Kane and Abel/Sons of Fortune Read online

  “How long has he to live?” asked Kate in a whisper.

  “Six months at the outside, more likely three.”

  “And I thought I had problems,” said William. He held tightly onto Kate’s hand as if it were a lifeline. “We must be going, Andrew. Thank you for telling us.”

  “Do what you can for him,” said the doctor, “but for God’s sake, be understanding. Let him do what he wants to do. It’s Matthew’s last few months, not yours. And don’t ever let him know I told you.”

  William and Kate drove home in silence. As soon as they reached the Red House, William called the girl Matthew had left the party with.

  “Would it be possible to speak to Matthew Lester?”

  “He’s not here,” said a rather irritable voice. “He dragged me off to the Revue Club, but he was already drunk by the time we got there and I refused to go in that place with him.” Then she hung up.

  The Revue Club. William had a hazy recollection of having seen the sign swinging from an iron bar, but he couldn’t remember exactly where the place was. He looked it up in the phone book, drove over to the north side of town and—after questioning a passerby—eventually found the club. William knocked on the door. A hatch slid back.

  “Are you a member?”

  “No,” said William firmly, and passed a ten-dollar bill through the grille.

  The hatch slid closed and the door opened. William walked across the middle of the dance floor, looking slightly incongruous in his three-piece banker’s suit. The dancers, twined around each other, swayed incuriously away from him. William’s eyes searched the smoke-filled room for Matthew, but he wasn’t there. Finally he thought he recognized one of Matthew’s many recent casual girlfriends, one he felt certain he’d seen coming out of his friend’s house early one morning. She was sitting cross-legged in a corner with a sailor. William went over to her.

  “Excuse me, miss,” he said.

  She looked up but obviously didn’t recognize William.

  “The lady’s with me, so beat it,” said the sailor.

  “Have you seen Matthew Lester?”

  “Matthew?” said the girl. “Matthew who?”

  “I told you to get lost,” said the sailor, rising to his feet.

  “One more word out of you and I’ll knock your block off,” said William.

  The sailor had seen anger like that in a man’s eyes once before in his life and had nearly lost an eye for his trouble. He sat back down.

  “Where is Matthew?”

  “I don’t know a Matthew, darling.” Now she, too, was frightened.

  “Six feet two, blond hair, dressed like me and probably drunk.”

  “Oh, you mean Martin. He calls himself Martin here, darling, not Matthew.” She began to relax. “Now let me see, who did he go off with tonight?” She turned her head toward the bar and shouted at the bartender. “Terry, who did Martin leave with?”

  The bartender removed a dead cigarette butt from the corner of his mouth. “Jenny,” he said, and put the unlit cigarette back in place.

  “Jenny, that’s right,” said the girl. “Now let me see, she’s short sessions. Never lets a man stay for more than half an hour, so they should be back fairly soon.”

  “Thank you,” said William.

  He waited for almost an hour at the bar, sipping a Scotch with a lot of water, feeling more and more out of place by the minute. Finally the bartender, the unlit cigarette still in his mouth, gestured to a girl who was coming through the door.

  “That’s Jenny,” he said. Matthew was not with her.

  The bartender waved for Jenny to join them. A slim, short, dark, not unattractive girl, she winked at William and walked toward him swinging her hips.

  “Looking for me, darling? Well, I am available, but I charge ten dollars for half an hour.”

  “No, I don’t want you,” said William.

  “Charming,” said Jenny.

  “I’m looking for the man who’s been with you, Matthew—I mean Martin.”

  “Martin, he was too drunk to get it up with the help of a crane, darling, but he paid his ten dollars—he always does. A real gentleman.”

  “Where is he now?” asked William impatiently.

  “I don’t know. He gave it up as a bad job and started walking home.”

  William ran into the street. The cold air hit him, not that he needed to be awakened. He drove his car slowly away from the club, following the route toward Matthew’s apartment, looking carefully at each person he passed. Some hurried on when they saw his watchful eyes; others tried to engage him in conversation. When he stopped for a traffic light outside an all-night diner, he caught sight of Matthew through the steamy window, weaving his way through the tables with a cup in his hand. William parked the car, went into the diner and sat down beside him. Matthew had slumped onto the table next to a cup of spilled, untouched coffee. He was so drunk that he didn’t even recognize William.

  “Matthew, it’s me,” said William, looking at the crumpled man. Tears started to run down William’s cheeks.

  Matthew looked up and spilled some more of his coffee. “You’re crying, old fellow. Lost your girl, have you?”

  “No, my closest friend,” said William.

  “Ah, they’re much harder to come by.”

  “I know,” said William.

  “I have a good friend,” said Matthew, slurring his words. “He’s always stood by me until we quarreled for the first time today. My fault though. You see, I’ve let him down rather badly.”

  “No, you haven’t,” said William.

  “How can you know?” said Matthew angrily. “You’re not even fit to know him.”

  “Let’s go home, Matthew.”

  “My name is Martin,” said Matthew.

  “I’m sorry, Martin, let’s go home.”

  “No, I want to stay here. There’s this girl who may come by later. I think I’m ready for her now.”

  “I have some fine old malt whiskey at my house,” said William. “Why don’t you join me?”

  “Any women at your place?”

  “Yes, plenty of them.”

  “You’re on, I’ll come.”

  William hoisted Matthew up and put his arm under his shoulder, guiding him slowly through the diner toward the door. It was the first time he’d ever realized how heavy Matthew was. As they passed two policemen sitting at the corner of the counter, William heard one say to the other, “Goddamn fairies.”

  He helped Matthew into the car and drove him to Beacon Hill. Kate was waiting up for them.

  “You should have gone to bed, darling.”

  “I couldn’t sleep,” she said.

  “I’m afraid he’s nearly incoherent.”

  “Is this the girl you promised me?” said Matthew.

  “Yes, she’ll take care of you,” said William, and he and Kate helped him up to the guest room and put him on the bed. Kate started to undress him.

  “You must undress as well, darling,” he said. “I’ve already paid my ten dollars.”

  “When you’re in bed,” said Kate lightly.

  “Why are you looking so sad, beautiful lady?” said Matthew.

  “Because I love you,” said Kate, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

  “Don’t cry,” said Matthew, “there’s nothing to cry about. I’ll manage it this time, you’ll see.”

  When they had undressed Matthew, William covered him with a sheet and a blanket. Kate turned the light out.

  “You promised you’d come to bed with me,” Matthew said drowsily.

  She closed the door quietly.

  William slept on a chair outside Matthew’s room for fear he might wake up in the night and try to leave. Kate woke him in the morning before taking some breakfast in to Matthew.

  “What am I doing here, Kate?” were Matthew’s first words.

  “You came back with us after Andrew MacKenzie’s party last night,” Kate replied rather feebly.

  “No, I didn’t. I