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Show page 98 his bones and given him deep pain. The smaller man was only thinner. Lonnie, catching Mamie off guard, quaffed Miles's unfinished beer, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and asked, "We let them have the 40-footer, Miles?" Miles rubbed a hand over Lonnie's short black hair, turned from the window, xvalked sluggishly to the table, retrieved his brownpaper c i g a r e t t e and l i t i t . He l e t the cigarette dangle from h i s l i p s . Smoke curled in front of his eyes. He stared at the red jukebox near the end of Mamie's counter. Mamie leaned on the counter and fanned herself x«7ith a cardboard church fan which had on one side a picture of Jesus and on the other an advertisement for Smith's Texaco gas and o i l , oil changes and lubrications a s p e c i a l i t y . "Strange fellows want boat, huh, Miles?" Miles nodded and said to Lonnie, "Let them have the 40-footer. Tell them t o pay no attention to the broken gas gauge." Lonnie hurried out into the sunlight. Miles could hear his bare feet p a t t e r down Mamie's steps under the window. "Tourists, Miles?" Mamie asked. "Maybe not t o u r i s t s ." Miles picked up his empty beer bottle and held i t out for Mamie to replace. She watched him as he drank. "Miles, you and me and King friends long time. These two men k i l l your brother, * think. They come fifteen-sixteen years ago, late afternoon. King has only boat then. They rent i t, these two, and a man like you, your brother. Three go out, two come back. They k i l l your brother, Miles, throw overboard tied |
