Native Son - Richard Wright [75]
“We want to talk to you,” said Britten.
“Yessuh.”
He did not hear what Britten said after that, for he saw directly behind Britten a face that made him hold his breath. It was not fear he felt, but a tension, a supreme gathering of all the forces of his body for a showdown.
“Go on in, Mr. Erlone,” Mr. Dalton said.
Bigger saw Jan’s eyes looking at him steadily. Jan stepped into the room and Mr. Dalton followed. Bigger stood with his lips slightly parted, his hands hanging loosely by his sides, his eyes watchful, but veiled.
“Sit down, Erlone,” Britten said.
“This is all right,” Jan said. “I’ll stand.”
Bigger saw Britten pull from his coat pocket the packet of pamphlets and hold them under Jan’s eyes. Jan’s lips twisted into a faint smile.
“Well,” Jan said.
“You’re one of those tough Reds, hunh?” Britten asked.
“Come on. Let’s get this over with,” Jan said. “What do you want?”
“Take it easy,” Britten said. “You got plenty of time. I know your kind. You like to rush and have things your way.”
Bigger saw Mr. Dalton standing to one side, looking anxiously from one to the other. Several times Mr. Dalton made as if to say something, then checked himself, as though uncertain.
“Bigger,” Britten asked, “is this the man Miss Dalton brought here last night?”
Jan’s lips parted. He stared at Britten, then at Bigger.
“Yessuh,” Bigger whispered, struggling to control his feelings, hating Jan violently because he knew he was hurting him; wanting to strike Jan with something because Jan’s wide, incredulous stare made him feel hot guilt to the very core of him.
“You didn’t bring me here, Bigger!” Jan said. “Why do you tell them that?”
Bigger did not answer; he decided to talk only to Britten and Mr. Dalton. There was silence. Jan was staring at Bigger; Britten and Mr. Dalton were watching Jan. Jan made a move toward Bigger, but Britten’s arm checked him.
“Say, what is this!” Jan demanded. “What’re you making this boy lie for?”
“I suppose you’re going to tell us you weren’t drunk last night, hunh?” asked Britten.
“What business is that of yours?” Jan shot at him.
“Where’s Miss Dalton?” Britten asked.
Jan looked round the room, puzzled.
“She’s in Detroit,” he said.
“You know your story by heart, don’t you?” Britten said.
“Say, Bigger, what’re they doing to you? Don’t be afraid. Speak up!” said Jan.
Bigger did not answer; he looked stonily at the floor.
“Where did Miss Dalton tell you she was going?” Britten asked.
“She told me she was going to Detroit.”
“Did you see her last night?”
Jan hesitated.
“No.”
“You didn’t give these pamphlets to this boy last night?”
Jan shrugged his shoulders, smiled and said:
“All right. I saw her. So what? You know why I didn’t say so in the first place….”
“No. We don’t know,” Britten said.
“Well, Mr. Dalton here doesn’t like Reds, as you call ’em, and I didn’t want to get Miss Dalton in trouble.”
“Then, you did meet her last night?”
“Yes.”
“Where is she?”
“If she’s not in Detroit, then I don’t know where she is.”
“You gave these pamphlets to this boy?”
“Yes; I did.”
“You and Miss Dalton were drunk last night….”
“Aw, come on! We weren’t drunk. We had a little to drink….”
“You brought her home about two?”
Bigger stiffened and waited.
“Yeah.”
“You told the boy to take her trunk down to the basement?”
Jan opened his mouth, but no words came. He looked at Bigger, then back to Britten.
“Say, what is this?”
“Where’s my daughter, Mr. Erlone?” Mr. Dalton asked.
“I tell you I don’t know.”
“Listen, let’s be frank, Mr. Erlone,” said Mr. Dalton. “We know my daughter was drunk last night when you brought her here. She was too drunk to leave here by herself. Do you know where she is?”
“I—I didn’t come here last night,” Jan stammered.
Bigger sensed that Jan had said that he had come home with Mary last night in order to make Mr. Dalton believe that he would not have left his daughter alone in a car with a strange chauffeur. And Bigger felt that after Jan admitted that they had been drinking, he was bound to say that he had brought the girl home. Unwittingly, Jan’s desire to protect Mary had helped him. Jan