want to get out of that jacket. You must be roasting to death in it.”
    He was shrugging the jacket down over his shoulders just as I drew even with him. His gun hand dropped and the gun pointed at the ground in front of him. I kicked the muscle on the underside of his forearm. He howled and the gun went flying, and he was still howling when the heel of my hand caught the point of his jaw.
    He sagged. I grabbed him, one hand bunching his shirtfront, the other between his legs. I hoisted him high into the air and marched across the sand to the water’s edge. He was yammering like a little monkey.
    I walked straight out into the water until it came almost to my knees. “My island,” I was shouting. “My island, my house, my list! My life, you son of a bitch. My life!”
    I slammed him down on his back. His legs worked furiously. I stuffed his head underwater and held it there.
    “No jobs for you, damn you! My island, my house, my list!”
    He couldn’t hear me. He was underwater, and he was struggling, and bubbles were coming up through the water from his mouth and nose. After a few moments he went limp, and then, a little later, the bubbles stopped.

FIVE
    H E W AS A lot heavier when I carried him back to shore. His clothes were soaked and his lungs were full of water. It was tempting to leave him there, but I put him over a shoulder and hauled him onto the sand and dropped him face down on it.
    I slipped one arm under his stomach, lifted him up a few inches, rolled him back and forth. Half the ocean streamed out of his mouth and nose. I moved in front of him and squatted with a knee on either side of his head and began artificial respiration, pressing down on his lungs, sliding