Current Issue

Home

Judith Klerman Smith is a civil litigation attorney, living in Southern California and an active member of Mystery Writers of America , Sisters-in Crime/LA and Sisters in Crime National. She is also a participating member of DorothyL, SinC-IC, Crimethrutime, cozydiscussion and ShortMisteryFiction. Her first published short story "Trickery" appeared in the anthology Murder x 13. It received praise from Carolyn Hart as “superbly plotted” and from Anne Perry as containing characters she “would love to meet again.” It was reprinted in Futures Magazine. Her current work in progress is a traditional mystery novel featuring characters from "Trickery."

Ding Dong, The Snitch Is Dead by Judith Klerman Smith

So, I says to Sammy, "It's an easy hit. No one's gonna even miss the snitch." What I'm thinking is, it ain't enough green for someone with my expertise.

The flea-brain just gives me that fish-faced stare and looks like he don't know what I'm yapping about. So I make it simple. "With the new kid coming, you and Gilly need the bread, a bigger place, maybe in the country or Jersey." I don't give an ant's toenail where Sammy lives, but I gotta worry about my sister and her kid.

"How come you ain't taking the job, Joe-Joe?"

"Hey, we're family. Family looks out for family," I says.

Sammy stares some more then does a little hop, one foot then the other, like he's cold, or got to pee. "I don't know. I ain't got that gun you gave me last time no more."

I give him a thumbs-up and wink real understanding-like. "You did good. You did what I told you. After the hit in Brooklyn, you tossed it. Remember?"

"Oh, yeah. I remember," says Sammy.

Jeez, what was Gilly thinking? So Sammy's got a hog and looks like where he's dancing in a vanilla ice cream suit. She shoulda kept her legs crossed.

"Don't matter he's dumb," Ma said when she hears Gilly got herself knocked-up. "She's gonna marry him an' you're gonna keep watching out for your sister, like always." So you see how I gotta put some dough his way when I can?

I try again. "Look, it's easy. The snitch don't go out so much, so you got to do it at his place. I want you should use a blade. No noise. It's one of those co-ops with too-friendly neighbors."

"You know that?"

I'm keeping my fists in my pockets so's I don't break his face. "The client, the guy paying for the hit, he's in the same building, 'cross the hall, that's what he says. He told me the snitch rolled over on him for a job they done together. The client took the fall, did a nickel in the joint and the canary flew away free." I don't tell Sammy the only reason the slime did the time instead of the mark was 'cause he couldn't snitch first. Jeez, must be three guys still in the joint the client gift-wrapped for the cops before he got dumped on.

"So what job he and the snitch do?" Sammy asks.

"Look," I says, "I don't ask, and don't wanna know." I wasn't gonna tell Sammy that besides both of them being snitches they was selling any garbage kiddy porn, blow, any candy, kids, girls anything that brings in green. Sammy might have problems with that. Man, I got problems with it. But what am I suppose to do? The dirt bag lays out most of the money up front before I get the chance to check him out.

Sammy don't say nothing. He's cleaning his ear with his finger so long, I'm thinking he's gonna come up with a body.

"Well?" I ask when he looks finished.

"Okay. When you want me to take care of it?"

"Tomorrow. The vic orders take-out every night, regular. Pizza, Mondays; Chinese, Tuesdays. Tomorrow's some kind of Thai food. He orders in for 7:30, like a clock. Apartment 10B." I give him the address.

"I ain't gonna remember all that, Joe-Joe. You got to write it down."

Right then I should've forgot the whole thing, except I'd already spent the big bills I took for my share. Hey, I got Sammy the job. So, I try not to snap on him. "I can't write it down. What if you drop it and someone finds it––like the cops? Look, it's easy. Just ring the bell, apartment 10B like in banana. You go, 'food delivery.' You get buzzed in and you do the job. Got it?"

"I think so."

"Then, knock 'cross the hall on 10A, like in apple?"

"What for?" Sammy asks.

I try not to lose it. I just says sweet as sugar, "The dough, the bread, the green. Bring back the rest of the money the client owes. Simple. Ding dong, the snitch is dead." I'm laughing but Sammy looks too busy thinking about what I'd told him to get the joke.

Later Gilly's not happy.

"It happens," I says soothing-like.

I tell her I ain't mad at Sammy, but I'm thinking it don't do no good to be steamed anyway. And no way am I gonna upset Gilly when she's in a delicate condition. Ma'd kill me. So, I try to cheer Gilly up.

"Hey, ain't we family? I'm right here for you, like always." I look her right in the eye. "Sammy did like I told him, mostly. So, he didn't get the rest of the green. No sweat. We got most of the money up front. So, it don't matter."

I see Gilly's going with it, and I'm feeling generous-like. I give her a wink. "Jeez, Gilly, part's my fault for messing with Sammy's head. I shouldn't of confused him with all the food talk."

Gilly looks like she's lost, so I spell it out. "See, Sammy goes to ring the bell, but he don't remember what I told him, right off. So, he says to his self he's got to think like I told him to think. That's good, except he thinks I told him the dough's in 10B like in bread. So, it's natural he should figure the hit's gotta to be in 10A, you know, like in apple.

"That's how Sammy ices the wrong maggot. No sweat. Trouble is, how was I to know the old bag down the hall would look through her peep hole when she hears Sammy pounding on the door? I ain't no fortune teller."

"The door was closed, Joe-Joe," Sammy told me later.

I don't push it. I just nod, but I'm thinking, yeah, Dumdum, you rang the wrong bell.

I pull the chair out for Gilly and hand her the phone. I smile at Sammy as he picks up on his side of the glass. I give Gilly's shoulder an encouraging-like squeeze. "Now you remind Sammy they was both snitches. It don't matter which one he killed. Important thing he should know is snitches just don't live long."

THE END