Executioner's Song, The - Norman Mailer [19]
Vern could see Gary in a bar in Salt Lake looking for trouble. "Do what you wish," said Vern. "I'd like you to stay here."
"I'm on my way."
After he left, Vern couldn't take it. Before three minutes were gone, he said to Ida, "Hell, I'll drive him." He got into his car, thinking of the look on Gary's face when he would pull up alongside, open the passenger door, and growl, "Why don't you go to Salt Lake with this damn fool?" But Vern couldn't find him. There was a place on West Fifth where you would start hitchhiking, only nobody was there. Vern went back and forth through the streets. Gary must have picked up a driver instantly.
Eight o'clock Sunday morning, Gary called from Idaho. He was 300 miles away. "How," said Vern, "did you get there?"
Well, said Gary, this dude picked him up and he fell asleep, and the fellow went right through Salt Lake. By the time he woke up, it was Idaho. Vern, said Gary, "I'm broke. Could you come and get me?"
"Maybe Brenda will go," said Vern, "but I sure won't." He took a breath.
"You won't come and get me?" Gary sounded real aggravated. A lot yawned between them. Vern said, "Stay where you are. I'll call Brenda."
"What," asked Brenda, "are you doing up north?"
"I wanted to drop in on Mom," said Gary. "You see, I ran into this fellow in Provo who has friends in Idaho. He said, 'Let's visit my buddies, then shoot you on up to Portland.' "
"Oh, God," said Brenda. He had violated his parole. He had been told not to leave the state.
"Anyway," said Gary, "once we got to Idaho, this fellow got mad at me and took off. I'm stuck at this bar, Brenda, and I better get back. Can you come for me?"
"You poor thing," said Brenda. "You just get your thumb out of your rear end and put it in the air."
A few hours later, a long-distance call reached Mont Court at his home. He was asked to contact Detective Jensen in Twin Falls, Idaho. Mont Court then learned that his parolee, Gary Gilmore, had been arrested for driving without a license. How should they proceed, Detective Jensen wanted to know? Mont Court thought awhile and recommended that Gilmore be allowed to go back to Utah on his own recognizance, and then report in to him immediately.
Brenda got another phone call. Gary was in Twin Falls, he said. Had been hitchhiking and got a ride with a fellow driving a pickup truck. When they stopped in a bar, the guy started making passes. Gary had to fight him right in the bar. Then, they went to the parking lot to finish. He knocked the guy out.
"Brenda, I thought I killed him. God, I really thought I killed him. I put him in his pickup, and drove like a maniac. I figured if I could find a hospital, I'd drop him off there.
"Then the guy went into a seizure. I stopped the car and got his wallet out to see his name-in case he was dying. Then I started speeding for a hospital. Soon as the cops pulled me over, the guy came to. He told the police he wanted me booked for assault and battery, kidnap, stealing his wallet, and taking his truck."
Brenda was trying to follow it all.
"I had some of my week's pay," said Gary, "and that was enough to post bail for driving without the license. Then, I worked it out."
"You did?" said Brenda. "My God, how?"
"Well, you see, the fellow was known as a faggot around here. I guess the cops were on my side, and talked him into dropping the charges. I don't have to go back."
"I can't believe it," said Brenda.
"Coz, there's just one thing," said Gary, "I used up my money to post the bail, I don't know how I'll get back."
"You better," said Brenda. "If you're not here by morning, I'm calling Mont Court. He'd love to give you a free ride back."
"Mont Court knows already," said Gary.
Brenda blew. "You dodo bird," she told him. "You're really dumb!"
It was a long Sunday. A spring snow had started and by evening it was close to a blizzard. In the living room, Brenda got tired of looking at her red rug, her red furniture