Escape from Five Shadows - Leonard Elmore John - Страница 24

“They were from Washington.”

“I told you, I’m not interested.”

Renda came to his feet. “I’m interested! You understand that? I’m interested and we’re going to damn-well talk about them whether you want to or not!”

“As usual,” Lizann said calmly, “you’ll be talking to yourself.”

The table creaked as Renda leaned his weight on it again. “Let’s find out,” he said mildly, and noticed the look of momentary surprise on Lizann’s face. “We don’t have to yell at each other, Lizzy. Pretend you’re in Washington and you’re talking to one of Willis’s political friends. Like Mr. Everett C. Allen.”

“The letters were from him?”

“That’s better,” Renda grinned.

“Were they?”

“They were from him.”

“What did he say?”

“He was answering Willis.”

“I didn’t know Willis had written him.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“I don’t care what you believe!”

“You should. It makes a difference.”

“I didn’t know Willis had written to him,” Lizann said evenly. “You can believe that or not.”

“Let’s say I don’t. Who is he?”

“Everett? He’s with the Department of the Interior.”

“High up?”

“High enough.”

“High enough to get Willis away from here?”

Lizann nodded. “What did he say?”

Renda’s leg, hooked over the corner of the table, began to swing slowly back and forth. He stared at Lizann and for perhaps a full minute he said nothing. Then, “What’re you so anxious to know for? You don’t even know what Willis said to him first.”

“Does it matter?” Lizann asked.

“You know damn well it matters.”

“If you are going to insist that I know what Willis wrote,” said Lizann, “there’s no use discussing it further.”

“I’ll bet you even told him what to write.”

Lizann sat lower in her chair. Her gaze went to the open doorway and she ignored Renda.

“I’ll bet Willis didn’t even want to write it. But you made him.”

Lizann’s gaze came back to Renda. “Willis asked for a transfer!”

“That’s pretty good,” Renda said. “You must’ve been rehearsing-opening your big brown eyes, looking surprised-”

“What did Everett say,” Lizann demanded.

“What do you think he said?”

Lizann hesitated thoughtfully. “Something to the effect that Willis was gaining valuable experience…that there were no openings elsewhere, but when the right opportunity presented itself-”

“You know this man pretty well,” Renda said.

“I have seen his letters before.”

“So Willis is stuck,” Renda said. “I told him that a long time ago.”

Lizann said nothing.

“I told him. I said, ‘Willis, relax and enjoy it. You’re gaining valuable experience here and if you do good, maybe they’ll make you superintendent at my next camp.’ ”

“God help him,” Lizann murmured.

“That could happen, Lizzy.”

“I wish you wouldn’t call me that.”

“It bothers you?”

“How do you know there’s going to be a next camp?”

“Same way I got this one.”

“You bribed someone for the contract?”

“That’s a bad word.”

“You must have.”

“Mine was low bid, Lizzy.”

“You know nothing about road construction. Someone must have told you what to bid-for a price. Someone on the inside.”

Renda grinned. “A silent partner.”

“What I don’t understand,” Lizann said, “is why you bother. You have to use bribes. You have to watch every move anyone makes. You hire a man like Brazil, who would come higher than the ordinary guard. You’re constantly in danger of being found out. For what?”

“For fifteen dollars a day profit, free and clear,” Renda said.

“Which isn’t very much,” Lizann said.

“Besides what I make on the road contract.”

“But with your expenses, there couldn’t be much left of that.”

“Enough,” Renda said. “Which adds on to the fifteen a day-”

“How do you come to that amount?”

“The government subsistence!” He sounded surprised that she had to ask. “I don’t know why they think each man’s worth seventy cents a day-when you only need about twenty cents to take care of one. But as long as they want to pay it, I’ll make my fifteen a day. Figure that back over four months. Then go ahead a couple more months. See how it adds up? I figure I’ll make three thousand on that alone…something I didn’t even count on when I got the contract.”

“Do you think it’s worth the effort?”

“Lizzy, I’m not straining. I sit in the shade all day counting my money. When this job’s over, I spend the money. Then I get another contract.”

“Considering the chances you’re taking,” Lizann said, “I would think you’d play for higher stakes.”

“Why? I’m not greedy.”

“How much do you pay my husband?”

“Whatever I feel like, now.”

“Just enough to keep him drunk.”

“He started low.” Renda grinned. He said then, “You better have a talk with Willis about his letter writing. I don’t want to hear any more about trying to get transferred.”

“If it bothers you,” Lizann said, “talk to him yourself.”

“Lizzy, I’m being nice about this. I don’t have to be.”

“What Willis does is no concern of mine,” Lizann said evenly. “I want to make that clear to you. As far as I’m concerned, Willis doesn’t exist. At one time I wanted him to leave here and I tried to persuade him with every argument I could think of. Willis was afraid to do anything-afraid for his life and afraid for what he chooses to call his career. So I stopped trying to persuade him. Willis is on his own-and I’m on my own.”

“Well,” Renda said pleasantly, “if it’s all right with you, I’ll still consider you and Willis a pair. Whatever he does, you’re behind it; and whatever you do, he at least knows about it. As long as you’re living together that makes it easier to keep track of both of you.”

Lizann nodded. “As long as we’re living together.”

Renda studied her. “Is that supposed to mean something?”

“Think it over.”

“I don’t have to. I’m asking you.”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Lizann…now don’t do anything you’ll be sorry for.”

“It’s already done. And I won’t be sorry.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“Wait and see.”

“I don’t wait on anybody!” Renda came off the table. “I’m telling you right now, if you’re planning to leave, forget about it. You try anything, I’ll fix you once and for all!”

“Frank,” Lizann said patiently. “I’ve already told you how I feel about Willis. You can ruin him, cause him to go to prison, and it won’t make the least difference to me.”

“Who says I’m talking about Willis?”

“You’ve been holding him over me like a club.”

Renda shook his head. “Let’s get it right out in plain sight. Lizzy, I’ll tell you one time and one time only.” His hand came up and he pointed a finger at her. “You try to leave here without my knowing about it, I’ll kill you.” His hand dropped. “It’s that cut and dried.”

Slowly, Lizann shook her head and her expression was composed as she said, “I’m going to leave here, Frank. And there won’t be a thing you’ll be able to do about it.”

“You’re bluffing,” Renda said.

“Am I? You’ll see.” Lizann smiled then. “Start thinking about it now-go over in your mind every possible way I could leave here-and you’ll still be thinking about it when it happens.”