Daddy Cool (6 page)

Many of the neighborhood wineheads had tried slipping wine bottles inside the place, but after the first time they were caught, they never attempted it again. Earl would not accept any apology when he caught people breaking the rules inside the poolroom. One warning was all they got. The next time there was no telling what might happen.

Since Daddy Cool didn't oppose anything Earl did, Earl looked on the poolroom as if it was his own. He was the one who cleaned it out at night after the front doors were closed, going behind the kitchen help and checking on how clean the kitchen was left. Again, he only warned the women who worked once. If they repeated an offense, they had to find another job.

Now, at the sight of his boss's face, Earl knew at once that something was worrying the man. Earl began to frown. His massive watermelon head hung down like a hound dog's. Knowing his boss so well, Earl didn't disturb him with endless questions. He had known that Daddy Cool had left to take care of a contract and wondered if something had gone wrong with the hit. Too much abstract thinking gave him a headache, so he tried to put the worry out of his mind.

If Larry wanted him to know, he would be told in good time. As he raised his huge head and saw Daddy Cool coming toward him, he began to break out into a big smile. He looked like a huge mutt wagging his tail because his master had decided to pat him on the head.

Earl couldn't help himself. He was not a quick-thinking man, and deep inside he was very shy. He knew that many people looked at him as if he was a freak. But ever since Daddy Cool had taken him under his wing and given him a place to stay and work, Earl's world had changed. He didn't have to leave the building for anything. The food his huge body required was right at his fingertips, so he seldom ventured outside to be stared at by the passing people.

Daddy Cool stopped beside the huge man's chair. He rested his arm on his friend's leg, staying in that position for several minutes without speaking. Then Larry raised his eyes and Earl recoiled from all the hurt he saw inside of them. No man should feel like that, Earl reflected, and especially not his only friend. He still remained silent, waiting for Daddy Cool to break the silence.

"She's gone, Earl. Janet done packed her bags and left home," Daddy Cool stated, his voice shaking.

Earl began to fidget. Then, as comprehension dawned on him, his heavily corded neck muscles bulged while he tried to find the proper reply. Before he could say anything, Daddy Cool continued. "Have you heard anything about her whereabouts from any of the boys who come in here?"

Earl shook his head. "Not yet, Larry. But I'm goin' make it a point to find out. When I do, you want me to go on over and collect her up and bring her back home?"

For the first time since getting out of the kitchen, Larry felt relief. With Earl working with him, it wouldn't take them long to run her down. He couldn't understand why he had been so mixed up at first. It was just a matter of waiting for the news to break. As soon as it hit the corner, somebody would come running with it.

"Naw, Earl, that won't be necessary. All you need to do is get in touch with me. After that, I might take you with me, but I don't want you going without me," Daddy Cool stated.

Earl nodded his head in agreement, then got down from his high perch.

"You want to go back to the office and get a hooker?" he inquired, referring to the rear office that he also used as his bedroom.

For a brief second, Daddy Cool hesitated, then agreed. Maybe a strong drink would help settle his nerves while he waited.

JANET LET OUT A SIGH of relief when the cab pulled away from her home. She had been frightened for one of the few times in her life. Upon leaving, she had feared that someone would awaken her father. Jimmy had threatened to do just that if she didn't make it worth his while. So she had dug down into her tiny savings and given him ten dollars. For him to be her half brother was more like a curse.

Over the years she had come to realize that she hated the overbearing brown-skinned boy who was by chance her half brother. Buddy was different. At times she could get along with him, but with Jimmy it was impossible.

She settled back in the cab and gave the driver her destination. At the last minute, she had decided to go and check into a motel until she could reach Ronald. After having tried four different numbers most of the night, she still hadn't been able to reach him.

As the fleeting thought flashed through her mind that he was probably laying up with one of the various whores he bragged about having, she gritted her teeth. Well, in time, she reasoned, she'd see to it that he didn't have any of those kind of women. Her father's remark about Ronald one day having her out on the corner made her blush. For her daddy to even imagine such a thing about her was shocking. She had known that her father had no lost love for Ronald, but she had never believed his dislike was as strong as it was. She was shocked by what had happened in the early morning hours.

To take her mind off the subject, she removed the small wad of bills she had saved in her piggy bank. Slowly Janet counted the money over and over again. She had all of eighty dollars left so, the way she figured it, that should hold her for a few weeks if Ronald didn't do the right thing about her.

But as she thought about it, her doubts left. Ronald loved her, so it shouldn't be such a hard job of convincing him to marry her. Once they got married, all she would have to do would be to lead him down the right road and make him get one of the good jobs in a factory. She sat back and smiled as she pictured herself taking care of their house while Ronald was away working.

How she would surprise him when he came home, having spent most of the day preparing the kind of meal that she knew he would love. Maybe one day, she dreamed as she blushed, they would have a small baby. Then her daddy would forgive her and everything would be all right.

If only her father and Ronald didn't dislike each other so much. She was aware that she was only one of the few people who knew that Ronald really disliked her father. She had never been able to find out just why, but he had a burning dislike for the man everybody called "Daddy Cool."

Ronald laughed whenever he heard this nickname and called her father "Daddy Fool." But in time, she reflected, she might even be able to bring them closer together. Once Ronald really met her father and saw the kindness underneath the cold front that he put out to strangers, they couldn't help but to like each other.

"Well, miss," the driver said, driving into the driveway of the motel she had asked to be taken to, "here you are."

For the first time since her adventure began, Janet hesitated. She had never been inside a motel before in her life. She only knew about this one on Woodward because she passed it every day when she went to school. She was supposed to have gone to school this morning, but that was a problem she would resolve later. She had brought all of her school books along, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem going back once she got this mess straightened out. She thought about her girlfriends and how envious they would be once they learned that she was living on her own.

"Miss?" the driver called.

Again she hesitated. She really didn't know what to do. "Driver," she began, "could I give you the money and pay you to go in and check me into a room. I'll gladly pay you something for your trouble."

The middle-aged black driver glanced back at the young girl. He knew she was young and, from the bags she had, he believed she was leaving home for the first time. He wondered what kind of chance he would have of coming back later on, after he was finished work, and spending a little time with her. She was damn sure pretty.

It had been years since he'd had the chance to fuck a young girl, and one this pretty. He seriously doubted if he had ever had one in his life who looked half as good as she did. He licked his lips, lust flaming in his eyes.

"Well now," he began, "I just might do that for you, if you wouldn't mind my coming back later on and checkin' on you. You know," he added, as he saw anger jump into her eyes, "just to see if you're gettin' along all right."

Janet knew just what the old man had on his mind. She was young but she was far from being a fool. Ever since she was ten she had seen the look in men's eyes whenever they saw her. Now that she was getting older, she saw it more often. And besides, she had heard her brothers talking about it. At times, Ronald had tried putting his hand under her miniskirt, but she had always stopped him, telling him that she wouldn't do anything until after she was married. Ronald only laughed, but the hot flow of desire was in his eyes and hands. When he kissed her, he could hardly control himself. His hands went everywhere.

Suddenly she decided to use the man's lust to her advantage. After all, she reasoned, she didn't have to open the door when he came back.

"That might be all right," she said softly, then added, "How much does one of these rooms cost for the day? Until tomorrow at least?"

The driver rubbed his chin. "I don't know, miss. This early in the morning it's hard to tell. I better go in and find out for you."

He pulled the cab out of the entrance and climbed out. She watched him walk away, a strong distaste filling her mouth. Men were beasts, she reflected, as she stared after him. He was old enough to be her father, yet here he was trying to hit on her.

In a matter of minutes the cab driver was back. He opened the rear door so that he could get a better look at her legs. From the miniskirt she wore, she revealed long, lovely thighs, which filled his mind with lust.

"It's going to cost sixteen dollars, girl," he said, not bothering to take his eyes off her pretty legs. "If you should happen to be short of cash," he managed to say, "I wouldn't mind loaning you what you need."

Again he wet his lips as he imagined laying his gray head down between her soft thighs. He could feel his penis getting hard and, without really realizing it, he dropped his hand down on it.

Janet turned her head away as she fumbled in her purse. "No, that's not necessary. I have enough money to last me," she said and held out a twenty-dollar bill. "I believe that's enough for the room and for your fare. Whatever else is left, you can have it for the trouble you're going through."

He took the money out of her hand, letting his fingers grip her wrist until she almost snatched it out of his grasp. As the man walked away, she could feel herself fighting down the urge to vomit. Please, Ronald, please, she begged quietly, be home this time when I call.

While waiting for the driver to come back with her key, Janet climbed out of the cab and began to remove her suitcases. She wished she knew which room he was getting for her so that she could start carrying them to it.

The driver returned, swinging a key from his hand. Instead of handing it to her, he picked up two of her bags and walked off, searching for the number. Silently she lifted the remaining bag and followed him. She decided at once that she wouldn't enter the room until he was out of her sight. The room was upstairs on the second landing.

Janet climbed the steps quickly, but first she had to stop and make him go ahead of her. He had wanted to come up behind her, but she was having none of that. She wished now that she had brought the hunting knife her father had given her. In her anger, she had tossed most of the things that weren't necessary on the bed and left them. Most of the articles her father had given her were left at home.

As she followed the man, she remembered the long hours when she was younger that her father had spent with her, teaching her how to throw a knife so that it stuck in the middle of the target. She had become good but had never come close to acquiring the skill her father had. He was uncanny; his ability was incredible. She remembered seeing him hit the bull's-eye ninety-nine times out of a hundred, never being more than an inch off from the main spot.

The cab driver stopped at a room that had "204" on the door. He set the baggage down and opened it. Stepping back, he nodded for her to go in front of him. She stopped and shook her head.

"Could I have my key now?" she inquired in a shaking voice.

She hated the little girl sound she imagined her voice betrayed. Janet held out her hand. They stood that way for a minute or two until the driver shifted his feet, not knowing which way to tackle his problem. He had believed that once he got inside the room with her he might be able to talk her into a little lovemaking.

"Say, honey, suppose I run across the street to the whiskey store and get us a pint, huh?" he asked, coming up with the only way he knew to approach a woman.

"No, thank you," Janet said coldly, still holding out her hand. "I would like very much to get my key from you. I've had a very trying time and now I only want to rest."

"Well, now," he began, "I was thinkin' on them very same lines. I been driving all morning and it would be nice if I stretched out my legs for a while, too."

Finally it dawned on her that being evasive wouldn't do any good. Her cold black eyes became mirrors of black ivory revealing a resemblance to her father. "Mister, I'm tryin' to be nice about it," she said, as she stared into his reddish, weak eyes.