Mildred Pierce - James M. Cain [106]
Bert now turned toward Mildred, his eyes flashing. "He's going to marry her, that's what he's going to do. After he's given her child a name, then he can do his run-out. He better do a run-out, and do it fast, before I catch up with him. He can go to hell, for all I give a damn, but before he does, he'll march up beside her and say 'I do.' I'll see to that."
"It's the only thing, Bert."
Mildred drove along, and presently had a hollow feeling they were right back where they started. It was all very well to say the boy had to marry Veda, but how could they make him do it? Suddenly she burst out: "Bert, I'm going to get a lawyer."
"It's just what I've been thinking."
"You and I, we can't do a thing. Precious time is going by, and something has to be done. And the first thing is to get that lawyer."
"O.K. And get him quick."
When Mildred got home, Veda was just getting up. Closing the door, she addressed the tousled girl in the green kimono. "I told your father. We had a talk. He agrees that we need a lawyer. I'm going to call up Wally Burgan."
"Mother, I think that's an excellent idea. . . - As a matter of fact, I've already called him up."
"You—what?"
Veda spoke sleepily, and a little impatiently. "Mother, can't you see that I'm trying to arrange things myself, without putting you to all kinds of trouble about it? I've been trying to spare you. I want to make things easy for you."
Mildred blinked, tried to adjust herself to this astounding revelation.
Wally arrived around three. Mildred brought him to the privacy of the den, then went and sent Letty on an errand that would take her all afternoon. When she got back to the den, Veda was there, in a simple little blue frock that had cost Mildred $75, and Wally was looking at the pictures of Bert attending the banquets. He said things certainly did look familiar, and casually got down to business. He said he had done a little inquiring around, and the situation was about what he figured it was. "The kid comes into dough on his twenty-first birthday, that's the main thing. How much I don't exactly know, but it's well up in six figures. He's got to inherit. There's no way the mother, or the stepfather, or any of them can juggle the books to keep him out of it, and once he dies, whoever is married to him at the time cuts in for her share of the community property. That's what this is all about, and it's all it's all about. That's why they're breaking their necks to head it off. It's got nothing to do with their being too young, or loving each other, or not loving each other, or the different ways they've been brought up, or any of the stuff that mother has been dishing out. It's nothing but the do-re-mi—the old army game."
When Wally stopped Mildred drew a deep breath and spoke slowly, raising her voice a little: "Wally, I'm not interested in whether he inherits, or how much he inherits, or anything of that kind. So long as I'm here, I don't think Veda will be in want. But a situation has been created. It's a terrible situation for Veda, and the only thing that boy can do about it is marry her. If he's a decent boy, he'll do the right thing on his own initiative, regardless of what his family says. If he's not, he'll have to be made. Wally, that woman had a great deal to say that I haven't told Veda, but that I have witnesses to substantiate—about law, and what she'll do, and other things. I'll go just as far as she will. If it's the only way, I want that boy arrested—and you can tell him he can be very glad it's only the police he has to face, instead of Bert."
"Arresting him may be a little tough."
"Haven't we got laws?"
"He's skipped."
Wally shot a glance at Veda, who considered a few moments, then said: "I think you'd better tell her."
"You see, Mildred, just happens we already thought of that. Two, three days, maybe a week ago, I took Veda over to