The Dirty Duck by Martha Grimes Read Free Book Online

Jimmy, ‘Honey, I got to go away for a while. Mr. Farraday, he’ll look after you.’ See, she worked for him; he liked her a lot and she him, I think. And she said, ‘Now don’t fret yourself; it may be a long while, but I’ll be back.’ Only that wasn’t true. She never did come back.” Penny lifted her head and looked out across the river, Jury thought past everything—the willows, the swans surfeited with crumbs and scudding against the bank, the brilliantly colored little pleasure boats moored at the edge. “She died of a wasting disease. That’s what they told us. But Jimmy and me never did find out what that wasting disease was. I guess it don’t make no difference. I guess you could say anything you die of’s a wasting disease.”
    Jury said nothing, only waited for her to go on. “Boy, was she pretty! You can’t tell it from that picture—”
    â€œYes, you can. She looks exactly like you.”
    Astonishment was stamped on her face. Her light eyes seemed to refract some of the gold of the day. “Ah, go on. . . . No one ever looks at me with them two around.”
    â€œSome people have no taste, then. What about your real father?”
    She dropped the butt of her cigarette on the ground. “I guess he diedtoo. I don’t think him and our mama was married, if the truth be known. Maybe I knew him. I don’t remember. But Jimmy, he never . . .” This was brought out on a deep sigh, and in the words there was not a trace of reproach. People make mistakes, her tone seemed to imply.
    â€œSo He ups and marries this Amelia Blue, and sure as God made little green apples, her and Honey Belle think we’re just bastards. Oh, they don’t say it out loud; they wouldn’t dare; their eyes say it. You just can see it in their eyes every time they look at us. That Honey Belle, there’s words for what she is where I come from. I was born in West-by-God-Virginia—you can tell, I don’t talk good—and what we call girls like that is just plain c-u-n-t—if you’ll excuse my language—I trust I ain’t shocking you. In West Virginia we got all kinds, so maybe we got c-u-n-t too, but I swear to almighty God with my hand on my heart”—and not to be thought a liar she placed it there—“that we ain’t got it with a capital C. That had to come slithering up from Georgia. Now we live in Maryland,” she added indifferently. “You can just see the boys around Honey Belle. They drop like flies everytime she twitches that ass of hers down the street. I used to have me a boy friend once.” She sighed. It was not hard to imagine what happened to the boy friend. “I know you think I’m jealous and I don’t deny it. My God, you seen them shorts she wears? Practically up to her armpits. Well, you got to allow as how you know what I mean about Honey Belle.”
    Jury had to allow as how he did.
    â€œAnd that Amelia Blue, she ain’t no better. Two peas in a pod. It makes me sick the way she messes with men. There’s this Englishman on our tour that I bet my life she’s been fooling with—”
    â€œWho’s that, Penny?”
    â€œChum or Chomly. But it ain’t spelt that way. First name’s George. He’s good-looking all right. Nearly has Amelia and Honey Belle wetting their pants. What I wanted to tell you was—you’ll have to excuse me bending your ear this way—I think Jimmy might’ve run off.”
    â€œRun away, you mean? But surely not in a foreign country.”
    â€œYou don’t know Jimmy. ‘James Cahlton,’ she calls him. I swear, all those people down South have these stupid double names, so Amelia Blue has to make them up for us too. She calls Him James Cecil as if one name’s not enough for anybody. I ain’t got a middle name, thank you, Lord.” She looked up at the