Friday, August 24, 2012

to look up at the second-floor balcony

He went back into his own apartment, sauntered in as if he weren't damning luck. If he'd bumped into her on his return from the box, he could have bungled at his doorway for the key, discovered which apartment she entered. He walked inside, slamming the door after him. It had been years since he'd seen a girl who could set him jumping. The redhead was it. He went out to the kitchen and although he didn't want a drink, he poured a double jigger of rye and drank it neat. The slug calmed him but he wandered back into the front room, wanting an excuse to slip out into the patio, to look up at the second-floor balcony.

--Dorothy B. Hughes, In a Lonely Place

6 comments:

Judy Williams said...

NOIR at its best. Man, what a perfect excerpt for that image.

Green Guy said...

Amen, Judy! Excellent all around.

Anonymous said...

Ah Noir! Great image and excerpt.

Michelle said...

I LOVE this!

Anonymous said...

Never heard of Hughes. Thx!

Laurie Allee said...

I'm really enjoying reading Hughes. She's putting me back in a noir mood...