ut him。 'Crazy…wild and proud of it。 Wharton is nieen years old； and he just doesn't care。' He'd underlined that part。〃
The hand which had gone around my shoulders was now rubbing my back。 I was beginning to calm。 In that moment I loved Elaine Connelly； and could have kissed her all over her face as I told her so。 Maybe I should have。 It's terrible to be alone and frightened at any age； but I think it's worst when you're old。 But I had this other thing on my mind； this load of old and still unfinished business。
〃Anyway；〃 I said； 〃you're right…I've been scribbling about how Wharton came on the block and almost killed Dean Stanton … One of the guys I worked with back then … when he did。〃
〃How could he do that？〃 Elaine asked。
〃Meanness and carelessness；〃 I said grimly。 〃Wharton supplied the meanness； and the guards who brought him in supplied the carelessness。 The real mistake was Wharton's wrist…chain … it was a little too long。 When Dean unlocked the door to E Block； Wharton was behind him。 There were guards on either side of him； but Anderson was right … Wild Billy just didn't care about such things。 He dropped that wrist…chain down over Dean's head and started choking him with it。〃
Elaine shuddered。
〃Anyway； I got thinking about all that and couldn't sleep； so I came down here。 I turned on AMC； thinking you might e down and we'd have us a little date…〃
She laughed and kissed my forehead just above the eyebrow。 It used to make