Tishomingo Blues Read Online Free PDF Page A

or whatever, and the guy in the holding cell who'd killed somebody still wanted to fight. That mean ugly kind of drunk. Dennis had to punch him out-no help from the deputies-and bang the guy's head against the cinder-block wall to settle him down. It wasn't bad enough getting hit a few times, the guy a wildman, the guy threw up on him and Dennis had to washoff his shirt and pants in the toilet bowl. He remembered being a sight Monday morning, but nothing the court hadn't seen before. When they let him go he said to a deputy, "I have to put up with all this shit and I didn't even do anything." The deputy said he'd put him back in the cell he didn't shut his mouth.
    That's why he had trouble talking to cops, they always had the advantage.
    Getting dressed he turned away from Floyd lying dead but kept seeing the two guys looking up at him on the perch. Then seeing the one holding a sword as he remembered what Charlie had said, Charlie's tone, just for a second there, making fun of the guy. You oughta see him with his sword. And something about them dressing up as Confederates and refighting the Civil War. It reminded Dennis now of a poster he saw in Tunica, something about a Civil War battle reenactment.
    The lights were still on in the pitching cage.
    Dennis walked back to the hotel thinking he'd better not waste time. Duck through the back work area to the employees' entrance. His setup truck was over at the far side of the parking lot. Go home and spend a quiet evening with Vernice. Work on what he'd say and how he'd act surprised when the deputies stopped by for him.
    There was a guy standing on the patio.
    A black guy. But not one of the help. No, a cool-looking young guy in pleated slacks, a dark silky shirt open to his chest, a chain, the guy slim, about Dennis' size, the guy starting to smile. Dennis got ready to nod, say how you doing and walk past.
    The guy said, "I saw you dive," and Dennis stopped.
    "You did? Where was it, Florida?"
    "No, man, right here. Just a while ago. I gave you a ten."
    With the smile and Dennis turned enough to look out at the ladder. "You could see okay? It was pretty dark."
    "Yes, it was."
    "Tomorrow night it'll be lit up."
    "The way I'd have to be, go off that thing, lit with some kind of substance." He said it nice and easy, his tone pleasant. "I've been noticing the signs in there, `Dennis Lenahan , World Champion, From the Cliffs of Acapulco to Tunica, Mississippi' ... Doing your thing, huh?" He offered his hand. "Dennis, I'm RobertTaylor. It's a pleasure meeting you, a man with no small amount of cool, do what you do."
    "I've been at it a while."
    "Well, I hope you stay with it."
    Dennis began to feel the guy was somebody, and said, "You were out here?"
    "Mean when you dove? No, I was in my suite."
    Dennis said, "Looking out the window?" and knew it sounded stupid, the guy, RobertTaylor, staring at him, then beginning to smile a little.
    "Yeah, as I'm getting dressed I happen to look out, see you up on the ladder, the two redneck dudes out there watching, I thought, Hey, maybe we gonna see a show."
    Dennis said, "The two guys standing there."
    "Yeah, looking up like they talking to you."
    Dennis said, "Yeah, they were watching," and right away said, "They wanted to see a triple somersault." Dennis shrugged, telling himself, Jesus, relax, will you, as RobertTaylor kept looking at him with his pleasant expression.
    "You waited till they left. Man, I don't blame you. Dangerous occupation, you don't do it for free."
    The guy wasn't exactly smiling-it was in his tone of voice, mild, sociable, giving Dennis the feeling the guy was somebody and he knew something. "I'm paid by the week or the season," Dennis said, "but you're right, you can't put on a show for anybody happens to come by." He paused and said, "Like those two guys. I never saw 'em before in my life."
    He waited for Robert to pick up on it, mention he saw them around or coming out of the hotel.
    No, what he said was, "You did