Mickey Spillane - The Deep

Long before I got there I heard the word. It seeped through the nighttime of New York, the tone of it muffled by the rain, yet strong enough to reach away out from its source to the far places of the city. It came to me in a gin mill called Hardys just off Columbus Avenue from a half-bagged bim who had had the place to herself for too long.

She grinned crookedly when I walked in, throwing a half-sympathetic wink at my raincoat and then to the night outside. When I got my coat off she swirled the remains of her drink in her glass, threw it down and patted the seat next to her.

Theres no sense arguing with that type. They move in anyway and it was easier sitting and buying than trying to shuck her off and it was too wet to go back into the night again. But, for an accidental partner, she was all right. Big, but theyre better big. Harlow hair, bright white, yet soft and fluid like poured milk. And theyre usually better blonde, too.

When she grinned again and fingered her empty glass I sat down and waved the bartender over to set us both up with the same.

She hoisted the glass in a toast. Thanks, big guy. She finished it off in one throw and sipped at the chaser with a smile of satisfaction. Want to talk? she asked me.

I shook my head.

Now dont tell me youre feeling sad for that Bennett bum too.

The bartender tapped her arm. You better knock it off, Tally.

So what do I care about the bum? From a little hood he gets to be a big hood. All the way from a juvenile delinquent up. Look, Jocko-boy, that creep shook me like he shook everybody else and even if they did give the bum a five-grand funeral hes still a bum.

Tally, damn it, you shut up...

Nuts. Nuts to you, Jocko-boy. Everybody else feels the same way. Every damn body is glad the creep is dead. Most are happy because he shook em and the rest are glad because now maybe they have a chance to drive the machine a while.

I told you...

Okay, Jocko-boy, okay. Quit worrying. Whos listening? Only this guy here. You havent got the joint bugged, have you? She let out a giggle and reached for the chaser again. So big Bennett is dead and all the little Bennett boys are crying. Its funny as hell.

This time she looked over at me and her eyes were beginning to film up. Friend, do you know why they were really crying?

Tell me.

First I want a drink.

Jocko-boy said, She dont get...

Give her a drink.

He looked at me and his mouth got stiff. Then he reached for the bottle and poured one out. The bim grinned, winked and tossed it off.

Now tell me, I said.

Sure. Ill tell you. All the little stiffs and all the big stiffs from here to Brooklyn are bawling because they want Bennetts machine. Every mob in town is ready to rumble to grab it. The bucko-boys are loaded for bear and if you dont wear some kind of a badge youre liable to get shot for being an innocent bystander.

Thats not why theyre crying.

Easy man, Im telling. She finished the chaser and nodded for another. Trouble is, she said, theyre crying because theyre scared to death of Deep.

I looked at her over my glass.

You dont know who Deep is, huh?

Tally...

This time I was the one who said, Shut up, Jocko-boy.

She winked at me real elaborately. Attaboy. Like I said, this Deep is a guy. Hes a big man someplace. Hes a bigger creep than was even Bennett, and mister, thats saying somethin. Bennett and this Deep was like this, see? She held up her hand with her fingers crossed.

Whos on top? I asked.

Deep. She felt for her glass again. Hear tell Deep was worse than Bennett ever was. Mean as hell. Carried a gun when he was a little kid. Only delinquent on the block with a real rod. She giggled again. Tough boy, and now hes coming back.

Yeah?

Sure, man. Him and Bennett were... something. Blood brothers, I guess. You know delinquents.

Not altogether, I said. Theyve changed lately.

Ah, theyre all alike. Theyre still bums. Bennett was always a bum and sos this Deep. They ran everything in shares when they were kids and took a crazy blood vow or something to revenge the other one if ever something happened. Boy, they were something then. They had the whole section organized and you know something? That was when Lenny Sobel was up top and he was careful not to get funny with those little kids. They could pull some pretty rough stuff.

You have a big line on those boys, honey.

Her face flattened out. The eyes that had been filmy before suddenly cleared and for a second there was a bite in them. That lousy Bennett got my sister on horse and she wound up a suicide at sixteen. I never forgot that. I was nine then. The pig. The stinking pig!

She looked back to me again, the film shadowing her eyes. This Deep. They say he was even worse. He pulled out a long time ago to let Bennett run that end. He said he was going to find something new to take over.

Yeah?

Sure yeah, what else? He had the makings. Someplace he started creaming the suckers and someplace hes the biggie. Now hell be back. Her mouth twisted in a sneer and she laughed sourly. In a way its good.

Why?

The boys wont rumble until they find out how big Deep really is.

It makes a difference, huh?

She looked at me and I was grinning.

Sure, you jerk. If hes big they bump him, then rumble. Otherwise they rumble and get him sometime in between if he gets annoying.

Why wait?

Her mouth twisted up again. No one knows how big Deep really is. Suppose he comes in with a mob?

Thats not really the deal, sugar.

This time she smiled a little. Smart boy. Youre right. What theyre scared to death of most is that they dont know what he looks like yet... and he just might be real kill-crazy. You know the kind?

I know the kind.

So he blows in and does like he promised to do... knock off anybody one by one who touched his old buddy Bennett. You know?

I said, I get the general idea.

And maybe he can do it. Nobody knows. Hes a... whats that stupid word... an...

Enigma, I told her.

Smart bastard, she said. Then she glanced up at Jocko-boy at the end of the bar and laughed drunkenly. Look at him. Face in a paper. He dont even want to hear about it. The laddies outside hear that Ive been running off at the mouth to a stranger and they tell it to Jocko-boy the hard way. That right, Jocko-boy?

He wouldnt look up from his paper.

Now let all the delinquent idiots rumble. Let them all kill their damn selves. Im glad as hell Bennett got it and Ill be glad when all the rest get it and no matter who comes first Ill still be laughing and when I can look at that creep Deep spread out on the sidewalk Ill spit on him like I did Bennett.

Gal, I said, thats hard talk.

Dont call me gal, damn it. Thats what Bennett called me. Dont you or anybody ever call me that.

Ill call you that, gal.

Who do you think you are! Just because...

Deep, I said. Call me Deep.

Jocko-boy kept staring at the paper, but he wasnt reading it. There was a strained white look about his face and his tongue flicked across his lips a couple of times.

I finished the drink, put it down and looked at the bim. The cords in her neck were standing out tightly. Whats your last name, Tally?

Her voice was a whisper. Lee.

Live close by?

On... hundred-third.

I waited.

Over Brogans market. Look... about what I said...

Thats okay, Tally.

Now her whole lower jaw was quivering. I... I run off at the mouth sometimes, you know?

Sure, I know.

What I said... she swallowed hard and bit into her lip.

About being a delinquent? A creep? Better off bumped? You telling me you didnt mean those things, Tally?