To Have And Have Not

TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT

I went.up to the Perla and met the broker and he
gave me the papers and I bought him a drink. Then
I had lunch and Frankie came in.

'Fellow gave me this for you,' he said and handed
me a rolled-up sort of tube wrapped in paper and
tied with a piece of red string, It looked like a
photograph when I unwrapped it, and I unrolled it
thinking it was maybe a picture someone around
the dock had taken of the boat.

All right. It was a close-up picture of the head
and chest of a dead nigger with his throat cut clear
across from ear to ear and then stitched up neat
and a card on his chest saying in Spanish; This is
what we do to lenguas largas.'

'Who gave it to you?* I asked Frankie*

He pointed out a Spanish boy that works around
the docks who is just about gone with the con. This
kid was standing at the lunch counter.

'Ask him to come over.'

The kid came over. He said two young fellows
gave it to him about eleven o'clock, They asked him
if he knew me and he said, Yes* Then he gave it to
Frankie for me. They gave him a dollar to see that I
got it. They were well dressed, he said,

'Politics/ Frankie said.

*Qh, yes/ I said.

They think you told the police you were meeting
those boys here that morning.'
'

'Bad politics/ Frankie said, 'Good thing you go/
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