The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps
- Автор: Anderson Lars, Barr Randolph
- Год: 2007
- Язык: английский
- Год: Vintage Books
- ISBN: 978-0-307-28048-0
- Жанр: Криминальные детективы
Электронная книга - «The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps». Краткое содержание книги:
Weighing in at over a thousand pages, containing over forty-seven stories and two novels, this book is big baby, bigger and more powerful than a freight train — a bullet couldn’t pass through it. Here are the best stories and every major writer who ever appeared in celebrated Pulps like Black Mask, Dime Detective, Detective Fiction Weekly, and more. These are the classic tales that created the genre and gave birth to hard-hitting detectives who smoke criminals like packs of cigarettes; sultry dames whose looks are as lethal as a dagger to the chest; and gin-soaked hideouts where conversations are just preludes to murder. This is crime fiction at its gritty best.
He raised the gun a little. Old Andy’s lips were twitching. He stepped close to the counter.
“He’d found a man dead — Barney Nasser,” he said. “He asked — about you, Kid.”
Kid Deth said: “What did you tell him?”
Old Andy shook his head. “Told him I hadn’t seen you — for a week or so. Said you used to come in, after theatre time. Rands was wised up — he figured some of the boys talked things over — around here.”
Kid Deth said: “Yeah?”
There was a little silence. The rain made a soft patter on the glass windows of the lunch-wagon. Kid Deth looked towards the cab again. He got his face close to the door glass, looked towards the Avenue. The street was empty of everything except the cab. Joey faced the lunch-wagon owner again. He spoke in a very low voice. It was toneless.
“You’re lying, Andy — and I’m sick of lies. You squealed on me — and you framed me. I’ve never killed a guy — not until now. You know that, Andy. But you’re lying. Lou Rands shot out Barney Nasser — and you know it. And you know why. But you’re still workin’ with Lou — still trying to frame me. Maybe you’ve done enough — maybe not. Anyway — you’re through. To hell with you — Andy — straight to hell—”
The finger next to his left thumb started to pull back on the trigger. Old Andy’s face was ghastly — his eyes were wide with fear.
“For God’s sake — wait — Kid!” he breathed hoarsely.
Joey Deth said: “Wait — for what? For more lies?”
Andy Poison shook his head. “No — I swear I’ll give it to you, Kid! I didn’t know—”
He broke off. The Kid eased off pressure on the trigger. He said in a hard voice:
“You didn’t know — I’d pack a gun, eh? You thought I’d never hurt — right to the finish. Well — you got it wrong, Andy. I’m walking down to Headquarters at four in the afternoon, see — and before I walk in—”
He checked himself. Old Andy stood leaning against the wall, back of the counter. There was a color in his face now — red streaked the white of his skin, his eyes were protruding, he was breathing heavily.
“Barney — an’ Rands — they was together, Kid,” he muttered. “They was workin’ the slot machines together. Then Rands — he got scared. When you went across the river Barney wanted Rands to — get you, Kid. But the dick — he was afraid. He was getting’ worried — about bein’ so thick with Barney. And he was—”
Kid Deth said in a hard voice: “Wait — how do you figure to know so much?”
The lunch-wagon owner said in a whisper: “I passed the coin — from Barney—”
Kid Deth stood tensely, his eyes narrowed on the staring ones of Andy Poison. He cut in sharply:
“And Rands — gave Barney the dose? Because he was afraid of a break.”
Old Andy shook his head. His eyes were on the gun that the Kid was holding a little lower now.
“Barney tried — to get Rands,” he said thickly. “I seen you go along First Avenue. Rands came close to the car — passed it. Barney got out and followed him. The lights were out in here — something went wrong with the power. Maybe Barney didn’t think I was inside. I was watchin’ ’em come up.”
Kid Deth said: “Don’t lie, Andy — this counts big.”
The lunch-wagon owner stared at the gun. He moved his head from side to side.
“I ain’t lyin’, Kid,” he said. “I’m an old man and—”
“What happened — with Barney Nasser back of Rands?” the Kid cut in.
“He opened up,” Poison muttered. “But Rands was swingin’ around — maybe he heard him. He got Barney right away. I seen him pick him up. He carried him to the coupe, then he come back here. The lights went on while he was comin’ back, and he was sore as hell. He swore he’d kill me if I crossed him up. He said it was a chance — to get you. Barney had wised him that you was ridin’ with him. He’d been hidin’ out — an’ he’d seen you get clear of the car.”
Kid Deth said slowly: “I didn’t figure that Barney tried for him first,” he muttered. “But I figured he got Nasser — and wanted to frame me—”
Old Andy nodded. “I swear I give it to you straight, Kid—”
Joey Deth lowered the pistol. “Who gunned out Rands?” he said slowly.
The lunch-wagon owner shook his head. “That’s all I know, Kid,” he said. “If I can square you—”
The Kid swore softly. “You can’t — not that way,” he said in a hard tone. “They’d figure it was a deal — in court.”
There was silence except for the patter of rain against the lunch-wagon windows.
Old Andy said slowly, breathing with an effort:
“Maybe they was — tryin’ for you, Kid — and got Rands.”
Kid Deth grunted. “Like hell they were!” he breathed. “They were guns — and they didn’t miss. They wanted Rands — and they got him. And they wanted—”
He smiled grimly. He knew something now — something important. Barney Nasser and Lou Rands had been working together. Nasser had tried to finish the detective — but the dick had got him. He’d tried to frame the Kid, but he’d been gunned out. Why?
The Kid thought: I’m getting closer. Either Gil Nasser or Charlie Gay got Rands. The mob of one of them, anyway. Or maybe Gil wasn’t in on it, and Barney had his men close by, in case something went wrong in our talk. They saw Rands carry Barney to the coupe — and they got him. There was a chance of getting me framed, so they didn’t turn loose on me. If Charlie Gay pulled the shoot — it was straight hate. He was wise that Rands had been working with Barney.
Old Andy said in a monotone: “Barney Nasser tried to get Rands in the back. Rands got him. And there are a lot of guys — that hate the dick. You better get clear, Kid — you better jump town. I’ve put you wise—”
The Kid shook his head. “Someone got Bess Grote,” he said slowly. “It wasn’t a mistake, Andy. They tricked her. Maybe she was supposed to send me out back. She didn’t do it. When she went out — they got her. That’s what I’ve got to do, Andy — get the one—”
He stopped. Old Andy half closed his eyes. He touched his sandy hair with shaking fingers.
“You never used a rod, Kid—” he started. His voice died abruptly.
The Kid heard the sound, too. He swung around, half opened the door of the lunch-wagon. But the car was coming down the center of the street. It had bright lights — and it skidded to one side as the driver worked the brakes. Figures spilled to the wet street pavement — they moved swiftly and without sound.
Kid Deth stepped back and shut the door. He snapped the bolt.
“Bulls!” he breathed fiercely. “Out the back of the wagon—”
He turned. Old Andy was close to the counter. His right arm was lifted. The fingers held a gun leveled low, above the wood. The gun was shaking a little. The trigger finger was moving. Kid Deth let his body slump forward and downward, dived towards the counter. The gun crashed as his hands and knees hit the floor — wood spurted from the counter.
The second shot sent a bullet through the glass of the lunch-wagon door. The Kid crawled towards the end of the counter on the left, pulled himself up from his knees. He muttered huskily:
“You — crazy Swede—”
From outside of the lunch-wagon two shots sounded. Something clattered, behind the counter. Old Andy made a heavy, grunting sound. He swore weakly. Two more shots sounded from outside.
There was a low cough from Old Andy. Then his body struck the floor back of the counter. Kid Deth crawled around behind — saw the outstretched hands, the half-opened eyes. There was red on Old Andy’s lips. Coffee hissed downward from the percolator.