To Have And Have Not

HARRY MORGAN-SPRING

'Did they leave any message?' I asked the Spanish
boy*

'No/ he said. 'Just to give you that.5

Tm going to leave now/ I said to Frankie.

'Bad politics,' Frankie said. 'Very bad politics.'

I had all the papers in a bunch that the broker
had given me and I paid the bill and walked out of
that cafe and across the square and through the gate,
and I was plenty glad to come through the ware-
house and get out on the dock. Those kids had me
spooked all right. They were just dumb enough to
think Fd tipped somebody off about that other lot,
Those kids were like Pancho. When they were
scared they got excited, and when they got excited
they wanted to kill somebody.

I got on board and warmed up the engine.
Frankie stood on the dock watching. He was
smiling that funny deaf smile. I went back to him.

'Listen/ I said. 'Don't you get in any trouble
about this.'

He couldn't hear me. I had to yell it at him.

'Me good politics/ Frankie said. He cast her off*

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