Canvas Coffin Read Online Free PDF Page A

were meeting people.
    “Like the peasants in the hick towns,” Max said, “hanging around the station for the trains to come in and go.”
    Only this was different. This was an international airport and those big birds were coming from South America and the Orient and Australia, besides all the traffic from the east.
    “Some day,” Max said, “it’ll be Mars and the moon, rocket ships. I wish I wasn’t so old.”
    Well, it was like this, Sally, if I’d known what I was doing, you know I’d never —
    Max said, “You cold? What you all hunched up like that for? It’s not that cold.”
    “I’m cold,” I said. “Thinking about Sally.”
    “What d’ya mean?”
    I said, “She isn’t going to like hearing about the redhead.”
    “Who’s going to tell her?”
    “I am.”
    “Are you crazy? Why? Why should you tell Sally about the redhead? And what can you tell? Look, Luke, the less people know about what I told you, the better. Think of me, if you don’t want to think of yourself. Don’t be a damned chump.”
    I didn’t argue with him. I was going to tell her, no matter what he said. Her flight was announced, and we went downstairs to wait.
    She was wearing a tan suède coat, and no hat. She was carrying a big suède purse and looking worried and expectant. Then she saw me and she started to run.
    My arms were waiting for her. My arms went around her and that fine body was pressing mine and I could smell her perfume and feel the softness of her cheek nuzzling my neck.
    “I’m starved,” she said. “Oh, baby, I’ve been lonely.”
    “We can eat upstairs,” I said. “If it’s food you’re starved for. How was the trip?”
    “The trip was standard. Food’s one thing I’m starved for. Hello, Max.” She patted his cheek, the other arm still around my neck.
    “It must be love,” Max said. “Hello, Sally. How’s Chi?”
    “Cold, cold, cold.” She took my hand and put it into one of the big pockets of the suède coat, holding it there. “Lord, you’ve got my combination, you — you — ”
    “Handsome bastard?” I suggested.
    “Oh, no,” she said. “That’s one thing nobody would call you.” Her voice suddenly quieter. “Luke, is something wrong?”
    “Mmmm-hmmm. We’ll talk about it while you eat. Max and I will have a cup of coffee and tell you about it.”
    “Not me,” Max said. “I don’t want to be there when she goes through the roof. I’ll go into the bar.”
    “Roof?” Sally stopped walking and looked at me. “Is there a — woman involved in this trouble?”
    “I guess so,” I said. “I don’t remember her.”
    “You were drunk?”
    I shook my head. “Slug-nutty. Let’s get something to eat.”
    We walked quietly into the dimly lighted restaurant. Conversation in the background and the hum of the big birds and the clink of a dish here and there. But from Sally, only the chill silence.
    My hands were clammy; my stomach was a knot. Without Sally, nothing would be fun. Without her, I’d just as soon be dead. I would be.
    She ordered a steak, and I told her what Max had told me. Max had gone into the bar. I told her about Sergeant Sands and our story, watching her face for a reaction every second I was talking.
    In the dim light her gray hair was silver, her fine eyebrows black as soot. In the dim light there wasn’t a trace of expression on her face.
    Her steak came, and she just looked at it. She continued to look at it while she said, “Conscience, maybe. A psychic block — because of what happened. Maybe you didn’t kill her, but you — What’d she look like? Oh, damn you — ”
    “I don’t know. There’s a picture of her in the paper, but she’s — it’s — I mean, the face was battered.”
    “Damn you,” she whispered. “Damn you, damn you — ”
    “Sally,” I said, “for God’s sake, I’m as sick as you are. Infidelity’s bad enough, but maybe I
killed
her, Sally.”
    “Some damned tramp,” she said, “some — ”
    I raised my