I finished saying it, I had my hand on the door. I just got a peek before one the men in front yelled for me to get away from there or he’d knock me into next Sunday. He’d stood up and was heading over. I backed off meek as could be, and said I hadn’t meant any harm. That’s when he told me to give the girl two papers and git. So I did.”
He paused, and I suspected it was for drama. He did, however, take the opportunity to swallow more coffee.
“Saw somebody back there in the little bit I got the door open, though. White streak down his hair makes him look kinda like a skunk?”
“Yeah, that’s him.” An opponent or two might have called Cy a skunk, but I suspected this was the first time the term had been used to describe his looks.
“He was hunched over the blower, talking away to somebody,” Heebs continued. “Near as I could tell, he wasn’t too happy.” He hitched forward on his chair and crossed his arms on the table, eyes sparkling. “Listen, sis, if there’s something shady going on there, I got a plan to keep an eye on things for you.”
“No.”
“Aw, you ain’t even heard it yet. Haven’t,” he corrected hastily, saving me from doing it for the umpteenth time. “See, first I trade Con, who sells down here and let him have my corner for a week. He’ll do it ’cause he’ll sell more papers on my corner, so you’ll have to make up my difference there. Then I’ll keep going in to sell those pols papers, but I won’t do anything else to get them suspicious. I’ll just get chummy. Tell ’em how I’m interested in learning politics, and I’ll do chores for them for nothing if they let me hang around.”
“Okay, I’ve heard it and the answer’s still ‘No.’”
As plans went, it wasn’t half bad. His attempt to see into the back room showed he took risks, though, and I didn’t want to be responsible for his taking more.
“Why not?” he insisted.
If he put his foot wrong around Cy Warren’s crew, they’d have him shipped off to the orphans’ home before he could blink. If they suspected him of snooping, they’d do worse. But if I told the kid it was too dangerous, he might take it into his head to do it anyway. I thought quickly.
“I need you to do something that’ll help more. We’ll use part of that plan of yours, though.” I looked at my watch. “I’ll explain tomorrow — once I’ve gotten everything you’ll need.”
“Equipment?” He’d been looking down in the mouth, but that perked him up.
“I guess you could call it that. Right now you can help me with something else. When I leave here, watch out the window and see if anyone follows me. Not necessarily anyone from the place you just visited.”
His face grew sober.
“You in some kind of danger, sis?”
“Nah.” I slid out of my chair and winked. “Just may have an admirer I don’t want.” I picked up my purse. “Don’t forget to get over to The Good Neighbor and ask for Clarice. Tell her I said put a pair of shoes for you on my tab.”
***
Heebs and I had met up so soon after my visit to Cy that I’d had no chance to think about what I’d learned. As I walked back to my office, I began to put that to rights .
I’d learned Cy knew about Alf’s love nest, for one thing. Maybe he’d only heard about the set-up second hand, but I was willing to bet a dime or two he’d had more contact with Alf than he admitted.
Maybe a lot more.
I wondered whether he might be the friend Alf was talking to in the back yard that night when two little girls were listening up in the tree house.
I also wondered whether the conversation the Vanhorn sisters had overheard that night was as sinister as they’d imagined.
When I’d
He paused, and I suspected it was for drama. He did, however, take the opportunity to swallow more coffee.
“Saw somebody back there in the little bit I got the door open, though. White streak down his hair makes him look kinda like a skunk?”
“Yeah, that’s him.” An opponent or two might have called Cy a skunk, but I suspected this was the first time the term had been used to describe his looks.
“He was hunched over the blower, talking away to somebody,” Heebs continued. “Near as I could tell, he wasn’t too happy.” He hitched forward on his chair and crossed his arms on the table, eyes sparkling. “Listen, sis, if there’s something shady going on there, I got a plan to keep an eye on things for you.”
“No.”
“Aw, you ain’t even heard it yet. Haven’t,” he corrected hastily, saving me from doing it for the umpteenth time. “See, first I trade Con, who sells down here and let him have my corner for a week. He’ll do it ’cause he’ll sell more papers on my corner, so you’ll have to make up my difference there. Then I’ll keep going in to sell those pols papers, but I won’t do anything else to get them suspicious. I’ll just get chummy. Tell ’em how I’m interested in learning politics, and I’ll do chores for them for nothing if they let me hang around.”
“Okay, I’ve heard it and the answer’s still ‘No.’”
As plans went, it wasn’t half bad. His attempt to see into the back room showed he took risks, though, and I didn’t want to be responsible for his taking more.
“Why not?” he insisted.
If he put his foot wrong around Cy Warren’s crew, they’d have him shipped off to the orphans’ home before he could blink. If they suspected him of snooping, they’d do worse. But if I told the kid it was too dangerous, he might take it into his head to do it anyway. I thought quickly.
“I need you to do something that’ll help more. We’ll use part of that plan of yours, though.” I looked at my watch. “I’ll explain tomorrow — once I’ve gotten everything you’ll need.”
“Equipment?” He’d been looking down in the mouth, but that perked him up.
“I guess you could call it that. Right now you can help me with something else. When I leave here, watch out the window and see if anyone follows me. Not necessarily anyone from the place you just visited.”
His face grew sober.
“You in some kind of danger, sis?”
“Nah.” I slid out of my chair and winked. “Just may have an admirer I don’t want.” I picked up my purse. “Don’t forget to get over to The Good Neighbor and ask for Clarice. Tell her I said put a pair of shoes for you on my tab.”
***
Heebs and I had met up so soon after my visit to Cy that I’d had no chance to think about what I’d learned. As I walked back to my office, I began to put that to rights .
I’d learned Cy knew about Alf’s love nest, for one thing. Maybe he’d only heard about the set-up second hand, but I was willing to bet a dime or two he’d had more contact with Alf than he admitted.
Maybe a lot more.
I wondered whether he might be the friend Alf was talking to in the back yard that night when two little girls were listening up in the tree house.
I also wondered whether the conversation the Vanhorn sisters had overheard that night was as sinister as they’d imagined.
When I’d
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