White Jazz

“You sound resigned.”

“It’s all got a life of its own.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning you should tell me things.”

“You don’t mention certain things. You call me from phone booths so you won’t have to.”

“I want to put it all together first.”

“You said it’s sorting itself out.”

“It is, but I’m running out of time.”

“You or we?”

“Just me.”

“Don’t start lying to me. Please.”

“I’m just trying to put things straight.”

“But you still won’t tell me what you’re doing.”

“It’s this trouble I got you in. Let it go at that.”

“I bought that trouble myself — you told me that.”

“Now you sound resigned.”

“Those Sheriff’s men came by again.”

“And?”

“And a cameraman told them we were sleeping together in my trailer.”

“Do they know I was hired to tail you?”

“Yes.”

“What did you tell them?”

“That I’m free, white and twenty-nine, and I’ll sleep with whoever I want to.”

“And?”

“And Bradley Milteer told them that you and Miciak had words. I said I met Miciak through Howard, and he was easy to dislike.”

“Good, that was smart.”

“Does this mean we’re suspects?”

“It means they know my reputation.”

“What reputation?”

“You know what I mean.”

“That?”

“That.”

“... Oh shit, David.”

“Yeah, ‘oh shit.’”

“Now you sound tired.”

“I am tired. Tell me—”

“I knew that was coming.”

“And?”

“And my clutch is still on the fritz, and Mickey asked me to marry him. He said he’d ‘cut me loose’ in five years and make me a star, and he’s been behaving as oblique as David Douglas Klein at his most guarded. He’s got some kind of strange acting bug, and he keeps talking about his ‘cue’ and his ‘curtain call.’ ”

“And?”

“How do you know there’s more?”

“I can tell.”

“Smart man.”

“And?”

“And Chick Vecchio’s been coming on to me. It’s almost like...”

“His whole attitude changed overnight.”

“Smart man.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”

“But you won’t tell me what it’s about?”

“Just hold on for a few more days.”

“Because it’s all sorting itself out?”

“Because there’s still a chance I can force things our way.”

“Suppose you can’t?”

“Then at least I’ll know.”

“You sound resigned again.”

“It’s dues time. I can feel it.”