the Hunted (1977) by Elmore Leonard Page A

very good to come, David. I hope thi s isn't bothering your trip."
    "No bother," Davis said. Entering, he picked u p his travel bag from the bed. "I thought you jus t wanted to give me my dirty laundry."
    "Mr. Bandy would like to speak to you," Tal i said. "Sit down, please."
    The room was like a living room now. Davi s glanced around as he walked over to the windows.
    Now wait for the important lawyer. He looked ou t at Tel Aviv, at the scattering of highrises that ros e out of the tan five-story skyline, the easter n Mediterranean going to glass walls. Somebody ha d said to him, "Tel Aviv used to be an ugly town.
    Now they're building all these Hiltons and Sheratons to hide the view of the sea and it's uglier than it was before." Davis liked Tel Aviv. He wasn't sur e why. He liked the people, the younger ones. He' d like to get to know some of their troopers, talk t o them. He wouldn't have minded having some o f them along in Vietnam. Shit yes, pros; hard fuckers.
    "There he is. How you doing, Sergeant? Wha t can I get you?"
    Davis turned to see Mel Bandy coming throug h the connecting doors. He looked different, his fac e pink, flushed--the guy coming all the way over t o shake hands this time, trying to give Davis a goo d firm one with his fat hand, smelling good of something, all slicked up in a light blue outfit--light blue print shirt with a movie-star collar, light blu e slacks, white belt, white loafers with little gol d chains on them.
    "We're set up, finally," Mel said. "What woul d you like?"
    "Beer'd be fine," Davis said.
    "Shit. You name the one thing--Tali, call roo m service. Get the sergeant some beer."
    "No, I don't care. Anything'll be fine."
    Mel went to the bar that was set up on the des k and began fooling with bottles, bending over , showing his big can as he got ice and mix from th e refrigerator wedged into the desk opening.
    "Where you from, Sergeant? I detect an accent."
    Davis said, well, he'd been born in Harla n County, Kentucky, but had moved from there whe n he was six years old. His dad had been killed in a coal-mine accident. They'd moved--he and hi s mom and sister--they'd gone to live with his aunt , who had a farm in Shelby County. That was abou t halfway between Lexington and Louisville--Tal i and the street kid, Mati, watching him, not havin g any idea what he was talking about. He'd gone t o school one year in Cincinnati, but it was i n Louisville that he'd enlisted in the Marines. Boring , Christ, hearing himself. He felt like a straight ma n when Mel came over and handed him a frost y drink.
    "Hundred-proof pure Kentucky bourbon. Ho w about that."
    Like it was a treat and all Davis drank was som e kind of piss-poor shine. The guy wanted to d o more than talk. He wanted something. The drin k was all right, something like a bourbon collins. Th e guy didn't offer Tali or the street kid a drink. H e made a Scotch for himself and sank down on th e couch with one short leg stretched out. He wor e light blue socks, too. Davis sat in a chair by th e windows. He wasn't in a hurry, but if the guy farte d around too long he'd tell him he was. Eleven-thirt y Friday morning sitting around having a two-ma n party. Tali sat quietly, a little expectantly; the stree t kid hunched over in a straight chair, his darkskinned left hand holding his right fist.
    Davis looked over at Mati. He said, "Don't yo u want something to drink?"
    "No . . . nothing." Straightening awkwardly , shaking his head.
    Okay, he had tried. Davis looked at the light blu e lawyer. "Are we waiting for something?"
    "As a matter of fact, we're waiting for a phon e call," Mel said. "But I want to take a little time, fil l you in first."
    The guy was ahead of him, assuming things.
    "I'm on leave," Davis said.
    "So you got time. Good."
    It wasn't what he'd meant. "My car's packed.
    I'm ready to go." Shit, it still didn't sound right. "I m ean I've made plans," Davis said. "I'm taking a trip."
    "I understand that," Mel said. "All I want