Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll

[richardg49]

This extract from Chapter 69 prompts another minutiae-type question:

"He stood, stretching a bit once more, and as he did, there was a small explosion of glass behind him and to the right, and a hard thunk as something hit the wall opposite the front window. Ellery dropped to his knees, hand over his head, ducking below the level of the sofa. “Get DOWN! Ennis!”

“What?” Ennis crouched. “What the fuck was that?”

“Somebody shootin! Stay down, below the window. In fact, get in the hall, back up, back up!” He dropped his voice to a harsh whisper. “I got ta get in there an get my gun.” Ellery crawled across the living room as another tinkle of glass and another harsh thud into the wall, a second shot, rammed into the living room wall, causing a picture to fall and shatter."


There have been a number of attacks like this one on Ellery's property in the course of the Saga. Is it possible that Ellery deliberately provokes these attacks from members of the criminal underworld?  By doing this it would dispense with any need to find time for that tedious chore of regularly washing the windows - all he needs to do is call in a glazier to put in replacements!

[louisev]

actually, if you reread more carefully you will know that it was Ennis who replaced the windows!

[MaineWriter]

actually, if you reread more carefully you will know that it was Ennis who replaced the windows!

It hasn't happened, yet, so it isn't a matter or re-reading more carefully, just a matter of the re-readers haven't gotten there yet. LOL

L

[MaineWriter]

Hola, re-readers! Today, 71-75...

http://louisev.livejournal.com/46573.html

Interestingly, this answers a question from the other day...Ellery's usual side of the bed is on the right.

Ennis was surprised to find the guest bedroom contained a single double bed, but Ellery, apparently, was not. “Stayed here for a while after I got out a the hospital, Edna waited on me hand an foot.”

“Glad you ain’t in the hospital now, darlin,” Ennis said, closing the door and going over to him, plucking at the thick fabric of the vest, slipping a hand around his neck and pulling him close.

“So am I, sweetheart, so am I…”

They clung together for a long time, Ennis hand smoothing Ellery’s hair, Ellery’s long fingers gripping Ennis’s back, head down on his shoulder, saying nothing. Finally, Ennis plucked at the straps holding his vest, and Ellery began to unbuckle it bit by bit, and they undressed for bed, reluctantly, both of them clearly awkward in Wes and Edna’s house. Ellery climbed into the bed first, taking the usual right hand side, and Ennis after him, reaching for him, and once again they clinched in a chaste, desperate embrace, as if the power of Ennis’s arms could somehow shield Ellery from the next bullet that could smash through the next window he walked past. He whispered in his ear… “wish we coulda been makin love instead a this, darlin,” and was answered with an acknowledging sigh.

“Yeah… I’ll get the windows fixed tomorrow… we can do it tomorrow.”

They clung together, soothing one another with caresses and soft kisses, until hours later, it seemed, as the sky began to lighten, they finally fell asleep in each other’s arms.

L

[yb]

Allow me to go ahead and quote chapter 74:

Ellery sat in ominous silence as Ennis gave his report to Wes directly, sitting with Dupree, Edna, and Joe Tooey at the dining room table after he managed to herd Nellie back to her stall once Worrell had been moved and taken by the ambulance.

“So I asked em why he killed em... was it because he was gonna tell his secret -- you know, about bein queer.... an he said yeah, he was a loud mouth salesman an he warned em to keep his mouth shut.”

Wes was not writing... just listening. Ellery stood, abruptly, and paced the length of the room, not smoking his cigar as much as crushing it in his fingers, face pale. “And that’s when you sprung the door open an Nellie kicked em.”

Ennis nodded. "The rifle went off too. I’m real sorry, Wes. I know he could a shot Nellie, but I didn’t know what else ta do.”

Ellery turned, face white, and stared at Ennis. “Coulda shot Nellie? Ennis what the fuck were you thinkin?”

“I was thinkin that we couldn’t just let him take shots at us wherever we go, Ellery, an wait for the next shot ta come, so I went in the barn ta get my rifle.”

“Ennis –“ Ellery said, his voice strangled, and cut himself off at Wes’s warning look.

then,


Ellery looked at him, grey eyes steely. “What a you think?”

“I dunno. Yer upset.” He sat down on the bed. “I’m okay Ellery.”

“Yeah. You know you were so hell bent on my not stickin my neck out lookin for this guy an puttin myself in danger, did it ever occur to you it went the other way too?”

Ennis dropped his eyes, looking at his hands. “Well yeah... but not till after.”

“Didn’t Edna tell ya ta stay in the house? We coulda got the guy Ennis. He was careless an he was comin after us, we coulda got em without you goin out an gettin in the line a fire.” His voice was tight, a voice Ennis had never heard before, and his eyes stung as Ellery let loose on him.

“I’m sorry, Ellery.”

“I can just see all this. A shoot out in a bar when I go ta try to arrest the guy. I’ve got a gun, a vest, a warrant, an you yellin at me because I coulda got killed. I listened ta you, Ennis. I heard ya when you said you couldn’t go through this because a losin Jack.”

“Ellery...”

“But I don’t think you were listenin.” He sat up, his eyes wide, tears wet on his face. “You coulda died today, Ennis. You probably woulda died today, but fate had other ideas. Now I got ta live with that. I love you, Ennis. An my heart aches because a this now.”

“Please, Ellery, I’m sorry...” Ennis said, kneeling on the bed, pulling him into his arms in a tight embrace. “It was... stupid.”

“It was stupid, sweetheart. I ... I can’t stand ta lose you either ya know.”

“I know. I just couldn’t stand the idea a that guy shootin at us.”

Ellery drew back. “Neither could I, but ya handle that a certain way Ennis!”

“I know... but, I saw red.”

“When you see red next time maybe ya can just stop..” Ellery’s voice broke into a sob.

Ennis tightened his arms around him, pulling him down to the bed, letting the violence of Ellery’s grief wash over him, kissing his neck and cheek softly, murmuring to him, “it’s all right, it’s all right darlin, I’m here, I’m sorry...” but he could tell by the hard pang in his chest, that it would take more than hugs and kisses for Ellery to get over what he had done today. Eventually, the sobs ended, and when Ennis looked down at his face, Ellery had finally fallen asleep again, a sleep born of exhaustion and excess stress, and he made a quiet prayer that when he woke again, Ellery would trust him once more.

Oops, it's almost the whole chapter but I like this one very much.

[MaineWriter]

Thank you, Betty! I am a little behind on my quoting this morning...

This is from Chapter 75:

“Ellery…” Ennis said, the crease between his eyebrows telling Ellery how worried Ennis still was. Ellery smiled faintly at him.

“Don’t let’s talk about it now, okay? Let’s just eat, have some beers. It’s over, sweetheart.”

“Yeah. You sure?”

Ellery nodded, not daring to speak further, for fear of getting back into it. It was useless, really. Worrell had been caught, Ennis was alive and unharmed, the horse was back in her stall…there was only one man who has killed Jack Twist, and he was under police guard at Ivinson, to be arraigned as soon as his ribs set and the doctor cleared him to be moved to the county jail. This much, he already knew. What he didn’t know was when the ache inside him was going to lessen. They rose, and Ennis reached for the door, letting it go as Ellery’s hand slid over his and closed, and he pressed his body against him, one arm reaching around his stomach and pulling him close. “I love you sweetheart,” he whispered, then let his hand go, dropping the embracing arm.

Ennis turned, eyes bright, and looked into the steel grey eyes so close, raising a hand to his face and brushing his cheek with his thumb and forefinger. “I love you, darlin. An I am awful, awful sorry. Please.”

Ellery shook his head once more, his black hair tumbling around his face, making him look young and petulant. “No need, let’s go.”

L

[MaineWriter]

And a bit more from chapter 75:

“Yeah, I know,” he sighed, staring at the neck of his beer as if it were something he had never seen before.

Ennis was working his way through the sandwiches at a satisfying speed. “You bakin biscuits?”

She smiled, back on familiar territory. “Yep, and fried chicken for dinner. You boys are gonna stay aren’t you?”

“For dinner at least,” Ennis replied, glancing quickly at Ellery. “Wanna check on the horses an such after I finish here. You gonna eat or just stare at it Ellery?”

“Oh,” Ellery said, and stuck the end of his sandwich in his mouth as if he had forgotten why he was sitting there.

“You got ta come with so eat an hurry up, darlin,” Ennis muttered. Ellery raised an eyebrow and turned toward him. Edna smiled.

“I think how you two get along is just wonderful, considerin all you have been through this weekend. Try not ta worry too much, everythin is gonna be okay boys. I’ll leave ya alone now.” She got up and returned to her sanctum, the kitchen, where even now the smell of fresh biscuits was beginning to waft more definitely toward them.

“Smell a biscuits cause anything particular ta stir in you?” Ennis said in a low voice after Edna disappeared into the kitchen.

“Just a bit…” Ellery said, his face not giving anything away.

“Causes a mighty stirrin in me somehow,” he said, munching on another handful of chips. “Come on boy, yer eatin like a bird.”

“Feel like a bird right now, Ennis, my stomach ain’t cooperatin.”

“Okay then, come on, we’ll get some air.” And he hauled Ellery to his feet to drag him out to the stables, once his sanctum and retreat from the busy world of people, and now – the scene of his confrontation with Jack’s killer. He had to tell Ellery what had happened, in his own words.



L

[belbbmfan]

Hola, re-readers! Today, 71-75...

http://louisev.livejournal.com/46573.html

Interestingly, this answers a question from the other day...Ellery's usual side of the bed is on the right.

Yes, i noticed that too!


and it really was cocoa Edna was serving  Well, and something stronger than that of course:

Wes didn’t say more until they were seated in his living room, and Edna offered both Ennis and Ellery a shot of brandy before handing out mugs of cocoa. Ellery downed his in a single swallow, collapsing into one of the recliners.

thought so...

[mariez]

Good day, all!  Jumpin' in while eating lunch -

Great quote choices everyone - thanks! 

Aww... poor Ron Royal - I really liked him. 

Poor Ellery!  Poor Ennis!  Oh my - I understand how they both feel.  In talking about the wedding reception, Ellery recently mentioned something about the difficult patches he and Ennis have endured in the past few months - all these chapters are really bringing that back in full force!  Difficult is an understatement!

And Bless Edna and her brandy and cocoa! 

Marie

[richardg49]

Surely we need also to re-read this climactic scene in Chapter 73, where Ennis finally comes face to face with Justin Worrell:


Ennis went into the barn, making his way through the gloom, turning on lights as he passed the stables, pausing at one where a new purchase, whom he had named “Nellie” because he was constantly saying “Whoa Nellie” when she reared, was pawing the floor of her stall impatiently, snorting from time to time. He patted his hand against the inside of the door to calm her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect and he saw her rear, the wide pink rims of her eyes as she glared at him. Nellie was having a hard time with mere confinement in a stall, it would seem. As he got past Nellie’s stall he heard a low sound... the snick of a bolt on a rifle, and a shadow separated itself at the end of the row of stalls.

“Stay right there, boy,” said a low, menacing voice.

Ennis stared into the gloom as Worrell stepped out, moving back against the door of Nellie’s stall, hearing her paw the floor once more in agitation. “What a you want, Worrell ? That’s yer name, ain’t it?”

He saw a flicker of a smile on the pale face, the wisps of blond hair under the wide black brim of his hat, the rifle aimed at his chest. “That’s my name, but I’m askin the questions. Why is Cantrell huntin me?”

“You... killed my man,” Ennis said, throat dry, hand rasping against the door of the stall, a helpless anger rising in him.

Worrell blinked. “Evelyn Wyatt?”

Ennis shook his head. Even at this distance, he could see the resemblance between them – the thin cheeks, the high forehead, but the clothes, the manner, the body language, even the voice and accent, markedly different... “No. Jack Twist.”

A smile flashed as Worrell took a step nearer. “Oh. Blue Eyes. Nice lookin guy, that Blue Eyes. Looks like he never got over ya.... you look a whole lot like me. Who are you, by the way?”

“My name is Del Mar. Ennis Del Mar.”

“Yeah, Blue Eyes an me... Jack you say. Yeah that was his name... nice lookin guy, too bad he had such a big mouth,” the voice chuckled. He seemed unworried, arrogant, almost gloating.

“You killed em.”

“Yeah well, some live, some die. He had ta die. Should know better than ta pick up a loud mouth salesman."

“That why ya did it? Cause you was afraid he was gonna tell yer secret?

The Ennis in the black hat nodded, taking another step closer, rifle still trained on Ennis’s chest. “I told em... an that’s what happens when ya can’t keep yer mouth shut, see, Del Mar. Now you got yer new boyfriend askin questions he shouldn’t ask, diggin around, so I had ta go huntin again. But now yer in the way too, so ---“

Ennis’s hand had tightened on the latch of Nellie’s stall as Worrell stepped nearer, and at his last step, he let the door swing free with a loud “Giddyap!” and Nellie bolted from the stall as Ennis dove behind it and dodged down the row of stalls, away from Worrell. He heard the shriek of the wild yearling, the crash of kicking hooves against the door, and the explosion of the rifle as it went off, a blur of brown color as Nellie dashed down to the opposite end of the stables, pawing at the floor of a far corner, snorting. And silence.

Ennis turned and made his way back, pressing himself against the doors of the stables, and stepped around Nellie’s door as he heard a loud groan. Worrell lay on the floor, blood staining his shirt, the rifle knocked from his hand. He grabbed the rifle, looking down. Worrell was still breathing, but in pain... he looked as if he had been kicked in the ribs – but he was out cold now.