College-Cut Kill

They came back out bearing drinks. Bill clowned it his towel over his arm like a waiter’s napkin. He bowed low as he handed Tilly her drink, murmuring, “Madame.” In trunks he was deeply tanned, whip-lean, with long smooth muscles. Brad was whiter, softer, thickening a bit in the waist, with a small roll of fat over the top of his yellow trunks.

Bill sat on the edge of the terrace turned toward us, with one eyebrow still high enough to give him a knowing look. Brad said, “We didn’t do this right. We should have come armed with charming blondes and a couple of jugs to salve our conscience. We thought you hadn’t had time yet to live dangerously, Rod.”

“I keep telling you that we’re underestimating the guy,” Bill said.

“Where’s Al Siminik, Brad?” I asked. It seemed odd to see Brad without his shadow.

“By the time we see him again, we’ll have forgotten what he looks like. He’s earning his keep, throwing his muscles around,” Bill answered.

I eyed Bill. “What’s your sport, Armand?”

He laughed. “Molly.”

Tilly bristled. “That isn’t a nice thing to say, Bill?”

“Protecting your sisters?” he jeered.

I was amazed at how cold Tilly’s gray eyes could get. “The only thing I have against Molly is that she’s stupid enough to find you attractive, Bill Armand.”

He held up his hands in mock defense and ducked his head. “Hey! Take it easy.”

Talk became more casual. After a while Bill drove to the main road and phoned Molly. He came back and said that Brad’s girl, Laura, was coming out and bringing Molly with her. Shortly after that, Bill and Tilly went in for a swim. Brad moved over into the chair where Tilly had been.

His smile was very engaging. “Rod, you strike me as being a pretty canny guy.”

“Oh, thank you, sir.”

“No gag, Rod. I mean it. You’re smart enough to see how things stand at the chapter. Arthur is one of the best friends I’ve got.” He was working the knife out of the sheath very slowly and I knew why he’d decided to come out. Carroll, the tireless politician.

“But...” I said.

He gave me a quick look. “Oh, you see it too?”

“Better tell me what you see, Brad.”

“I’ll be frank. I wouldn’t want this to go any further. I see a sweet guy who completely lacks the executive touch. He’s too heavy-handed. Now take Harv Lorr. There was a great president. We used to have a penny-ante poker game going on weekends in his room. Will Arthur go for that? Not for a minute. It says in the book no gambling in the house. The boys resent that rule-book attitude, Rod. But a lot of the fellows figure it this way. They say that Arthur was elected and he’ll graduate in June, so why not play along with him.”

“And what do you say?”

“I say that this is a whole year out of our lives. Why let Arthur make it a poor fraternity year? Every member has a vote. Right now, because of some people’s sense of duty, Arthur swings the majority. But if the rest of us who don’t quite agree with some of his measures could consolidate our vote, we could do just about any thing we pleased.”

“In other words, let Arthur have the title and let you have the real push.”

“I didn’t say that!” he said in a hurt tone.

“Doesn’t it amount to the same thing?” I asked disarmingly.

He pretended to think it over. “Well, it would be one way to put it, Rod.”

“Let’s get it out in the open. You want me to vote with you.”

“Only if you sincerely believe that it’s the thing to do.”

“Let’s take the gloves off, Brad,” I said. “I’m a transfer. I’m a senior. I’m not living in the house. As I see it, there’s no reason for me to get messed up in local chapter politics. With either you or Arthur running things, the food is going to be good, the lounge is going to be comfortable, the dances are going to be fun. I don’t care about anything else.”

“That,” he said firmly, “is what I consider an irresponsible and selfish attitude.”

“Consider it anything you want to.”

“Then I may take it that you’ll vote with Arthur?”

I saw I had hurt his feelings. Or at least he had decided that should be his attitude. “You may take it this way. I’m not for you or again you. When I attend chapter meetings I’ll refrain from voting. Then you won’t have to worry about a counterbalancing vote.”

His smile was full of satisfaction. “I’m glad to hear you say that. Frankly, a lot of the younger boys would be willing to follow; your lead in preference to mine, even. You’ve made quite an impression, Arlin. Quite an impression.”

“Do you want some advice?”

“What do you mean?”

“Take it or leave it. You’re creating tempests in teapots, Carroll. You’re misdirecting a very strong itch for power. Find some new direction for it.”

He dropped all expression. “Am I to judge from that that you consider the fraternity to be unimportant?”

“Take it any way you please.”

“You damn veterans are all alike. Everything is a big joke. Arthur is the only one I ever saw who takes things seriously. Just because you fought a war, you’ve got this superior attitude. Frankly, Arlin, it makes me sick to my stomach.”

“Vote for Carroll!” I said. “Vote for a square deal!”

“Go to hell!”