Tuesday, April 2, 2013

4/2/13 9:36 PM

As I lumbered through the lobby, a bunch of barefoot and giggling teenagers (yes, they still do that), flowed passed me, out the door into the hotel courtyard, aimed for the pool. I took the stairs and heard a man one flight up from me, bitching to himself, “F---ing tourists!” I passed him mid-flight. He wore a hotel maintenance shirt and forced a smirk on his hard face. Poor bastard—another man with a soul-sucking job.

A conference was in full swing on the 3rd floor just down the hall from my room. A Christian conference. Lots of beaming faces greeting each other. Standoffish, I parted the hall like a beaten-down Moses. Just wanted to get to my room.

And there, my beautiful wife and daughter were waiting with big smiles, while the pleasant aroma of a pasta dinner wafted through the room. All with the added bonus that my books had arrived: the final print proof of BEAT to a PULP: Hardboiled 2 and Ross Macdonald’s The Ivory Grin and The Blue Hammer. Macdonald’s  Lew Archer is comfort food reading for me. The best detective the genre ever produced waiting to be read.

I started thinking ‘bout the hard-faced maintenance man on the stairs—hope he has something equally rewarding waiting for him. 

8 comments:

Randy Johnson said...

I've read all the Archer novels and bemoan that there are no more.

Ron Scheer said...

After FIND A VICTIM, it's a pleasure to know that I have many to read for the first time. Let's hope the maintenance man was irritable because his job takes away from his reading time. At the end of his day, there is the promise of relief from his griefs.

David Cranmer said...

Randy, Hate that feeling of no more. I have about seven left. Taking my time.

Ron, The maintenance man is irritable because many folks passing by do damage and he's paid very little to fix. FIND A VICTIM is another favorite. Hell, I like 'em all!

Dan_Luft said...

I'm slowly savoring Richard Stark's Parker books because I blasted through Hammett and Chandler too fast.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Just love that cover. And also love Ross MacDonald.

Charles Gramlich said...

I still have the Archer novels in front of me! Hurray.

David Cranmer said...

Dan, I'm a little more than half way through Stark. Took a bit of a break.

David Cranmer said...

Patti/Charles, The one writer I never get tired of and always learn from. Every time out.