Justice Read Online Free PDF Page B

chair with amazing speed. She grabbed her friend’s arm and tried to pull her from her chair. “Let’s go! ” Beverly said.
    But her friend didn’t get up fast enough, and as Beverly went past, Tommy reached for her. He caught her by the coat, pulling it halfway off one arm. She tried to twist away from him, and her own grasp on her friend gave way just as Tommy released her.
    Whatever the cause—her own momentum, or a wet spot on the floor where snow from someone’s shoe or boot had melted into a puddle, or a kinked corner of a rug, or Tommy’s foot thrust out to trip her up—Beverly fell, and fell hard. One arm had been occupied grabbing her friend and the other tangled in her coat, so she didn’t have time to get her hands under her to break her fall. She landed headfirst. The thud was as loud as a chair toppling over, and Wesley felt the floorboards vibrate.
    Anna bent to help her friend, but before she could touch her Beverly was on her feet again and running toward the door, towing Anna behind her.
    With both Frank and Tommy shouting after them, the girls ran from the cafe, slamming the door behind them. The glass rattled in the door, and the bell continued to ring nervously long after they went out.

    Wesley watched them run to the truck. Anna stumbled in the street and almost slipped under the front of the truck, but Beverly jerked her upright and both of them scrambled into the cab of the truck. Their door wasn’t even shut before the truck began to move off.
    They were out of sight before Wesley felt the chill that had entered the cafe when the door opened.
    â€œLookit!” said Lester. “Look what you did waving your goddamn gun around.” He pointed over by the door. One of Anna’s oversized galoshes stood there, right where the girl must have stepped out of it in her haste to get out of the cafe.
    â€œYou scared her right out of her fucking boots,” Lester said and laughed.
    Then it was Frank’s turn to point. His finger was aimed at the floor where Beverly had fallen. A six-inch smear of blood glistened against the wood.
    Wesley stood. He had no idea where he was going or what he was going to do; he just knew he needed to move.
    â€œShe might as well be gone then,” Tommy said. “We got no use for her if she’s on the rag.” He couldn’t hold his straight face any longer, and he broke up with laughter.
    Frank looked up at his brother. “Where you going this time?”
    â€œI don’t know. . . .”
    â€œSit down then. I told you before. We’re not in the jurisdiction.”
    Lester had gotten up too. He went over to the blood spot, bent over, and stared closely at it. “Do you think that’s what it is?”

    â€œWhere the hell’s the food?” asked Tommy. He picked up the salt shaker, sprinkled salt over his gun, and pretended to take a bite from the barrel. He chewed for a while then slipped the pistol back into his coat pocket.
    â€œYou can still fuck ’em when they’re on the rag,” Frank said.
    â€œKind of messy,” Tommy said as if he were wise in these matters.
    â€œHey, I’m having the tomato soup,” protested Lester.
    â€œMy dad arrested a man for murder a few years back,” Frank said. “Or manslaughter or something. Fellow busted in on this woman, an old girlfriend or maybe she used to be his wife. He was planning on screwing her but then he found out she had her period. He flipped her over and did her up the ass. Then someone found her dead. Big mystery. Dad figured it out. When this fellow had her pinned down he pushed her face into the pillow. Smothered her. Maybe they got him for rape and murder. Some such.”
    â€œWas this an Indian gal?” asked Tommy.
    â€œI don’t believe so. They sent him up for life in Deer Lodge.”
    Lester couldn’t stop shaking his head. “Who was the fellow?”
    â€œSome Frenchy.