Raylan_ A Novel - Elmore Leonard [80]
“You think I look all right, huh? Not too way-out?”
“You’re dazzling.”
“But where do I put my piece?”
At half past nine they were in the Chevy on their way to Two Keys on South Limestone and talking about Delroy Lewis, Raylan thinking he shouldn’t of brought him up. Now Jackie was into it, asking about him, now as far along as:
“You think he’ll pick a spot and be lying in wait?”
“He could walk up behind me in a street fulla people, press his gun in my back. Or he finds out I live upstairs over a saloon.”
“How would he?”
“I’m big as life at the Two Keys, administering the law for my board. A snitch can live off stuff he finds out about and sells it.”
“I think you’d like what’s his name, Delroy, to find you.”
“It might be the only way to have it done. Tryin to look at all the faces in a crowd wears you out.”
“We don’t have to go to the Two Keys,” Jackie said. “Harry got me a suite at the Hilton I still haven’t used. We could stay there for a while, order room service on Harry, a bottle of champagne to celebrate.”
“Champagne,” Raylan said, “can give you a headache.”
“You don’t have to drink the whole bottle.”
“You don’t?”
“Everything in moderation.”
“And you won’t ever get in trouble?”
“I think if I were a guy,” Jackie said, “I’d be a lot like you.”
“I bet you’re like Reno.”
“Cause I gamble? I’m only somewhat like Reno. I’m smarter than he is, but he knows more about people. You know who I try to be like? Me, on a good day. I’m nice because I’m winning pots.”
“One with a million in it. You should be the happiest girl in town.”
“I don’t stop to think, Am I happy? I am most of the time, I guess. But it comes and goes.”
“But you like being up. I can tell you how to maintain that high.”
“Yeah . . . ?”
“Become a U.S. marshal.”
“You’re serious?”
“I don’t know, I may be.”
“To me,” Jackie said, “to win a mil tells me I can do it. I knew I could beat what’s his name, Moody, almost right away.”
Raylan said, “I noticed you had your checkbook out. What if you had to write one to stay in? You didn’t, cause the Dude, with five maybe six Maker’s Marks in him, tells himself you’re a girl . . .”
“Only a girl. But a nice one.”
“You didn’t have to write a check for seventy grand.”
“I would’ve if he made me. I knew I had him beat from the moment I saw my ace in the hole.”
“You had good cards.”
“I had great cards. When do three aces lose?”
Raylan said, “But not till an ace came bobbin up in the river.” Both smiling because they felt like it with each other.
Jackie said, “I might as well tell you now, because I know I will later. I’ve got a serious crush on you. I’m excited by how cool you are. You carry a gun and’ve used it.”
“Yes, I have.”
“But you don’t jog every morning or do anything you don’t like, and you’re not married.”
He said, “What if I was?”
“I don’t know. I’d still want to go to bed with you.”
“So when we start thrashin around under the covers, I’m not makin you do it.”
“Well, you are,” Jackie said. “We could even take a shower together, first.”
Raylan said, “Before my heart starts racing and we bang into somebody’s rear end—”
She said, “You want to stop at the Two Keys.”
“For a minute. Stick my head in.”
“You think he’s there.”
“I’m right half the time when I get the feeling. Wait in the car, all right? I don’t want to take a chance losin you before we get to the hotel.”
Was she laughing or what saying, “Tell me you can’t wait either.”
“I’ll swear to it,” Raylan said, pulling up in front of the Two Keys. He’d already thought of kissing her here in the car, but it might be something he’d think about later as a bad sign, so he didn’t kiss Jackie. He left the motor running, said, “I won’t be five minutes” as he got out.
Jackie watched him duck under the rail, go up on the porch and through the door. She took the keys from the ignition and got out to follow her new boyfriend.
Delroy sat at a table, his back to a wall, his two dopehead homeboys watching the place