The Executioner's Song Read Free Page A

have.” He said it without humor and without self-pity. Material things were obviously no big transaction to him.
     
    Now she noticed his clothes. He had a black trench coat slung on his arm and was wearing a maroon blazer over-could you be lieve it? — a yellow and green striped shirt. Then a pair of beige poly ester trousers that were badly hemmed. Plus a pair of black plastic shoes. She paid attention to people’s footwear because of her fhther’s
    THE FIRST DAY 13p>
    trade and she thought, Wow, that’s really cheap. They didn’t even give him a pair of leather shoes to go home in.
     
    “Come on,” said Gary, “let’s get the hell out of here.”
    She could see then he’d had something to drink. He wasn’t plas tered, but he sure was tipped. Made a point of putting his arm around her when they walked to the car.
     
    When they got in, Brenda sat in the middle and Johnny drove. Gary said, “Hey, this is kind of a cute car. What is it?”
    “A yellow Maverick,” she told him. “My little lemon.”
     
    They drove. The first silence came in.
     
    “Are you tired?” asked Brenda.
    “A little tired, but then I’m a little drunk too.” Gary grinned. “I took advantage of the champagne flight. I don’t know if it was the al titude, or not having good liquor for a long time, but, boy, I got tore up on that plane. I was happier than hell.”
    Brenda laughed. “I guess you’re entitled to be snockered.”
     
    The prison sure cut his hair short. It would, Brenda judged, be heavy handsome brown hair when it grew out, but for now it stuck up hick style in the back. He kept pushing it down.
    No matter, she liked his looks. In the half-light that came into the car as they drove through Salt Lake on the Interstate, the city sleeping on both sides of them, she decided that Gary was everything she expected in that department. A long, fine nose, good chin, thin well-shaped lips. He had character about his face.
     
    “Want to go for a cup of coffee?” Johnny asked.
    Brenda felt Gary tighten. It was as if even the thought of walking into a strange place got him edgy. “Come on,” Brenda said, “we’ll give the tencent tour.”
     
    They picked Jean’s Care. It was the only place south of Salt Lake open at 3 A.M., but it was Friday night and people were sporting their finery. Once installed in their booth, Gary said., “I guess I got to get some clothes.”
     
    14 THE EXECUTIONER’S SONGp>
     
    Johnny encouraged him to eat, but he wasn’t hungry. Obviously too excited. Brenda felt as ff she could pick up the quiver in each bright color that Gary was studying on the jukebox. He looked close to being dazzled by the revolving red, blue, and gold light show on the electronic screen of the cigarette console. He was so involved it drew her into his mood. When a couple of cute girls walked in, and Gary mumbled, “Not bad,” Brenda laughed. There was something so real about the way he said it.
    Couples kept coming from parties and leaving, and the sound of cars parking and taking off didn’t stop. Stfl’, Brenda was not looking at the door. Her best friend could have walked in, but she would have been all alone with Gary. She couldn’t remember when somebody had absorbed her attention this much. She didn’t mean to be rude to Johnny, but she did kind of forget he was there.
     
    Gary, however, looked across the table and said, “Hey man, thanks. I appreciate how you went along with Brenda to get me out.” They shook hands again. This time Gary did it thumbs up.
    Over the coffee, he asked Brenda about her folks, her sis, her kids, and Johnny’s job.
     
    Johnny did maintenance at the Pacific State Cast Iron and Pipe. While he was blacksmithing now, he used to make iron pipe, fire it, cast it, sometimes do the mold work.
    The conversation died. Gary had no clue .what to ask Johnny next. He knows nothing about us, Brenda thought, and I know so little about his life.
     
    Gary spoke of a couple of prison