ground.
She sat there petrified, watching a thin stream of blood flowing
from Johnny’s head. She heard a woman screaming. Then she saw
three men come fast out of the shadows, snatch up the bags and
disappear.
She pushed the gear lever to ‘Drive’ and moved the car out of
the parking lot.
Dry retching sobs shook her as she drove out of town.
Sammy prowled around his tiny room. He kept looking at his
cheap alarm clock on the bedside table. The time was 01.30. Mr.
Johnny had said he would bring six thousand dollars to him by
midnight. Cloe had telephoned. She had said that she would give him
until tomorrow morning and then she would ask Jacko to take care of
her. Sammy said for her not to worry. He would have the money for
her and she could fix an appointment with her doctor any time
tomorrow.
Again he looked at the clock.
Then he heard footsteps coming up the stairs and he relaxed,
relieved and now happy. Here was Mr. Johnny with the money! How
could he have doubted him? When Mr. Johnny made a promise . . . it
was a promise!
A knock came on the door.
Six thousand dollars! He would take Cloe south after her
operation. She had always wanted to see Miami. His goddamn
brother would now be out of trouble! His mother would be happy!
Sammy danced across the room to open the door.
The fat, elderly man smiled at her. He was well dressed with
dyed black hair and shiny white false teeth.
“Piss off,” Freda said. “Try someone else.”
The fat man grimaced, then walked down the long street to
191
where other girls were waiting.
Freda leaned against the wall, trying to rest her aching feet. It
was now two months since Johnny had died. The money he had
given her had run out. She knew she had been extravagant, but she
had to have some decent clothes. Nov she was back on the game but
Brunswick wasn’t profitable. It was a town full of kinky, elderly men
and she had promised herself she would never pander to perverts.
But, she told herself, she would now have to save enough money to
go either south where the men would appreciate her talents and
looks or go north and get into the call girl racket again.
As she leaned against the wall she thought of Johnny: a sweet
guy. She could have married him. He and his dream boat! Well,
everyone had to have their dreams. All that money . . . so near . . . so
far!
It began to rain. The street now was deserted. The other girls had
called it a night. She opened her shabby purse and checked her
money . . . thirteen dollars.
Well, money was money. She snapped her purse shut and
her home.
Toni Capello, who had been watching her for the past half hour,
moved after her. His hand slid into his coat pocket and his fingers
closed around the bottle of acid.
It was while Freda was undressing that she heard a knock on her
door.
Wearily, she pulled on a wrap.
“Who’s there?” she called.
The knock sounded again.
Without thinking, she crossed the room and opened the door.
The End