THE DETECTIVE
103
He blinked at his watch. Already practically twelve. Three people
were
in
this miserable little room. To one side of it, Davie the head
busboy reclined
in
a swaybottomed narrow 'bed; behind
him
and
against the wall lay that girl, Bright Eyes. They were naked, yes,
but at least they had covered themselves up to their bellies with
the grimy sheet. Her satin-black breasts, Acker saw at once, were
very long and thin, and tipped by granular pink nipples; her teeth
shone so white at him, and her eyes were so impudently wide with
laughter-why, why was that? Next to her the boy was bony and
much too pale. A mess of clothes and shoes were flung beside the
bed. Acker saw illso a pail of ice with three wine bottles in it, and
a newly-opened gallon can of his superior Bartlett pears. The other
bed was occupied by a very stout tan woman in a transparent
nightgown; Acker recognized in her the children's matron, Nurse
they called her; and how much younger she seemed in the flesh;
that is, Acker amended his observation, out of uniform. The woman
lay propped on her side in a luxuriant attitude, sipping from a glass
of wine and smoking.
"What's going on here?" Acker said, as if he had just awakened.
"Come in, come in, Mr. Acker," the young man said.
"Davie, I'm asking a question. I want an answer." His voice
bobbled with the effort to sound peremptory. But he had not the
strength.
"Aah, come in and sit down. What's the big hurry? It's been
a hard week. How about it, eh?" Davie leaned down towards the
floor for a cigarette, and lit up while still draped three quarters out
of
the bed.
"Well, I'm waiting!"
"That's all right, Mr. Acker, sir, you just come on in now, and
sit yourself down easy. You look, well-not so good," the big tan
lady said in a mellow voice. And she patted the small space left on
the edge of her mattress, just in front of her smooth, weighted 'belly,
with its deep navel. "Come on now, you hear me?"
"Davie," he said once more, his will slackening, "Davie, I did
not come up here for
a
good time. I'm on business, you hear me?
I
demand an answer from you. Better talk and explain a few things.
Because it's up to you. Because you're the head busboy. So let's get
it over with."
