Seattle Noir by Curt Colbert Page A

their plans, Petey. We asked her to help us but the bitch was gonna turn us in. It was self-defense, you see?
    I guess so. Petey looks around again. They are deep in the dripping green heart of the trail now, and haven’t seen anyone for almost a block.
    Good man. The shame of it is, she wouldn’t tell us what she knew. And she had the names and addresses of everyone in on the plot.
    Widmark shakes his head sadly. Damn it, Petey. If we had those names we could catch them all. We could stop them!
    I got their names! Petey reaches into his jacket and pulls out the black address book.
    Bingo, says Mineo.
    That’s all we need, says Widmark, grinning. Give it to Jerry.
    Who?
    Me, says Mineo, and grabs it. Do it now. This is perfect.
    Petey looks back at Widmark, who has pulled a knife out of his jacket.
    It’s time, Petey.
    Wait a minute.
    You can go quietly like a man, or squealing like a little girl. What do you choose?
    What else’ve you got? asks Petey.
    There’s no one in sight. This piece of the trail is blocked off from the canal by bushes and trees, and blocked from the street by—
    What the hell is that?
    Mineo looks and laughs. That’s a topiary dinosaur. A full-size brontosaurus made of plants. It’s gonna eat you up, Petey!
    You buffoon, says Strabo. It’s an apatosaurus!
    Where the hell have you been? asks Petey.
    Who? asks Widmark, coming closer.
    Run now ! yells Fox.
    Widmark swings and Petey raises his left arm. The knife cuts through his jacket, slices into his forearm. It hurts like hell.
    Grab him! shouts Widmark, but Mineo sees the blood and hesitates.
    Swing the fruit! yells Fox, and Petey grabs one of Mineo’s skinny arms with both bloody hands and spins like a discus thrower. The movie stars collide and tumble to the pavement. The knife and address book go flying.
    Run, boy!
    Petey runs. He used to jog this trail, back when he lived in a funky apartment on Bowdoin, back before his mind betrayed him, when he had a job and a life.
    You still got a life, says Fox, but not if they catch you. Step on it!
    You need a bandage, lad. Use your coat.
    Petey tears off his jacket and wraps it around his bleeding arm. That helps. He’s still on the trail, which heads down and finally under the bridge.
    We need crowds, says Fox. Go left!
    Petey turns up Evanston Avenue. The movie stars had stopped for the knife and the book, but he can hear them on his track now.
    On the hunt, says Strabo, and sings again.

    Oh how will you cut him, said Milder to Moulder
    Oh we may not tell you, said Festel to Fose
    With knives and with forks, said John the Red Nose
    With knives and with forks, said everyone…

    The movie stars are gasping. They haven’t run this hill route a thousand times like he has, before the world went to hell.
    Petey’s laughing, because this is really happening. There was a goddamned dinosaur made of plants. There really is a giant rocket on top of that building on the corner.
    I’m not insane. I’m just in goddamned Fremont.
    He dodges a bus on 36th Street and staggers to a halt.
    Keep going! yells Fox. What’s wrong with you?
    A man stands in front of him, twenty feet tall. The familiar face scowls down from under his cap.
    He’s crazy , says Lenin. That’s what’s wrong with him.
    Petey can’t move, caught in the big man’s glare.
    It’s just freaking Lenin! screams Fox. The statue they brought from Russia! You’ve seen it a thousand times!
    Now hold on, says Strabo. It doesn’t make sense, does it? Why would anyone put up a monument to a dead Communist in the middle of this merchant kingdom? No, I’d say the lad is delusional.
    Out of his capitalist mind , says Lenin, and somebody hits Petey from behind. He slams into the base of the statue and bangs his head.
    He rolls over on the plaza tiles and Widmark lands on top of him. Petey sees the knife going up but his left hand is tangled in his jacket. He can’t stop the blade.
    Freeze!
    Widmark stops, looks up. He slides off and drops