Executioner's Song, The - Norman Mailer [163]
"Oh, yeah?" said Gibbs.
"Yeah," said Gilmore, "I think I'm going to hang it up. If I do, you're better off out of here. They might just try to drop a murder rap on you." He nodded. "They're going to be a mite disappointed if they don't receive the self-satisfaction of trying me on my two hot ones."
Gibbs nodded. "If that's what you want," he said, "I'll go so far as spitting at the guard or throwing something, and take the hole."
"Yeah," said Gary, "I appreciate that. I really might have to ask you to leave tomorrow."
"Yeah," said Gibbs, "I'll do it."
In the morning, however, Gilmore said to hold off. He wanted to see if word would come from Nicole that day, In the afternoon, sure enough, a letter did arrive. He read it and said, "Never mind. I've decided to wait." Gibbs couldn't get over how jubilant he was.
Gary spent the afternoon going through her old mail, picking up this one and that one, finally he said, "Here's one to read if you like."
Gibbs noticed it had little spots of blood on the pages. He felt embarrassed and just skim-read it, but couldn't help taking notice of one part where Nicole said, "how warm and nice it felt, my life being drained from my body."
Gibbs was careful not to say anything or show any emotion, but to himself he thought, "She's either the most sincere broad I ever heard of, or one of the dingiest, ding-a-ling chicks in the world." Gilmore said, "What do you think?" Gibbs replied, "I can't really say because I've never been in your position, but evidently she's dedicated to you."
Now that Gilmore was out of his depression, Gibbs decided to keep him out of it, and started talking about how easy it would be to escape. Just get a hacksaw blade. The jail was old and the bars didn't have a stainless steel core inside. In fact you could see where somebody had already cut a couple and they'd had to weld them back in place.
Gary decided to send word to Nicole to tell Sterling Baker. He could do the job right at the shoe repair. Gibbs said you had to separate the outer sole from the base, insert two blades, then carefully restitch the shoe by hand, using the same holes. Any shoemaker could do it.
Gary approved of the idea one hundred percent. Started a letter to Nicole explaining how to go about it. Since he didn't want any jailer to look over what was written, he gave it to Mike Esplin to mail for him after the lawyer dropped by to discuss his case.
September 12
Dearest Fairest I have something I want you to do. If you will do this and do it right I believe that I will soon take you away-to Canada, perhaps-the Pacific Northwest-somewhere. Away. Together me and you and your kids. Here is what I want: a carbon steel high quality hacksaw blade. They sell them in hardware stores. I need a pair of shoes size 11. Sterling can put the hacksaw blade inside the sole of the shoes. It would be cool if perhaps Ida, she's above any suspicion, were to bring the shoes along with some clothes to me on a visiting day or the lawyer Craig or Mike this is a hick town mickey mouse jail-they don't x-ray shoes, they don't have a metal detector-I could be out of here that very nite.
Do this for me Angel. I will come and get you and we will go.
And I don't want to find any man with you when I get there.
Get me that blade. I'll come in the nite and take you away and for whatever its worth for as long as it can last before I am caught-or killed we will live laff love sing be together come together.
Like we're supposed to be.
September 13
I stayed so fucked up on that beer and Fiorinal I'm afraid I never really gave you a good fuck-makes me feel bad-wish I could fuck you now when my body is on the natural, clean and pure and not full of booze and Fiorinal. I would lay you on your back and put some vasalene in your bootie and fuck you there until we both came-and then take you to the bath tub and frolic in the water with you for a while and scrub each others back and butts and arms