The Butterfly - James M. Cain [36]
The prickle up my back had told me what she was going to say, but for once my mouth went off and left me. I said something. I hollered no, but it was after at least three seconds of trying to act surprised, like I didn't know what she was talking about. She was already laughing at me not being able to make up my mind when this croak came out of my throat, a cold, hard laugh that had my number, and knew it.
When I went in for breakfast, it was she that gave it to me. When Jane came in she was dressed to go out, with her hat on, and a coat.
"Well, Jess, I'll say good-by."
"Where you going?"
"Blount, I guess."
"You mean you're leaving me?"
"I'm not really needed any more, now that Kady takes care of Danny so well, and there's a fellow over there that's offered me a job in his café, helping him run it. It's time I took him up."
"Kind of sudden, isn't it?"
"Oh I've been thinking about it."
But she said it all in a queer way, fooling with her bag while she talked, and it seemed to me she was going for some special reason she wasn't telling me. "Then I'll run you over there."
"I'm taking the bus."
"I'll run you to the state road."
"I can walk."
"You need any money?"
"I've got some."
On account of waking up early I felt tired that afternoon, and how long I slept I don't know, but Kady was standing there when I woke up, all dressed up, looking at me. "Good-by, Jess."
"And where are you going?"
"To be married."
"When?"
"Next week some time."
"You are married. Did you forget that?"
"No, I didn't."
"Then how can you get married?"
"Next week I'll be able to."
"That I don't understand."
"You will."
"And who's the lucky man?"
"Wash."
"Changed his mind again, hey?"
"He found out the truth, at last. Jane called him when she got to Blount. In fact, that might be partly why she went over there."
"I knew she wasn't telling me the reason."
"She called him and he came in and was crazy to know what, had happened up here, because it was on the radio when you were arrested but not in the papers when they turned you loose, because if nobody gets convicted they're afraid. So she told him what you told the judge, and he ran her back over here again. Jess, you told him Moke was Danny's father. You told me he was my father. And both were lies. You're my father. But you don't tell any third lie. You got that, Jess? You understand why next week I can get married?"
"You'll get into plenty trouble that way."
"We don't think so."
"I tell you, the deputies will find out, sure."
"We're going to tell them."
It seemed funny, she was never going to believe the truth, and I had killed the one man that could prove it. And when they heard what she thought was the truth, no jury would hold her for what she meant to do to me.
Outside it had started to rain, and when I peeped through a crack she was running down the road to his car, that had the top up, and inside I could see Jane and the baby. She got in and the car drove off. I went to the cabin for my rifle. It wasn't there, and neither was the .45. I put on my hat and coat and started down to the barn, to get out the truck and run into Carbon to get sheriffs protection. But when I got to the door a shot cut the air, and splinters ripped off the wood. I started back to the house, and another shot clipped my hat. I slammed down on my face, and when it got darker I crawled. Out in the stable I could hear the stock bellowing, and down the creek the cows were hooking it up, but I was afraid to go outside. Later on, after I had made myself something to eat without stirring up the fire, for fear they were looking through the cracks and could see, I got all my money together and put on my raincoat and started creeping down the road. All over, you could hear bellowing from pigs and mules and chickens and cows that hadn't been fed or milked or attended to. I got about two hundred yards when something hit my leg and I heard a shot. I crawled back, doused it with liniment, and got the blood stopped.
***
It's been raining for a week, they've been out there for a week, and I've