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Show page 155 i n t e r f e r e with business. H a l f - l i a r s are as bad as l i a r s ." "Yeah, t h a t ' s r i g h t ; I ' l l remember. But some of those guys sure as h e l l stole t h e i r grandmothers' cameos and some sang quicker than Louie's rap partner who never sprung. The President'11 get the men he wants, you can lay to t h a t ." Rathburn nodded. " I t ' s not our game. We look after our own." "Glad of t h a t , " said P r u i t t . "I been wondering just how strong you people in Washington are. I may need a favor. Local cops don't t r e a t me with two cents' worth of respect. But they w i l l , now I'm connected up with you boys in Washington. They have made me feel like Venus deMilo in a hoop s k i r t , judged me a l l the time by a l i t t l e rap I took once in Virginia State pen. They said I took fourteen hundred from a construction company. I d i d n ' t but they hang i t on me s t i l l . The judge gave me t h r e e. I built two.' When I came back t o Norfolk the chief of police had a man meet me. Think of that'." Dan Turner, a d e t e c t i v e , had been the man. He had told Pruitt to mind h i s manners and to be certain always of who was who. "That was unfriendly," said Rathburn. "I thought so," P r u i t t said. "That when you dropped in Louder's place?" "Yeah, right after seeing Turner. Louder talked farm to me, asked me if I would.run his farm. I told Louder I was good on the books. 'Good for what?' he asked. Good for you, I told him. That was a l l ; he put me to work and bedded me In his downtown apartment with his two barmen." "Frank Louder had a weakness for dames," Rathburn said."We worried ,4Bout t h a t some.' |
