Read Madman on a Drum for Free Online

always smiled.
    Â 
    It was 6:05 by my watch when the phone rang. “Wait, wait,” Honsa said, and we waited until the tech agent started his tape recorder and contacted the phone company. “All right,” the agent said. Bobby answered the phone.
    The disguised voice said, “Did you talk to McKenzie?”
    â€œI spoke to him.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œAnd what?”
    â€œYou stallin’ me, Bobby? You got the Feds there? You tryin’ to get a fix on my phone?”
    â€œYou said I couldn’t trace your phone even if I wanted to.”
    â€œThat’s right. And guess what? I got a new phone, new car, new freeway.”
    â€œYou’re very clever.”
    â€œCleverer than you know, Bobby. Ain’t gonna fuck with me this time.”
    This time, my inner voice repeated.
    Harry was standing next to me. He whispered in my ear. “This asshole sure talks a lot.”
    â€œHe’s overconfident,” I said.
    Harry shook his head. “Just the opposite.”
    â€œYou got the money?” the kidnapper asked.
    â€œNot yet,” Bobby said into the speaker.
    â€œNot yet?”
    â€œIt’ll take some time.”
    â€œFuckin’ McKenzie came through, though, didn’t he? Didn’t he?”
    â€œYes.”
    The kidnapper seemed relieved. “Knew he would,” he said. “Knew he would cough it up, McKenzie, fuck. Bet you didn’t have to ask ’im twice, neither. Man do anything for a friend. Is he there? Bet he’s there. Let me talk to him.”
    â€œYou’re talking to me.”
    â€œI talk to who I want. I’m makin’ the rules here. You want me to prove it, Bobby? Huh? You want me to do somethin’ to prove it?”
    â€œNo.”
    Honsa caught Bobby’s eye and gestured with his head toward me. Bobby nodded and gave me the receiver.
    â€œWho’s calling, please?” I asked.
    A laugh.
    â€œWho’s callin’, please. Fuck, McKenzie, you are such a comedian.”
    â€œA joke a minute,” I said.
    â€œYeah, you’re a joke, all right.”
    â€œOkay, now you’re just being mean.”
    â€œYou wanna see mean? I’ll show you mean on that little girl.”
    I didn’t respond.
    â€œYou still there, McKenzie?”
    â€œI’m here.”
    â€œNot so funny, now, are ya?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œAin’t havin’ no fun at all, are ya? You were a big one for havin’ fun, too. Used to say it all the time. ‘Let’s have some fun, guys.’ ”
    Bobby’s eyes grew wide and an expression of complete astonishment transfixed his face. He knows, my inner voice told me. He knows!
    â€œTimes have changed,” I said.
    â€œYes, they have. You got the money ready?”
    Honsa held up a piece of notepaper on which he had written a single word: Time.
    â€œIt’ll take a while,” I said. “I have to wait until the markets open in the morning before I can liquidate my investments and transfer the proceeds into a money market account…”
    â€œLiquidate some investments, transfer proceeds—you changed, man.”
    â€œHave I?”
    â€œI remember when… Ahh, never mind.”
    â€œMaybe later,” I said.
    â€œMaybe never. I ain’t your friend no more, McKenzie. You or Bobby.”
    â€œI was thinking that myself,” I said aloud, even as my inner voice asked, Is he daring us to guess who he is?
    â€œI want the money in cash,” the kidnapper said. “Old bills. Nonsequential serial numbers. Twenty-five thousand twenties, ten thousand fifties. Got it?”
    â€œIt’s going to take—”
    â€œI don’t care how long it takes. Only you gotta know, the longer it takes, the longer we keep the girl. Got it?”
    â€œWe” again.
    â€œGot it.”
    He hung up.
    I looked at the tech agent. He was holding both hands over the headphones covering his ears.
    â€œWe