The Erection Set

“Pig poopie, sonny. I have a telephone, an ear for gossip and a few select old pals I enjoy talking to. Beth there, she goes to town right regular and picks up things from other quarters. Whether you know it or not, the old clearing house of information is still in operation. Now, what’s on your mind?”

“An angle on Cousin Dennison.”

“How about Alfred?”

“I got that one from Sachs.”

“My money says it’s true.”

“A real bet?”

“Down the line,” she told me. ‘One of the girls was the daughter of a kid who used to work for me. And that’s as far as I go, sonny.”

“Then give me Alfred.”

She made three smoke rings, then blew them apart. “He plays, all right. Nice and quietly, but he plays You know how many gays are running around you never know about?”

I nodded.

“You won’t catch him at it,” she said.

“I don’t have to,” I said “All I have to do is know.”

“Now you know.”

“But I could push him into it. You’d be surprised at the people I know who would be glad to cooperate or else get twisted a little.”

“I wouldn’t be a bit surprised at all, sonny.”

“Should I?”

“Why bother. You’d do better concentrating on the other one.”

“How bad is he, Lucy?”

“Dangerous, sonny.” She took another drag on the cigar and let the smoke curl out of her nose. “He’ll kill the next one.”

I felt my hands tighten up around the arms of the chair and swore silently. She must have seen what was in my face and the cigar came out of her mouth. “You got him set up already?”

“Yes.”

“Be careful, sonny. Be damned careful.”

“I try.”

Lucy yelled for Beth to refill her glass and when she had it poured she sat back contentedly and flicked the inch-long ash from her cigar onto the floor. “An old friend came to see me awhile back.”

I looked at her, waiting.

“Stanley Cramer. Seems like you’re digging around a lot of dried-up garbage heaps these days.”

“Just picking up the pieces of the past.”

‘Asking a lot of oddball questions too.” “So?”

“Nobody else ever bothered,” she said. “You got Stan all primed up and he wanted to know where you stand.”

“Outside the back door is where,” I told her. “They don’t let the family bastards at the dining table.”

“Quit feeling sorry for yourself.”

“Come on, Lucy.”

“No shit, sonny, don’t let it reach you.” She gave me a sudden smile and did the same thing with her drink as she did with the first one and put the glass down with a sigh.

“Those old boys who used to be with old Cameron were a pretty terrific lot.”

“They made the business,” I said.

Something far away touched her eyes. “They could have made it even bigger.”

“How?”

She threw her hands open with an impatient gesture.

“Oh, hell, I guess I’m getting old myself.”

“You’d never know it.”

“Ho, I’m living on memories. I go back too damn far. I’ve listened to too many stories and held too many heads on my lap while I stroked their foreheads. Good fun, though, and I’m not complaining, but sometimes I wonder if the things they told me were real or just pipe dreams. The old days were better.” She looked back at me again, her face serious. “Stan and the boys are your friends. Look out for them.”

“Sure, Lucy.”

“There are a lot of strange faces in town. Your name has been coming up here and there. The ones who ask about you speak with forked tongues, sonny. If I were you I wouldn’t stay in any one place too long. Even here. I’ll listen around and if I hear anything I’ll pass it on. Don’t worry, I know where to reach you.”

I got up and grabbed my hat. “Good to see you again, Lucy.”

“Anytime.” She put her cigar down and pushed herself out of the chair to walk me to the door. “Incidentally. what’s this stuff with you and the Cass kid?”

“Just friends. Where’d you pick that up?”

“I read the columns. Heard about you two being in Tod’s together. Doesn’t sound like friendship to me.”

“You’re a nosy old biddy.”

“Always was.”

“Had her down on the beach too, didn’t you?”

“Bennie Sachs again?”

“Nobody takes a friend on the beach like you did unless you were pretty good friends.”

“She’s engaged, Lucy.”

“Yeah, I know the guy.”

I stopped in the doorway and turned around. “Who is he, Lucy?”

She looked at me, her eyes bland, then shook her head.

“You wouldn’t know him.” She reached out and caught my wrist. “Go easy on the kid. She’s okay. I knew her old man real well. Beth there midwifed her birthing.”

“She won’t get hurt.”

“I don’t know. You’re just like your old man. And your grandfather. Sometimes they got a little out of line too.”

I patted her shoulder. “Sure. Take care, Lucy.”

“You don’t see me with any brats around,” she answered. “I always took care.”

I was running out of choices. I couldn’t stay in the corners anymore or let the shadows keep me covered. Ferris was going to have to make contact and I’d have to stay available, And if I was available for Ferris I was available for Arnold Bell.