Don't You Forget About Me Read Online Free PDF Page A

would still be alive. It would be a daydream repeated from time to time when the pain of his absence grew to be too much for her. It was easier to fantasize a different ending than to accept that she was having his child alone, to raise by herself over the years to come. Having Pam as a friend and supporter was lovely. But she was no replacement for Jack. Face it, s he thought to herself, sometimes you just have to press a little flesh .
    William Harold Smith was finding it difficult to relax in his jail cell. His restlessness could stem from either the prospect of being set free for the first time in two months or from a deep desire to kill his sister-in-law Pam. Each night, two scenes alternately ran through his mind. He couldn’t get the vision out of his head of his mother crying as the police dragged him from the hospital, his arm in a cast after surgery to repair a shattered elbow. They were taking him to a black van with the words “Prisoner Transport” decaled on the side to haul him to jail. The second was the scene of Pam standing over him after she had aimed her gun, Jack’s gun, at him and fired, hitting his arm.
    He hadn’t intended on hurting her stupid mother, Nelda. It was ridiculous that anyone would think he was capable of cutting a human being’s throat, even with the knife pressed up against her skin. He was just trying toscare her, trying to elicit sympathy from Pam so she would hand over some money. He realized now that it was a contradiction. He was frantic, not thinking straight. You should either scare the hell out of someone or make them feel sorry for you, not try for both. It won’t work.
    Pam was so angry with him she pressed charges against him, too. His attorney said it wasn’t over with yet; there was a trial coming up regarding some credit card charges—and worse. Because Pam had identified him as the person who had stolen Jack’s wallet after he collapsed on the train, Bill was being charged with theft and assault.
    He had been so confused and wasn’t making the right decisions about anything. His financial status had him in a vice grip. He had been desperate. He knew Jack was still in the city because they had fought over the phone Friday night. Bill threatened Jack with driving to Long Island to get money from him, and Jack told him he was staying in the city that night. They arranged for Bill to meet Jack on the train at Grand Central at 10:00 on Saturday morning. He’d be waiting for Bill in the second car, and Jack would give him a check at that time. He said that it was going to be the final one, that if Bill couldn’t find a way to make his business solvent, he better get another job. Jack had called Bill’s cell phone Saturday morning.
    “Okay, Buddy-boy, I’m stepping on the train right now. Meet me at Grand Central. I’m not getting off the train, so this better be fast.” He could hear Bill breathing into the phone, but so far, he had said nothing after his hello. “I know you’re there. You better answer, Buddy, or I’m hanging up and the deal is off.”
    “I’m here, Jack! Why are you rushing me? And stop calling me Buddy! Can’t we be reasonable about this?” Bill was feeling wild; he had to get Jack to understand how dire things had gotten, to get him to feel the same hysteria Bill was feeling. “Dad destroyed the business; he drove it into the ground. There is nothing left. We are ruined. I need more than a loan. I need a job!” Bill was wailing now. But Jack was not moved.
    “I know all this, Buddy-boy. It’s not my problem. I said I would help you out, and I have. Meet me on the train or forget it.” He hung up.
    Bill ran out of his house in the Village without saying good-bye to his wife, Anne. She was used to his theatrics by now, but was worried because she wasn’t sure if she was going to be blamed for whatever was happening.
    Bill just made it onto the platform, having paid a fare that wouldn’t be used. Jack was where he said he would be,