The Righteous Men (2006) Read Online Free PDF Page B

outside. And then he opens up his
truck, a real beat-up old thing, and he loads up the bed — pillows and
all — into the back. Then all the rest of it. I swear, I had no idea what
in God’s name the man was doing. Then he winds down the window and tells
me to meet him just around the block, on the corner of Fulton Street. ‘See
you there in five,’ he says.
    ‘Well, now I’m mystified. So I walk round the block, just like
the man said. And I see his truck, parked outside a pawn shop. And there’s
Howard Macrae pointing at all the stuff, and men are coming out the shop and
unloading it, and the boss is handing Macrae cash. And next thing I know,
Macrae is giving the money to me.’
    ‘To you?’
    ‘Uh-huh. You got it. To me. It was the strangest thing. I wondered why
he didn’t just give me some cash, if that’s what he wanted to do,
but no, he insists on making this big sacrifice, like he’s selling all
his worldly goods or something.
    And I’ll never forgot what he said to me as he did it. “Here’s
some money. Now go bail your husband — and don’t become a whore.”
And I listened to what the man said. I bailed my husband and I never did sell
my body, not ever. Thanks to that man.’
    There was a sound at the front door. Will looked around.
    He could hear several voices drifting through: three or four young children
and a man.
    ‘Hiya honey.’
    ‘Will, this is my husband, Martin. And these are my girls, Davinia and
Brandi and this is my boy — Howard.’ Letitia gave Will a firm
stare, silencing him. ‘Martin, this man is from the newspaper. I’m
just seeing him out.’
    As they reached the front door, Will whispered. ‘Your husband doesn’t
know?’
    ‘No, and I don’t plan on telling him now. No man should know
such a thing about his wife.’
    Will was about to say he believed the opposite, that most men would be
honoured to know their wives were prepared to make such an extreme sacrifice,
but he thought better of it.
    ‘And yet his son is called Howard.’
    ‘I told him it was because I always liked the name. But / know the
real reason, and that’s good enough. Howard is a name my boy can wear
with pride. I’m telling you Mr Monroe: the man they killed last night may
have sinned every day of his God-given life — but he was the most
righteous man I have ever known.’

CHAPTER FIVE
Saturday, 9.50pm, Brooklyn
    T hat night in the kitchen
where they did all their talking, Will followed traditional custom. Beth was
cooking pasta, he was tagging along behind her, washing each pan and spoon as
she finished with them. This was smart strategy, he reckoned: forward planning,
prevent the washing-up mountain after dinner. Will was talking Beth through his
day.
    ‘The guy’s a scumbag pimp, but when he sees this woman in
distress, he sells his most personal possessions to help her.
    A woman he doesn’t even know. Isn’t that incredible?’
    Beth was stirring, saying nothing.
    ‘I’m not sure what Glenn will make of it, but this woman, Letitia,
felt Macrae had saved her life. That he had saved her . That’s
something isn’t it? I mean, that will make a piece.’
    Beth seemed faraway. Will took that as a sign of success, as if his point
had struck home, stunning his wife into contemplative silence.
    ‘Anyway, enough about that. How was your day?’
    Beth looked up, her stirring hand stilled. She held him in a long, cold gaze.
    ‘Oh Christ, I just realized—’ Beth’s note from this
morning. Big day today . He had read it and forgotten it. Instantly.
    Beth said nothing, just waited for him to explain himself. I went straight
to work and then I got stuck into this story.
    I must have had my phone on silent while I was interviewing that woman. Did
you call?’
    ‘“I just realized.” How can you say that? You can’t “just
realize” this, Will. That’s not how it works. Not this.’
    She was speaking with that voice of iron calm which almost scared Will. It
was reserved for when Beth