Native Son - Richard Wright [76]
“You didn’t come home with her?” Mr. Dalton asked.
“No!”
“You didn’t tell the boy to take the trunk down?”
“Hell, no! Who says I did? I left the car and took a trolley home.” Jan turned and faced Bigger. “Bigger, what’re you telling these people?”
Bigger did not answer.
“He’s just told us what you did last night,” Britten said.
“Where’s Mary…. Where’s Miss Dalton?” Jan asked.
“We’re waiting for you to tell us,” said Britten.
“D-d-didn’t she go to Detroit?” Jan stammered.
“No,” said Mr. Dalton.
“I called her this morning and Peggy told me she had.”
“You called her just to see if the family had missed her, didn’t you?” asked Britten.
Jan walked over to Bigger.
“Leave ’im alone!” Britten said.
“Bigger,” Jan said, “why did you tell these men I came here?”
“You say you didn’t come here at all last night?” Mr. Dalton asked again.
“Absolutely not. Bigger, tell ’em when I left the car.”
Bigger said nothing.
“Come on, Erlone. I don’t know what you’re up to, but you’ve been lying ever since you’ve been in this room. You said you didn’t come here last night, and then you say you did. You said you weren’t drunk last night, then you say you were. You said you didn’t see Miss Dalton last night, then you say you did. Come on, now. Tell us where Miss Dalton is. Her father and mother want to know.”
Bigger saw Jan’s bewildered eyes.
“Listen, I’ve told you all I know,” said Jan, putting his hat back on. “Unless you tell me what this joke’s all about, I’m getting on back home….”
“Wait a minute,” said Mr. Dalton.
Mr. Dalton came forward a step, and fronted Jan.
“You and I don’t agree. Let’s forget that. I want to know where my daughter is….”
“Is this a game?” asked Jan.
“No; no….” said Mr. Dalton. “I want to know. I’m worried….”
“I tell you, I don’t know!”
“Listen, Mr. Erlone. Mary’s the only girl we’ve got. I don’t want her to do anything rash. Tell her to come back. Or you bring her back.”
“Mr. Dalton, I’m telling you the truth….”
“Listen,” Mr. Dalton said. “I’ll make it all right with you….”
Jan’s face reddened.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I’ll make it worth your while….”
“You son….” Jan stopped. He walked to the door.
“Let ’im go,” said Britten. “He can’t get away. I’ll phone and have ’im picked up. He knows more than he’s telling….”
Jan paused in the doorway, looking at all three of them. Then he went out. Bigger sat on the edge of the bed and heard Jan’s feet run down the stairs. A door slammed; then silence. Bigger saw Mr. Dalton gazing at him queerly. He did not like that look. But Britten was jotting something on a pad, his face pale and hard in the yellow glare of the suspended electric bulb.
“You’re telling us the truth about all this, aren’t you, Bigger?” Mr. Dalton asked.
“Yessuh.”
“He’s all right,” Britten said. “Come on; let’s get to a phone. I’m having that guy picked up for questioning. It’s the only thing to do. And I’ll have some men go over Miss Dalton’s room. We’ll find out what happened. I’ll bet my right arm that goddamn Red’s up to something!”
Britten went out and Mr. Dalton followed, leaving Bigger still on the edge of the bed. When he heard the door slam, he got up and grabbed his cap and went softly down the stairs into the basement. He stood a moment looking through the cracks into the humming fire, blindingly red now; then he went into the driveway, through the falling snow to the street. He had to see Bessie at once; the kidnap note had to be sent right away; there was no time to lose. If Mr. Dalton, Britten or Peggy missed him and asked him where he had been, he would say that he had gone out to get a package of cigarettes. But with all of the excitement, no one would probably think of him. And they were after Jan now; he was safe.
“Bigger!”
He stopped, whirled, his hand reaching inside of his shirt for his gun. He saw Jan standing in the doorway of a store. As Jan came forward Bigger backed away. Jan stopped.