David Goodis - Night Squad

Night Squad
Table of Contents
Night Squad.........................................................................................................................................................1
David Goodis...........................................................................................................................................1
1...............................................................................................................................................................1
2.............................................................................................................................................................14
3.............................................................................................................................................................20
4.............................................................................................................................................................29
5.............................................................................................................................................................35
6.............................................................................................................................................................40
7.............................................................................................................................................................55
8.............................................................................................................................................................70
9.............................................................................................................................................................82
10...........................................................................................................................................................11.........................................................................................................................................................12.........................................................................................................................................................13.........................................................................................................................................................14.........................................................................................................................................................15.........................................................................................................................................................i

Night Squad
David Goodis
This page copyright 2004 Blackmask Online.http://www.blackmask.com
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
1
At 11:20 a fairly welldressed boozehound came staggering out of abootlegwhiskey joint on Fourth Street. It was a Friday night inmidJuly and the humid heat was like a wave of steaming black syrupconfronting the boozehound. He walked into it and bounced off andbraced himself to make another try. A moment later something hithim on the head and he sagged slowly and arrived on the pavementflat on his face. NightSquad

Night Squad
Three local muggers bent over the boozehound. One of them wentthrough his pockets and got the wallet and the loose silver. Theothers took the wristwatch and the cuff links and the tie clasp.Then the first mugger happened to look up and saw Corey Bradfordstanding under a lamppost on the other side of the street. Heyyou, the mugger called to Corey. You got any plans? Corey didn'tanswer. He stood looking at the three muggers. They'd moved awayfrom the unconscious boozehound and were grouped near the curb,gazing at Corey and waiting for him to say or do something. Heremained silent. He didn't budge. His expression was placid,showing only a mild acceptance of what was happening.
The first mugger called to him, Well, what's it gonna be? You justgonna stand there? Corey shrugged. He didn't sayanything.
The three muggers looked at each other. One of them said, Come on,let's walk. He won't do anything. He might, the first muggersaid. He just might. Then the third mugger spoke up. Say, whatis all this? Who is he? Name's Bradford, the first mugger said.I know him, he lives around here. Is he trouble?
He could be. I've seen him work.
He got a badge?
Not now, the first mugger said. They took it away a month ago.Then what the hell are you worried about? the third mugger saidfretfully. Come on, let's shove No, wait, the first muggersaid. I wanna be sure about this. I better talk to him. Talkabout what? the third mugger said louder. He was getting annoyed.What's there to talk about? Just wait here, the first muggersaid. He walked slowly across the street. He came up to CoreyBradford and said, All right, first I'll tell you thisyou don'tworry me. You don't worry nobody now. Corey shrugged again. Heinclined his head slightly and let out a little sigh. The muggermoved closer and said, Without that badge you're nothin'. Youcan't blow no whistle and you can't show any hardware. Ain't a moveyou can make and you know it. Corey's eyelids lowered slightly,lazily. And a dim, lazy smile drifted across his lips. He looked atthe mugger and didn't say anything.
The mugger frowned. He bit the corner of his mouth, then muttered,Another thing you can't do. You can't rat. You wouldn't rat. Ormaybe you would. You're just hungry enough Night Squad

Night Squad
Corey didn't seem to hear. He'd turned his head and was looking atthe unconscious boozehound on the other side of the street. Hemurmured to the mugger, You hit him hard? Just tappedhim.
With what?
Blackjack, the mugger said. His frown deepened and he took abackward step, carefully, slowly. It was a defensive maneuver andhe knew it and it bothered him. Corey went on looking at the fallenman on the other side of the street. He murmured to the mugger,You hit him too hard?
For Christ's sake, I told ya. Just a light tap. He was ready topass out anyway. Won't even raise a lump. Just then the boozehoundwas starting to regain his senses. He stirred, rolled over, got tohis knees and crawled a little. Then he lifted himself to his feetand walked around in a circle, and finally sat down on thepavement. He looked all around him, then looked up at the black skyand said loudly, clearly, I'll tell you what the trouble is. Thetrouble is, we just can't get together, that's all. The muggersaid to Corey, You see how it is? He's all right. He won't need nostitches, he won't need nothin'. I tell ya he's in goodshape.
What did you take from him? Corey asked. Whaddya mean, what didwe take? What's that to you? Corey showed another lazy smile. Heclosed his eyes for a moment, as though he was getting somewhatweary. Then his eyes halfopened and the smile faded. He lookeddirectly at the mugger and waited. The mugger shifted his weightfrom one foot to the other. All right, he said. All right,Corey. So what did you take?
The wallet, the mugger said. He gestured toward his twoassociates on the other side of the street. They got his watch andsome other things. The watch is strictly drugstore. The entire haulwon't bring us more than Let's see the wallet, Corey cutin.
The mugger took another backward step.
Come on, Corey said slowly, wearily. Come on You louse, themugger said. You louse you. He took the boozehound's wallet fromhis pocket and handed it to Corey. There was a five and seven ones.Corey took six singles and returned the wallet to the mugger. Themugger put the wallet back in his pocket. He looked Corey up anddown. Then he turned toward the curb. As he stepped off the curb heturned again, faced Corey and said, You know what's gonna happento you? One of these days you're gonna get all mashed up. They'llhafta scrape it up and put it in a sack Night Squad