A Million Tears (63 page)

Ball couldn’t breathe and I felt the slight nod of his head rather than saw it. I relaxed my grip. He sucked air into his lungs and after a few moments managed to gasp out. ‘Corner of room . . . lift carpet . . . under boards. Please . . . please . . . take the whip out . . . please . . .’ tears rolled down his cheeks. I ignored them and left the whip where it was.

Jake continued watching, as impassive as though he was carved out of stone. I hated what I was doing but nobody was going to steal from me and get away with it. Nobody. I tore the carpet up and saw the outline of a flap about twelve inches long by twelve inches wide. I inserted my knife in one corner and levered it open. Inside it was packed with bank notes. I pulled them out and scattered them around the room. Underneath these were bags of gold which I also took out and emptied. Ball appeared to be in worse agony from the way I was treating his money than he was from the whip.

I counted out eleven hundred dollars in gold. I guessed there was over fifteen thousand there all together but I ignored it. The little man and the three girls were staring in wonder at such wealth. Jake bent down to pick up a handful.

By way of answer Jake walked over to the bed, pointed the gun at Ball’s head and cocked the hammer. Ball lost control of his muscles and was urinating even as Jake lowered the gun again.

‘I guess not. However, I’ll keep one sovereign as a memento of the night’s work,’ he slipped one of the gold coins into his pocket. ‘Shall we go, before somebody comes looking for them?’

‘Wait a moment.’ I counted out a thousand dollars in bills, fanned them before Ball’s eyes and struck a match. Seeing the money burning, Ball was beside himself with anguish and horror. The other four were speechless.

‘Ball, I care nothing for money,’ I lied. ‘If we have any trouble at all I promise you that you’ll die and this place will be burned to the ground. Understand?’

His hate-filled eyes glared back at me; he didn’t answer. I shrugged and walked over to the girls. ‘Bonny, I’m sorry. He’ll blame you for this but you did steal my money. I suggest you get away from here.’ I cut the rope and helped her to her feet. She stood there dazed for a few seconds and then nodded dumbly. The sweat was glistening on her naked body and running down between her breasts. She looked so vulnerable that I toyed with the idea of taking her with us.

‘Come on, Dave, for Christ’s sake,’ said Jake. ‘Hurry up.’

We retraced our steps and dropped down from the balcony into the lane just as dawn was breaking. The sky was clear and it promised to be a beautiful day. I wondered if I had done the right thing in leaving Ball alive.

‘I would never have thought you had it in you,’ said Jake. ‘It’s nice to find out I’ve got a partner who’s a hard bastard.’

I nodded, tucked the shotgun under my arm and thrust my hands into my pockets. It was the only way to stop them shaking.

Two days passed with Jake and I constantly on edge. We took it in turns to sit on deck with our guns ready certain that Cat Ball and his men would be coming for us. We rushed through our preparations for leaving wanting to get as far away as possible before anything happened. Late on the second day I went to the Blue Pelican. It was not as bad as some places, a bit cleaner and tidier, and the clientele seemed a little better heeled than usual. We were glad to be leaving the next day now that we had our cargo of rum. Neither of us felt able to relax wondering what Cat Ball might be up to.

The place was half full with about fifty men and a few women. Within the hour the bar had filled up, the air was blue with smoke and heavy with the smell of rum and cheap perfume from the whores.

Somebody turned off some of the lamps making it even murkier and a ring of candles were lit around a big table. A hush descended as a girl stepped into the circle of light and a band started playing at her feet. It took me a few seconds to realise it was the girl we had rescued. She had on a shimmering dress in gold and green, cut to her navel but with her breasts covered. Her voice was low, yet it carried. It caressed each man there, leaving us with a promise of love and wild nights. At the end there was silence for a few seconds and then the room erupted into applause.

Somebody threw a coin onto the table, which was quickly followed by another and then a shower fell around her feet. She nodded her head graciously and the band started to play again. The rhythm changed, the tempo increased and her song was one of joy and laughter. At the end of her performance there was more money throwing, wild clapping and loud cheers. Disdainfully she stepped off the table and walked away from the money and out through a side door. I was on my feet and following her before I knew what I was doing. At the door a burly fellow with a low slung gun barred my way.

‘I’d like to see the lady,’ I said politely.

‘Sure mister, so would every other guy here. Only she ain’t seeing nobody. Get lost.’

He was big, black and mean looking. I knew better than to argue. As I turned away, she came back out and I looked into her eyes. It took her a moment or two to place me but when she did her smile stirred my loins. I knew I was not in love with her but I wanted her – God, how I wanted her.

‘Thank you,’ she smiled across her glass at me, ‘but I’m fine. It really was very kind of you to rescue me. I hear you’ve been quite busy in other ways too.’

‘Eh?’ She surprised us both for a second. ‘We’ve done little. In fact,’ Jake said, ‘we were waiting for a job offer. Unfortunately, as none has come our way, we’re returning to New Orleans tomorrow.’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t call what happened with Cat Ball little,’ she smiled impishly while Jake and I started and looked to see if anybody was listening. ‘Don’t worry, nobody else knows about it.’

‘How the hell do you know?’ I asked more harshly than I had intended.

She shrugged. ‘My sister was one of the girls in the room. She told me what happened. Of course, you left. But you must have heard what happened after you’d gone?’

We both shook our heads. We had spent the last two days covering our backs and keeping a low profile.

‘You freed Bonny, right? Bonny freed my sister and then went to free Ball. He was bleeding quite badly. He didn’t yell out or anything but according to my sister, before Bonny could cut him free, he said to her that she would live to regret that day and never have a man again. Bonny had a knife in her hand and instead of cutting the ropes she stabbed Ball through the heart. The other man there was the Governor’s secretary, a renowned little pervert but has too little money to indulge his whims too often. They all saw a chance and shared Ball’s money between them. They hid his body in the cupboard and escaped. My sister and the other two girls left for South America yesterday. With their money they intend starting new lives, finding husbands and having children. Whether they will or not I don’t know. Unfortunately, my sister enjoyed her work a great deal and I don’t think she’ll change. I pray I’m wrong about her.’ When she saw the incredulous looks on our faces she said, ‘You really didn’t know Ball was dead?’

‘No,’ I said. ‘Eh, what happened to the secretary?’

‘This morning he took a boat to Cuba. It’s said to be even wilder there than it is here.’

‘Good God,’ I said, pouring some more wine. Whether I meant at the thought of Cuba being wilder or the story she had told us I was unsure. I was shaken, and so was Jake, but for a different reason.

‘Damn and blast them. And all we got was a lousy gold piece.’ The whole situation for some reason struck me as funny and I started to chuckle which upset Jake. The more annoyed he became the more I laughed.

‘What’s your name?’ I asked the girl bluntly. ‘Mine’s David Griffiths and this is Jake Kirkpatrick.’

‘So I gathered. Mine’s Elizabeth,’ she replied in her husky voice that sent shivers down my spine.

I cannot remember what we talked about after that. From time to time she sang and while she was away I kept on at Jake to move out and get drunk elsewhere.

When she walked away from the money thrown at her feet for the third time I asked when she was paid it. She and Jake burst out laughing though I could not see what was so funny.

Elizabeth explained. ‘I don’t receive any of it. The louse who owns the place often starts it all by throwing a coin or two and the suckers follow. They think it wonderful I leave the money for some minion to pick up. The trouble is he’s not my minion. I never get a nickel.’ There was no bitterness in her voice.

‘If you know about it, Jake, surely they all do as well?’

‘Some do, sure. Maybe most of them. But in their state they feel good and so throw their money away. Christ man, it happens all over the place,’ Jake was now beginning to look a little owlishly at me. He was drinking brandy and Champagne cocktails while I stuck to wine and drank sparingly at that. Elizabeth did too, in spite of the fact I tried to get her to drink more.

It was three in the morning when Jake announced he was going back to the boat. Unsteadily he got to his feet and weaved towards the door.

‘Shouldn’t you go with him?’ Elizabeth suggested. ‘He looks as though he won’t make it.’

‘Don’t worry about Jake,’ I assured her. ‘He can find his way without any help from me. Besides, I’d rather ensure you got home safely.’

I followed her out of the door. I was in a nervous sweat all the way to her house which turned out to be a small, white bricked place at the back of the town. We stopped outside her door and she turned to say goodnight. I put my arms around her waist and drew her to me. Her lips were soft, her breasts thrust hard against me and it took all my willpower not to try and get my hand inside her dress.

We broke apart after a long time. ‘Goodnight, David,’ she said, looking into my eyes. The moon shone down on her upturned face and she looked even more beautiful.

‘Goodnight,’ I croaked back. ‘Would you like to come for a picnic or something tomorrow?’ It was all I could think of.

‘I thought you were sailing tomorrow?’

‘We can stay here a little longer yet and Jake can see about another job. We’re not so desperate to get away now we know that Ball’s dead. Would you like to come?’ ‘Yes, if you don’t sail. What time?’

‘It’s too hot at midday. What if I meet you at three o’clock and we’ll go along the coast in a buggy?’

‘Lovely. Goodnight,’ she turned to go and then looked back, ‘and thank you for a lovely evening. I haven’t been treated like a lady for so long I’d forgotten what it was like.’ With that she whirled and rushed indoors.

Damn, I thought. Damn and double damn. I did not want to treat her like a lady. I wanted her body with no complications and that was all. Okay, I liked her . . . liked her very much, but that was all. I loved Gunhild, of that I had no doubt. The thought haunted me until I fell asleep.

44

It took a week. During that time Jake ranted and raved about being led by what hung between my legs but I ignored him. He thought my efforts to get into Elizabeth’s bed were hilarious and spent hours and hours telling me what a great night he had with one or even two whores. I dined Elizabeth, wined her and talked to her. I flattered her, gave her a couple of sentimental presents, not too expensive and treated her like a lady. In the end it worked. For seven days I escorted her home and each time she said goodnight on the doorstep. I was becoming demented with longing for her.

Then on the eighth night it happened: she asked me in. I hardly noticed the house but I remember the place was small, clean and neat. There were icons and Jesus on crosses all over the place, proof of how religious I had already discovered her to be. I sat on a sofa with my arm around her, kissing her gently and then with more passion. She responded and I slipped my hand to her breast, the thin cloth of her blouse not hiding the hardening of her nipple.

Slowly I undid the buttons, savouring each moment until I put my hand inside her blouse.

‘You have been very patient,’ she said softly. ‘Now I shall reward you. I was frightened of becoming pregnant but it’s safe now.’

From somewhere, God only knows where, my common decency lifted its head and I found myself withdrawing from her, pulling her blouse shut.

I explained. ‘I want you very much. But you see, Jake and I must go tomorrow. We’ve got a job on. I don’t know whether or not I’ll be back. If we make love now and I leave then what will you think? That I’ve had my way and now I’ve left. I know it sounds stupid but I want to leave with you thinking better of me than that.’

‘I know,’ she said, taking my hand and putting it on her breast. ‘Jake has already told me that you are leaving tomorrow. But it doesn’t alter a thing. I want you,’ she smiled and undid my trousers.

I left late the following afternoon with a promise to return soon.

We were now well into July. I had left St Louis in the second week of March but it seemed a life time away. I would have had to return to St Louis in a month or two to marry Gunhild. I had sent her a letter shortly after we arrived in Jamaica, but at the time I had no way of knowing that she never received it.