Too Sweet to Die by Ron Goulart, Llc Ebook Architects Page A
Authors: Ron Goulart, Llc Ebook Architects
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located the correct one.
He inserted the gold-colored key in the lock, twisted it slowly. Then he gently spun the brass doorknob.
The white door opened outward. The cellar radiated blackness and chill. The smell of grapes and dust came out at Easy. He dropped the keys back in his trousers, slid out a pencil flashlight.
Easy crossed the threshold and stood in darkness. He reached back, pulled the door shut on himself. He took a careful step ahead, then another, still not using his flash. A spider web, complete with a live spider and an assortment of dry dead flies, tangled in his shaggy hair.
Up above Easy heard the little doctor clogging heavily back and forth. There was another rifle shot.
Easy took five more steps and felt racks of side-lying wine bottles beside him. He halted to listen again.
The wine-cellar door opened outward. A big electric lantern came on and spotted Easy.
“Why, Mr. Easy. How nice to run into you again.”
CHAPTER 19
E ASY RECOGNIZED THE VOICE. It was Montez’s other sidekick, the one who’d been sniping at Ingraham from the woods. “You’re the one who isn’t Neil,” said Easy. “We seem to have picked the same time to make a try for Ingraham.”
“Name is Tommy,” said the big man, speaking softly. The side glow from his lantern illuminated the .45 automatic in his right hand. “I haven’t got time for further talk. You’re an unexpected annoyance, Mr. Easy.”
“I can help you take Ingraham.”
Part of Tommy’s smile showed behind and above the bright lantern. “Afraid not, Mr. Easy. Now then, raise your hands up and keep them there while I come over and take that gun you’ve got decorating your belly.”
Easy lifted his hands, holding them wide apart. “Neil isn’t going to get here, Tommy. Montez is trussed up in my car. You can’t handle the doctor by yourself.”
“Of course I can,” replied Tommy. “After I handle you. That little …”
Easy grasped a head-level wine bottle by its neck. He jerked it from its nest in the wine rack behind him and sent it flying straight at Tommy, dropping to the dark floor as he did.
The bottle cracked against the knuckles of Tommy’s gun hand. “Hey!” He dropped the automatic.
Easy rolled, came up beside Tommy. He threw two jabs, connecting with the man’s prominent jaw.
Tommy tottered backward, bumped into a standing barrel. His lantern dropped into the empty barrel and its light was nearly smothered.
Easy found him in the dark. He hit him twice more.
The big man grunted and sighed. Then he gave Easy a sharp blow in the ribs.
Easy fell back. A half-dozen bottles of wine were rocked out of their cubbyholes and fell on the two men.
Glass cracked and wine slushed across the stone floor as Tommy charged for Easy.
Side-stepping, Easy kicked a foot between Tommy’s legs. The panting man fell, slamming down onto the floor.
Tommy was soon up.
Easy could see him faintly, weaving toward him.
Then Tommy stopped, brought his hands up to his face. “Oh, dear God,” he said. “Dear God, I’m all cut to pieces. What have you done to my face, you rotten bastard.”
Easy circled Tommy. He swung out with his flat hand and knocked him out with three chops to the neck.
When Tommy was stretched out on the floor Easy fetched the light out of the barrel to shine on the man’s face. There was one long bleeding gash across his forehead.
After finding the .45 and putting it in his hip pocket, Easy quickly tied up Montez’s man with his belt and necktie.
There was no sound of movement upstairs. Ingraham must certainly have heard the rumpus down here. Easy left Tommy and swept the man’s lantern around the cellar. Beyond the three parallel rows of man-high wine racks was a wooden stairway which should lead up into the lodge. The open wood steps came down at a 45-degree angle and to their right and partially beneath them hulked a black oil furnace. At the other end of the room a fuse box was mounted on the wall.
Easy ran
He inserted the gold-colored key in the lock, twisted it slowly. Then he gently spun the brass doorknob.
The white door opened outward. The cellar radiated blackness and chill. The smell of grapes and dust came out at Easy. He dropped the keys back in his trousers, slid out a pencil flashlight.
Easy crossed the threshold and stood in darkness. He reached back, pulled the door shut on himself. He took a careful step ahead, then another, still not using his flash. A spider web, complete with a live spider and an assortment of dry dead flies, tangled in his shaggy hair.
Up above Easy heard the little doctor clogging heavily back and forth. There was another rifle shot.
Easy took five more steps and felt racks of side-lying wine bottles beside him. He halted to listen again.
The wine-cellar door opened outward. A big electric lantern came on and spotted Easy.
“Why, Mr. Easy. How nice to run into you again.”
CHAPTER 19
E ASY RECOGNIZED THE VOICE. It was Montez’s other sidekick, the one who’d been sniping at Ingraham from the woods. “You’re the one who isn’t Neil,” said Easy. “We seem to have picked the same time to make a try for Ingraham.”
“Name is Tommy,” said the big man, speaking softly. The side glow from his lantern illuminated the .45 automatic in his right hand. “I haven’t got time for further talk. You’re an unexpected annoyance, Mr. Easy.”
“I can help you take Ingraham.”
Part of Tommy’s smile showed behind and above the bright lantern. “Afraid not, Mr. Easy. Now then, raise your hands up and keep them there while I come over and take that gun you’ve got decorating your belly.”
Easy lifted his hands, holding them wide apart. “Neil isn’t going to get here, Tommy. Montez is trussed up in my car. You can’t handle the doctor by yourself.”
“Of course I can,” replied Tommy. “After I handle you. That little …”
Easy grasped a head-level wine bottle by its neck. He jerked it from its nest in the wine rack behind him and sent it flying straight at Tommy, dropping to the dark floor as he did.
The bottle cracked against the knuckles of Tommy’s gun hand. “Hey!” He dropped the automatic.
Easy rolled, came up beside Tommy. He threw two jabs, connecting with the man’s prominent jaw.
Tommy tottered backward, bumped into a standing barrel. His lantern dropped into the empty barrel and its light was nearly smothered.
Easy found him in the dark. He hit him twice more.
The big man grunted and sighed. Then he gave Easy a sharp blow in the ribs.
Easy fell back. A half-dozen bottles of wine were rocked out of their cubbyholes and fell on the two men.
Glass cracked and wine slushed across the stone floor as Tommy charged for Easy.
Side-stepping, Easy kicked a foot between Tommy’s legs. The panting man fell, slamming down onto the floor.
Tommy was soon up.
Easy could see him faintly, weaving toward him.
Then Tommy stopped, brought his hands up to his face. “Oh, dear God,” he said. “Dear God, I’m all cut to pieces. What have you done to my face, you rotten bastard.”
Easy circled Tommy. He swung out with his flat hand and knocked him out with three chops to the neck.
When Tommy was stretched out on the floor Easy fetched the light out of the barrel to shine on the man’s face. There was one long bleeding gash across his forehead.
After finding the .45 and putting it in his hip pocket, Easy quickly tied up Montez’s man with his belt and necktie.
There was no sound of movement upstairs. Ingraham must certainly have heard the rumpus down here. Easy left Tommy and swept the man’s lantern around the cellar. Beyond the three parallel rows of man-high wine racks was a wooden stairway which should lead up into the lodge. The open wood steps came down at a 45-degree angle and to their right and partially beneath them hulked a black oil furnace. At the other end of the room a fuse box was mounted on the wall.
Easy ran
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