Dead Mann Walking Read Online Free PDF

at Misty. She shook her head, no way. I agreed.
    â€œSorry, Mr. Turgeon. Bedland’s the favorite, the biggest target. They just use the others for practice. Unless you want to wait until morning, you’re on your own. Believe me, it’ll be well worth the wait, if only because you get to live another day.”
    I wanted to put the fear of God into him. He did me one better and summoned Mammon. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out another envelope stuffed with cash.
    â€œTake it. There’s a third just like it if we find him.”
    Crazy son of a bitch. I reached for the bills.
    â€œNo,” Misty said.
    I owed her, I should have listened to her, but the money would be too good for both of us. For that kind of cash she’d take the chance if she could. I nodded for her to step out into the little anteroom that doubled as her bedroom. She grimaced, but did.
    I hefted the envelope and finally asked a decent question. “How much is Derby paying you to find Boyle? Take it from someone who knows: It’s not worth being dead for a bigger flat-panel TV, even if it is HD.”
    If he was afraid, his face didn’t show it, but he rubbed the rim of his hat, turned the Stetson like it was a little steering wheel and he was trying to avoid an oncoming truck. Appearances aside, I got a strong sense of naïveté from his demeanor. He knew what he wanted, but so does an infant. I wasn’t even sure if he’d been out at night by himself.
    Finally, he spoke. “You know how some men slave all their lives in a job they hate to give their wives and children a better life?”
    I shook my head. “You don’t strike me as a family man.”
    The hat stopped moving. “That’s the point. I’m not . I don’t have a wife, children, or friends, just this job I do. Mr. Derby made it clear that if I didn’t find Frank Boyle, I’d be fired. I don’t want to work anywhere else. I just don’t. I can’t. I can’t let him fire me. I’d rather . . .”
    His voice sounded distant, but I didn’t have any reason to doubt him. It was pathetic enough to be true. If I didn’t go with him, he could toddle out there all by himself and get hit by a car.
    I tossed my hands up. “Your funeral, my mutilation. Do you have a gun?”
    I was still trying to scare him, but, surprise, surprise, he nodded. Maybe he wasn’t as stupid as I thought. If I didn’t know it’d come out more like a hiss, I’d have sighed.
    â€œThen let me get mine. Assuming that yellow Hummer outside is yours, I’ll meet you at the car.”
    He smiled like Mommy had pinched his cheek; then he rolled up to standing and ambled on out. The second the outer door clicked, Misty rushed back in, all teary-eyed.
    â€œNo fair—you know I can’t cry,” I told her.
    â€œDon’t go, Hess. Even if they don’t chop you up, you shoot a liveblood, even by accident, and they catch you, it’ll be worse than death.”
    â€œLike this isn’t?” I said. When she didn’t react, I grimaced. “I wasn’t going to tell you, but half an hour ago, Jonesey went feral and nearly had me for dinner. I shook him out of it, but it’s just a matter of time now.”
    Misty lowered her head. “Shit. He’s one of the smart ones.”
    I poked a thumb into my chest. “Smarter than me, Mist. So how long do I have? And who even knows if ripping is permanent? We could all go, any minute. I don’t make some kind of move now, I might never be able to, right?”
    She didn’t say anything.
    â€œRight?” I asked again. I sounded angry. I was angry, taking it out on her just because she was worried about me. It’s so much easier to think about not existing if you can be sure you won’t take anyone with you.
    She made a face. I let it go.
    I opened the lower desk drawer and removed the false bottom. I