Goodbuddy

The story is that old Claude Torneille started out up here with two rooms, see. In one he had a shop that turned out cheap caskets for niggers and the other he kept full of beds that he sold to the cathouses in Storeyville. He sold them on time before anybody else did that and he was goodbuddies with the cops.

He pays off Bodine, full price, overriding Bodine's offer to prorate for what's missing. "Call it a little lagniappe, goodbuddy, that's Duane Marvy's way o' doin' thangs. Damn that ol' toad's got my pecker to feelin' pretty good now. Damn 'f I wouldn't like to stick it inside one them little whores. Hey! Boats, where can I find me some pussy around here?"

"You were shaking hands with Stillson when you keeled over," Lancte said. "You looked sick. Stillson himself looked scared green. You're a very lucky young man, Johnny. Lucky his goodbuddies there didn't turn your head into a votive urn. They thought you'd pulled a piece on him."

And I knew that under his goodbuddy exterior Sam was no less serious than his big brother. Rose called the shots, but he always consulted with Sam first, always sought his advice.