The Hunter (El cazador) de Richard Stark Cap 2 (5 de 8)

They finished their coffee in silence, and then he said, "Why?"

She jumped, startled, as shaken up as if a firecracker had gone off next to her ear. She gaped at him, and slowly her eyes focused, and she said, "What? I don't -- I don't know what you mean."

He waved a hand, impatiently. "The rent," he said.

"Oh." She nodded, and brought her hands up to her face. They stayed there a few seconds, and then she inhaled shudderingly and lowered her hands again. Her face was no longer expressionless. Now it was ravaged. It was as though invisible weights were sewn to her cheeks, dragging the whole face down. "A payoff, I guess," she said. Her tone was hopeless, like before.

"Yeah," he said. He sounded mad again. He flipped his cigarette across the room into the sink. It sputtered, and he lit another one.

She said, "I'm glad you aren't dead. Isn't that stupid?"

"Yes."

She nodded. "You hate me. You got a right."

"I ought to slash you," he told her. "I ought to slash your nostrils. I ought to make you look like a witch, like the witch you are."

"You ought to kill me," she said hopelessly.

"Maybe I will."

Her head sagged down toward her chest. Her voice was almost inaudible. "I keep taking pills," she murmured. "Every night. If I don't take the pills, I don't sleep. I think about you."

"And how I'm coming for you?"

"No, and how you're dead. And I wish it was me."

"Take too many pills," he suggested.

"I can't. I'm a coward." She raised her head and looked at him again. "That's why I did it, Parker," she said. "I'm a coward. It was you dead, or me dead."

"And Mal pays the rent."

"I'm a coward," she said.

"Yeah. I know about that."

"I never gave him satisfaction, Parker. I never responded, no matter what he did."

......................................

Acabaron sus cafés en silencio y entonces él dijo,”¿Por qué?”

Ella se sobresaltó, asustada, tan agitada como si un petardo le hubiera estallado junto a la oreja. Se quedo mirándolo boquiabierta, sus ojos le enfocaron lentamente y dijo,”¿Qué? No sé…No sé que quieres decir.”

Él agitó una mano impaciente. “El alquiler,” dijo.

“Oh.” Ella asintió con la cabeza y se llevó las manos a la cara. Se quedó así unos segundos y luego inspiró estremeciéndose y bajó sus manos. Su cara ya no era inexpresiva. Ahora estaba desencajada. Como si invisibles pesos se hubieran cosido a sus mejillas tirando hacia abajo de la cara entera. “Un soborno, supongo,” dijo ella. Su tono de voz era desesperado como antes.

“Sip,”dijo él. Volvía a sonar furioso. Lanzó su cigarrillo al fregadero donde chisporroteó. Se encendió otro.

Ella dijo, “Me alegro de que no murieras. Es estúpido, ¿verdad?”

“Sí.”

Ella asintió. “Tú me odias. Tienes todo el derecho.”

“Debería rajarte,” le dijo. “Debería cortarte la nariz. Debería dejarte el aspecto de una bruja, como la bruja que tu eres.”

“Deberías matarme.” Dijo ella, desesperada.

“Quizás lo haga.”

Ella hundió su cabeza en el pecho. Su voz era casi inaudible. “Tengo que tomar pastillas,” murmuró. “Cada noche. Si no tomo las píldoras, no duermo. No dejo de pensar en ti.”

“¿En cómo iba a regresar contra ti?”

“No, en como habías muerto. Y deseaba que me hubiera pasado a mi.”

“Tómate el frasco de las pastillas,” le sugirió él.

“No puedo. Soy una cobarde.” Ella alzó su cabeza y lo miró de nuevo. “Por eso lo hice, Parker,” dijo ella.”Soy una cobarde. O morías tú o moría yo.”

“Y Mal te paga el alquiler.”

“Soy una cobarde,” dijo ella.

“Sí. Ya sé eso.”

“Nunca le di satisfacción, Parker.  Nunca respondí, no importa lo que hiciera.”