Love's lovely counterfeit - James M. Cain [9]
She tried to pull her arm away, but he gave it another shake. "And how'd you find out who I am, by the way?"
"I don't see that that matters."
"Oh yes. It matters."
She turned to a table, opened a drawer, and took out a piece of paper. "When you tear up envelopes to write on, you might burn the part that has your name and address on it, or put it back in your pocket, or something. You were in such a hurry to jump out of the car today that you left this on the seat."
"And who did you show it to?"
"Nobody."
"And who did you tell about it?"
"Nobody."
"Come on! How about Jansen?"
"About you, I've told nothing, and I can prove it."
"O.K., prove."
"Were you there? At the meeting?"
"I heard it."
"You noticed I made that announcement myself?"
"Saving Jansen from criminal libel?"
"After I called Dietz and made sure that what you told me was true, I didn't have to worry about libel. No, I was thinking about myself. I was making sure that I, and nobody else, got the credit. I wanted to be certain that Mr. Jansen, if he gets elected, will have to do a lot more about me in the shape of a job than he would have to do if I was just a girl that handled secretaries, and had slips filled out. In that case I wouldn't be telling anybody the source of my information, would I? You see, I'm hoping for more tips."
He sat down and studied her intently. Relaxing, she sat down, not far away, on the same hard little sofa. Suddenly he asked: "Outside of my name, do you know who I am?"
"No."
"I'm Sol Caspar's driver."
"Then—you're Sol Caspar's driver."
"And that's O.K. with you?"
"It certainly gilt-edges your tips."
"And it don't bother you that I drive for him six days a week and then on my day off I call you up and give you tips?"
"I'm willing to believe you have your reasons."
"I got plenty of reasons."
"Then—I'm glad to know that."
"I'd rather fight him clean, right out in the open, the way you fight him. I'd be perfectly willing to quit my job, and tell him straight out what I'm up to, than knife him in the back this way. But if I could quit my job I wouldn't be fighting him at all. I'm not looking for trouble. He even laughs at me because I don't like trouble. But he won't let me quit. If I quit, it's curtains for me, and that's why I'm here with you. He asked for it. I didn't."
"I'm very glad to know that."
"O.K. Now who are you?"
"Nobody."
"Listen, I've got to know."
"I was born in Ohio, and raised there, just across the river from Kentucky. I went to school there, and high school, and college, and law school. Then I heard of a job in Lake City, and applied for it, and got it, and came here."
"What kind of a job?"
"With a law firm, Wiener, Jacks, and Myers. They pay me a salary, about as good a salary as young lawyers get, more than you might think from this." She waved her hand at the apartment. "I only keep part of my salary for myself. And—I've got to have still more money. I simply must have it."
"Why you more than somebody else?"
"I told you it's a long story."
"More family history?"
"It's been going on a long time, and I'd rather not go into it. Anyway, Jansen came along. I'd done a little work for him, settling claims. And he was thinking about running for Mayor. And I was thinking about a job, one of those heavenly city hall jobs where you come down once a week to sign papers, and hold your regular job just the same. And—I guess I egged him on."
"For the dough?"
"Not entirely. I think he's a fine man, fit to be Mayor, a hundred times better than Maddux. Just the same—"
"The dough is the main thing?"
"Now I feel like a heel."
"No need to feel that