Native Son Part 21

"Then you going to tell me?"

Yes, he could dress the story up. Why even mention Jan? Why not tell it so that if she were ever questioned she would say the things that he wanted her to say, things that would help him? He lifted the gla.s.s and drained the liquor and set it down and leaned forward and toyed with the cigarette in his fingers. He spoke with bated breath.

"Listen, here's the dope, see? The gal where I'm working, the daughter of the old man who's rich, a millionaire, has done run off with a Red, see?"

"Eloped?"

"Hunh? Er.... Yeah; eloped."

"With a Red Red?"

"Yeah; one of them Communists."

"Oh! What's wrong with her?"

"Aw; she's crazy. n.o.body don't know she's gone, so last night I took the money from her room, see?"

"Oh!"

"They don't know where she is."

"But what you going to do?"

"They don't know where she is," he said again.

"What you mean?"

He sucked his cigarette; he saw her looking at him, her black eyes wide with eager interest. He liked that look. In one way, he hated to tell her, because he wanted to keep her guessing. He wanted to take as long as possible in order to see that look of complete absorption upon her face. It made him feel alive and gave him a heightened sense of the value of himself.

"I got an idea," he said.

"Oh, Bigger, tell tell me!" me!"

"Don't talk so loud!"

"Well, tell tell me!" me!"

"They don't know where the girl is. They might think she's kidnapped, see?" His whole body was tense and as he spoke his lips trembled.

"Oh, that was what you was so excited about when I told you about Loeb and Leopold...."

"Well, what you think?"

"Would they really really think she's kidnapped?" think she's kidnapped?"

"We can make make 'em think it." 'em think it."

She looked into her empty gla.s.s. Bigger beckoned the waitress and ordered two more drinks. He took a deep swallow and said, "The gal's gone, see? They don't know where she is. Don't n.o.body know. But they might think somebody did if they was told, see?"

"You mean.... You mean we could say we we did it? You mean write to 'em...." did it? You mean write to 'em...."

"....and ask for money, sure," he said. "And get it, too. You see, we cash in, 'cause n.o.body else is trying to."

"But suppose she shows up?"

"She won't."

"How you know?"

"I just know she won't."

"Bigger, you know know something about that girl. You know where she is?" something about that girl. You know where she is?"

"That's all right about where she is. I know we won't have to worry about her showing up, see?"

"Oh, Bigger, this is crazy crazy!"

"Then, h.e.l.l, we won't talk about it no more!"

"Oh, I don't mean that."

"Then what do do you mean?" you mean?"

"I mean we got to be careful."

"We can get ten thousand dollars."

"How?"

"We can have 'em leave the money somewhere. They'll think they can get the girl back...."

"Bigger, you know where that girl is?" she said, giving her voice a tone of half-question and half-statement.

"Naw."

"Then it'll be in the papers. She'll show up."

"She won't."

"How you know?"

"She just won't."

He saw her lips moving, then heard her speak softly, leaning toward him.

"Bigger, you ain't done nothing to that girl, is you?"

He stiffened with fear. He felt suddenly that he wanted something in his hand, something solid and heavy: his gun, a knife, a brick.

"If you say that again, I'll slap you back from this table!"

"Oh!"

"Come on, now. Don't be a fool."

"Bigger, you oughtn't've done it...."

"You going to help me? Say yes or no."

"Gee, Bigger...."

"You scared? You scared after letting me take that silver from Mrs. Heard's home? After letting me get Mrs. Macy's radio? You scared now?"

"I don't know."

"You wanted me to tell you; well, I told you. That's a woman, always. You want to know something, then you run like a rabbit."

"But we'll get caught caught."

"Not if we do right."

"But how could we do it, Bigger?"

"I'll figure it out."

"But I want to know."

"It'll be easy."

"But how?"

"I can fix it so you can pick up the money and n.o.body'll bother you."

"They catch people who do things like that."

"If you scared they will will catch you." catch you."

"How could I pick up the money?"

"We'll tell 'em where to leave it."

"But they'll have police watching."

"Not if they want the gal back. We got a club over 'em, see? And I'll be watching, too. I work in the house where they live. If they try to doublecross us, I'll let you know."

"You reckon we could do it?"

"We could have 'em throw the money out of a car. You could be in some spot to see if they send anybody to watch. If you see anybody around, then you don't touch the money, see? But they want the gal; they won't watch."

There was a long silence.

"Bigger, I don't know," she said.

"We could go to New York, to Harlem, if we had money. New York's a real town. We could lay low for awhile."

"But suppose they mark the money?"

"They won't. And if they do, I'll tell you. You see, I'm right there in the house."

"But if we run off, they'll think we did it. They'll be looking for us for years, Bigger...."

"We won't run right away. We'll lay low for awhile."

"I don't know, Bigger."

He felt satisfied; he could tell by the way she looked that if he pushed her hard enough she would come in with him. She was afraid and he could handle her through her fear. He looked at his watch; it was getting late. He ought to go back and have a look at that furnace.

"Listen, I got to go."

He paid the waitress and they went out. There was another way to bind her to him. He drew forth the roll of bills, peeled off one for himself, and held out the rest of the money toward her.

"Here," he said. "Get you something and save the rest for me."

"Oh!"

She looked at the money and hesitated.

"Don't you want it?"

"Yeah," she said, taking the roll.

"If you string along with me you'll get plenty more."

They stopped in front of her door; he stood looking at her.

"Well," he said. "What you think?"

"Bigger, honey. I-I don't know," she said plaintively.

"You wanted me to tell you."

"I'm scared."

"Don't you trust me?"

"But we ain't never done nothing like this before. They'll look everywhere for us for something like this. It ain't like coming to where I work at night when the white folks is gone out of town and stealing something. It ain't...."

"It's up to you."