Hookers Part 11

"Get ready, girls, we are coming to that straight part," as the car fairly felt like it was leaving the earth.

"We must be doing seventy or more--at least, if anything does happen while we are going this fast, we won't have to worry about it, anyhow,"

said Mickey, as she lay jouncing in her wet, sloppy dress, covered with sand and mud.

"I hope you don't take cold, Mickey. You know you got your head wet. I was lucky, that's the only thing I didn't get wet," from Pearl.

"Well--" said Evelyn, "If them guys start shooting at us, there'll be more water in the car, and it won't have come from the river."

"I wonder what became of Harry?"

"I'll bet he ain't worrying about you," said Evelyn.

"I don't know--at least, I hope he won't get in jail."

"Jail, h.e.l.l," said Mickey, "He came down them steps ahead of you two, and I mean way ahead of you. Them shots hadn't no more than stopped when Harry come down so fast it would take two people to see him, one to see him coming and one to see him going."

"What was that hit the car?" asked Evelyn, as she raised up.

"Just a bullet bouncing off--but they will have to shoot fast now, I'm doing eighty--and what's more, I'm leaving them behind. We will be fairly safe in a minute or so, unless as you said, Ev--about the other car on the Mesa road, and I don't think we will have any trouble from that."

"d.a.m.n, I hope not--I'd hate to have to sit in jail with these wet clothes on," said Mickey.

"I don't care much about setting in jail wet or dry."

"You two don't have to worry--Tony is a good driver, and we got a good chance of getting away," reasoned Evelyn.

"Well, suppose they start looking for us, to question us?" asked Pearl.

"Well--" said Evelyn, "Here's our story--this goes for you too, Tony--Pearl, you stayed with me tonight in my apartment--and you, Tony, you stayed with Mickey, and remember, we all went to bed about twelve-thirty, and don't let them jar you loose from that story, so if we all tell the same story, and stick to it, what can they do?"

"Look what a break you're getting, Tony," laughed Mickey, "You stayed with me tonight."

"I suppose you are going to tell me now that I owe you two dollars,"

laughed Tony, "But say--what the h.e.l.l happened over there--a fight?"

"h.e.l.l, no, I wish it had been only a fight--but it wasn't--Negro Noche shot her boy friend and Irene."

"Jees, Ev, are they both dead?"

"Yeah--they never knew what hit them."

"No wonder you were so anxious to get back on this side tonight."

"How soon before we reach that Mesa fork, Tony?" asked Mickey.

"In just a few minutes now--look back and see how close those lights are."

"Oh, h.e.l.l," answered Evelyn, as she looked out the back of the car.

"They are d.a.m.n near out of sight, Tony."

"Good--we'll make it all right now--hold tight back there--I'm making the turn--we are nearing the fork." The screaming of rubber on the concrete, as the big car turned the corner on two wheels. "Now, you girls can get on the seat and rest a bit, instead of laying on that floor, all crowded up."

"Another night like this and I'll swear off for good," said Mickey, as she sat up on the seat.

"Swear off what?" asked Evelyn.

"Well, off booze, for one thing."

"You swore off once before, didn't you?"

"Yeah--and that very night I was arrested in El Paso for Vag."

"How long was you off liquor?"

"Till I got out of jail."

"How long was that?"

"Two hours."

The car was moving at a terrific rate of speed, up grade, and down grade. "See if you see any lights coming behind us," said Tony.

"We won't be able to tell until you reach the top of the next grade, but I'll keep a sharp look-out," answered Evelyn, as she turned half around in the seat.

"Just think," said Pearl, "This time last night I was on this road about this time, but how different it was."

"Well, I've been on this road plenty of times, and no two times have been alike," answered Mickey.

"There's lights coming, Tony, but they are a long ways back, and it may not be the police car, anyhow."

"O. K., Ev, but I'll just keep moving pretty fast."

"Listen, Ev, will you come over and stay with me tonight?" asked Pearl.

"Why?"

"Well, I don't want to spend the rest of the night alone--will you?"

"Sure."

They came into the city limits, but there was no sign of trouble. Tony slowed down to an ordinary speed, so as not to attract attention.

"Listen--" said Mickey, "Why don't you two come and spend the night at our place--we have a furnished house, five rooms, three bedrooms, living-room, kitchen, and all that goes with it--you know the place, Ev, that little brick house me and Betty rented out on Myrtle Avenue. What do you say?"

"Whatever Pearl says is all O. K. with me," answered Evelyn.

"Well, I have something to drink out there."