Alarums

  'Melanie smashed a window.'

  'Jesus H. Christ, and you let her do all this stuff?' Pen didn't sound angry at him, just perplexed.

  'Well, not exactly. I didn't know what she was up to. When she phoned Harrison with that wild story, I had no idea what she was going to say till it was out of her mouth. Even then, I couldn't believe my ears. The same with breaking the garage window - she just did it. I was ready to call it quits, and the next thing I know she's driving her elbow through the glass.'

  'You were supposed to stop her from doing crazy stuff. That was the whole idea behind investigating Harrison.'

  'Well, part of the idea was to look for evidence.'

  'Did you find any?'

  'The Porsche looked fine. If he's the one who hit your father, he must've used a different car.'

  She nodded, 'It figures. He's too smart to use his own car for something like that.' Leaning back, she braced herself up with stiff arms. She rolled her head around as if trying to work kinks out of her neck muscles. Her untucked plaid blouse had slipped upward, showing a triangle of skin between the last button and the waist of her shorts. At the top of the opening was her navel. A little more belly was exposed as she raised one hand to rub the back of her neck.

  'Headache?' Bodie asked.

  'Not yet. Just a stiff neck. I've been a little tense.'

  'The hot water would do it good.'

  'You're determined to get me in there.' She smiled slightly as she said it.

  Bodie smiled back. 'Nah.'

  'All we'd need is for Melanie to come back and find me in there with you.'

  'Not much worse than if she'd found me in your bedroom last night.'

  'True. But I don't think we should press our luck. Where is she, anyway?'

  'I'm not exactly sure.'

  'Where do you think she is?'

  'In Harrison 's house, spying on the suspects.'

  'What?'

  'I don't know for sure.'

  Pen sat up straight. Frowning, she leaned forward a bit as if to hear him better. Her hands settled on her thighs. 'She's in his house?'

  'That's my guess. When we were there before, the back door was unlocked.'

  'So she went in, of course.'

  'We both did.'

  'Good God.'

  Bodie shrugged. 'I figured, what the hell, we'd already broken into the guy's garage.'

  'So did you find anything in the house?'

  He ran a few euphemisms through his mind. Semen by any other name… 'There was some indication that they had, indeed, been making the beast with two backs.'

  Pen blushed. She said, 'You're so literary.'

  'A regular Robert B. Parker.'

  'Nothing… more incriminating?'

  'We didn't linger. I dragged Melanie out of there as fast as I could.'

  'But you think she's there now?'

  'She wasn't exactly eager to leave. We no sooner got back here than she took off in my van. That was around one o'clock. She's been gone ever since.'

  'That was almost three hours ago!'

  'I know, I know. And I'm just sitting here.' Reaching back, he picked up his bottle of beer and took a drink. 'Want some?'

  'Bodie!'

  'Have you got any ideas?'

  She reached out a hand. Bodie stood. She glanced down his body and quickly away as he waded forward a step and gave her the bottle. She drank from it, head tilted back and eyes sliding shut for a moment. She handed the bottle back to him. 'Thanks.' She rubbed her hand on her bare thigh. It left a moist smear.

  Bodie sat down, the hot water climbing to his shoulders. He raised the bottle to his mouth, felt it against his lips. Seconds ago, Pen's lips had been here.

  'That stupid damn idiot,' she muttered. She shook her head. 'Sorry. I shouldn't be… What were you planning to do, just wait around and hope she comes back?'

  'Something like that. If she is in Harrison 's house, she's hiding somewhere. So she might not be able to just take off when she wants to. Basically, she's stuck there until she can find a chance to sneak out. Even when the chance comes, she might not take it. I mean, the girl has to be pretty desperate or she wouldn't have gone in there in the first place. She probably figures this is her last, best chance to get the goods on those two.'

  Pen was nodding. She understood and agreed. 'On the other hand, maybe she's been caught.'

  'I know.'

  'What if they are the ones who… did this to Dad?'

  'Then Melanie's in plenty of trouble.'

  'Or worse.'

  'But if they haven't caught her and we go charging to the rescue…'

  'We can't just wait.'

  'We don't want to blow it for Melanie, though. She'll never forgive us if we rush in and pull her out before she's had a chance to hear something really incriminating.'

  'I can live without her forgiveness. I've been getting along without it this long.' Pen's eyes took on a frantic look. 'He's got a gun, Bodie. Harrison has a gun.'

  'All the more reason not to charge in on him.'

  'I bought a shotgun today.'

  'Oh, great. We can have a shoot-out.'

  'He might kill her. I know him. He's capable of… almost anything.'

  'Okay. We'll do something. I don't know what, but…'

  'We have to.'

  Bodie took a drink of beer and stood up. Pen continued to sit on the edge, right beside the steps. Turning around, he reached over the side and turned off the heat.

  'Maybe we can come up with a plan,' she said, still sitting there.

  Bodie waded toward the steps.

  'I don't know what,' she said.

  'We'll think of something.' His throat felt tight. He stared straight ahead so he wouldn't have to see where she was looking as he climbed the first step and felt the water level slide down to his thighs. The bikini trunks hugged him.

  Pen stood up. Bodie, pulling the towel off his shoulders, offered it to her. 'Want to dry your legs?' he asked.

  'Thanks.' She took it and bent over, her hair swaying at the sides of her face as she ran the towel down her legs. She gave it back to him. She stepped into her sandals.

  'Would you hold this for me?' he asked.

  She took the beer bottle. As he dried himself, she moved past him and stepped down from the platform.

  Looking up at him, she said, 'We need a way to trick them out of the house.'

  'Like phoning to say your father wants to see them?'

  'Oh, sure. Right.' Her glance flicked downward and quickly aside. She squinted as if peering at something in the bushes. 'I don't know,' she said, and took a sip of beer.

  Bodie, done with drying, wrapped the towel around his waist and climbed down the stairs.

  Pen stepped backward. She followed him toward the house. 'You know,' she said, 'Melanie might not even be at Harrison 's house. She could've gone anywhere. I mean, she didn't come out and tell you where she was going?'

  'No, she didn't.'

  'Before we do anything else, we should drive by and see if your van's in the neighborhood.'

  'I'd like to take a quick shower first.'

  'Go on ahead.'

  He pulled open the sliding glass door, stepped aside to let Pen pass, and entered the kitchen behind her. The seat of her white shorts was soiled a little. He let his gaze glide down the backs of her legs. 'I'll hurry,' he said.

  Pen stayed in the kitchen and Bodie went upstairs. He tried not to think about the fact that he was alone in the house with her, but he could think of little else. His insides felt quivery.

  Nothing's going to happen, he told himself. Don't get excited. You wouldn't dare, and she wouldn't go for it. Neither of you wants to stab Melanie in the back.

  But he left the bathroom door unlocked. He peeled the swimsuit down his legs and wrung it out over the sink.

  Pen's white bikini was hanging over the top runner of the shower door. It would get wet if he left it there. He pulled it down. Saw her wearing it in the hot spa. Saw her takin
g it off here in the bathroom. Tempted to caress the garment, he quickly draped it over a towel rod.

  He showered. He imagined Pen sneaking in and sliding back the frosted door. She was naked. Mind if I join you?

  Don't torment yourself, he thought. She won't.

  She didn't.

  When he was done, he walked down the hallway to the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Quickly, he dressed and went downstairs. He found Pen on the living room sofa, leaning back with her legs stretched out. Her purse was beside her, its strap over her shoulder. 'Ready to go?' she asked.

  'I guess so.'

  They went out to her car.

  ***

  Bodie, in the passenger seat, watched her climb in and start the engine. She turned the car around. On San Vicente, she lowered the visor to shield her eyes from the late afternoon sun. Below the visor's shadow, soft down on her cheek and over her lip shone golden in the sunlight.

  She looked at him.

  'Just thinking,' he said.

  'Oh?'

  He hadn't been thinking about anything, just admiring Pen's face. 'What if Melanie's not there?' he asked.

  'I guess that would be quite a relief.'

  'If she's not there, where is she?'

  Pen shook her head slightly. 'More to the point, what'll we do if she is there?'

  'Who knows?'

  'I wish she'd just stayed in Phoenix.'

  The words hurt Bodie.

  'I don't mean you,' Pen said as if she knew.

  'I brought her out.'

  'You were just being gallant. I bet you're sorry now, though, aren't you? Got yourself right in the middle of a real mess.'

  'It has its compensations.'

  Pen kept her eyes on the road.

  I shouldn't have said that, Bodie thought. Lord!

  'Yeah,' Pen said. 'I heard Melanie compensating you last night. Thin walls.'

  For a moment, Bodie didn't understand. Then he realized she had heard them in bed.

  That wasn't what I meant by compensation, Bodie thought.

  It's what she thinks I meant.

  Good thing.

  My God, she heard us screwing.

  'I guess we should've turned the radio higher,' he said.

  'She probably wanted me to hear,' Pen said. 'The way she was acting last night, it wouldn't surprise me.'

  'Wanted you to hear?'

  'So I'd know she had something I didn't.'

  Me?

  She's talking about me, here.

  'Trying to make you jealous?' he heard himself ask. His voice sounded distant.

  'It wouldn't surprise me,' she said.

  'Were you?' He couldn't believe he had asked that. 'Jealous?' She glanced at him. 'What do you think?'

  He swallowed. 'I wouldn't… hazard a guess.'

  'And I won't hazard an answer. If I say yes I was jealous, I'm as much as asking you to put moves on me, and I couldn't do that to Melanie. If I say no, you're insulted.'

  'Good point.'

  'Let's just stay friends.'

  'Good idea.'

  'Better keep an eye out for your van.'

  He realized that she had just turned onto Harrison 's street.

  The Mercedes was parked in his driveway. Joyce's Continental was at the curb in front of his house.

  'Interesting,' Pen said. 'She didn't bother parking up the road this time.'

  Their secret love's no big secret any more.'

  'Mel's call saw to that.' Pen turned the corner. 'I wonder what they had to say about that.'

  'Whatever it was, Melanie probably heard some of it.'

  'If she's there.'

  They found Bodie's van parked on the opposite side of the block.

  Pen pulled in behind it. Bodie got out. He peered through its windows and returned to the car. 'She's not inside.'

  'She really is in Harrison 's place.'

  'Looks that way.'

  'Any bright ideas?' Pen asked.

  'Leave her there.'

  'Brilliant.'

  'I'm serious. She got herself in there, and I suspect she's perfectly capable of extricating herself when the time is right.'

  'What if she's not? What if they already have her? What if they came back from the hospital and said things, talked about running down Dad, and then caught Melanie?'

  'Then the situation takes a quantum leap into Shits-ville. But I'd prefer to believe that hasn't happened. For all we know right now, those two had nothing to do with the hit-and-run. They aren't going to… get violent with Melanie… just because she knows they're having an affair.'

  Pen looked at him. Her eyes were somber. 'We can't just leave her there,' she said in a whisper.

  'I know.'

  'But you said…'

  'Just trying to talk us out of doing something stupid.'

  'Like what?'

  'I'll go in and get her. Alone. You stay in the car and get the cops if we don't come out in five minutes.'

  'That's your plan?' Pen asked.

  'Great, huh? Simple and direct.'

  'He's got a gun.'

  'He won't shoot anyone. Not with you waiting.'

  'I don't like it.'

  'What's your plan?'

  'Why don't I go in and you wait in the car?'

  'I can think of one excellent reason.'

  'What?'

  'Because I won't let you.'

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Pen steered her car into the driveway and parked behind Harrison 's Mercedes. She kept the engine running.

  Bodie took off his wristwatch. Handing it to Pen, he said, 'Five minutes.'

  'I'm frightened.'

  'Not me.'

  'Yeah, I can tell.'

  'It's been nice knowing you.'

  'Very funny.'

  Bodie climbed from the car. He felt as if his breath had been knocked out. His legs seemed ready to collapse, but he forced them to move, one after the other, until he reached the front door.

  He pressed the doorbell. Chimes rang inside the house.

  He struggled to breathe.

  He wondered whether Pen had started the five-minute countdown when he left the car, or planned to wait until he was inside.

  He reached up to ring the bell again, and the door opened.

  Harrison arched a single eyebrow. He wore a blue warm-up suit with white stripes down the sleeves and legs, and he didn't hold a gun. 'What have we here?' he asked.

  'Sorry to bother you,' Bodie said, trying without success to keep his voice from shaking.

  Harrison leaned sideways and looked past him. 'One accounted for. Where's the other sister, trapped in a telephone booth?'

  'Could I come in and talk to you?'

  He stepped back to let Bodie enter. 'I take it you've been selected to represent the grievance committee.'

  'Something like that.'

  He shut the door behind Bodie. 'What's on your mind, punching me out?'

  'No, thanks.'

  'Then what?'

  'We know about you and Joyce.'

  Harrison smirked. 'That's rather obvious at this point. You're way off base, however, if you think I had anything to do with running down Whit.'

  Bodie's stomach dropped. 'I don't know what you're…'

  'Oh, you weren't in on the cute little telephone call or breaking into my garage?'

  Bodie's eyes caught movement off to the side. Turning his head, he saw Joyce lean against the entryway from the hall. She wore a bathrobe that was too large for her. The sleeves were rolled above her wrists. 'When I get back to my house tonight,' she said, 'I want all three of you gone. I never want to see any of you again.'

  'Fine,' Bodie said.

  'Who's going to pay for the garage window?' Harrison asked.

  'Melanie,' Bodie said, and wondered if his voice was loud enough to carry to her hiding place.

  'I knew it,' Joyce said.

  'That crazy little bitch.'

  'Listen, mister…'

  'No, you listen. W
e don't appreciate being the targets of this lunatic vendetta, and the courts have remedies…'

  'MELANIE!'

  'What the fuck are…?'

  'MELANIE, GET OUT HERE!!!'

  Joyce clenched her robe tight and stood there rigid, a look of alarm on her face.

  'Is she here?' Harrison raged. 'Goddamn it, if that little bitch is in my house…!'

  Bodie stepped past him.

  Harrison clamped his shoulder. Whirling, Bodie knocked the hand away. 'We'll be out of here in a…'

  Joyce shrieked. Harrison 's glower changed to shock. Bodie spun around in time to see Joyce slam against the floor with Melanie on her back. Straddling her rump, Melanie tore at her hair, jerked her head up and smacked a fist into her cheek.

  Bodie, rammed aside by Harrison, fell against a chair. He shoved himself up. As he raced across the room, he saw Harrison grab Melanie by the neck of her sweatshirt and try to hoist her off Joyce. The loose, sleeveless sweatshirt flew up her body, covered her face, caught her arms for an instant, then released her. Harrison staggered off balance, waving the empty shirt at the ceiling. He landed on his rump.

  Melanie, naked to the waist, punched the back of Joyce's neck.

  Harrison was getting up.

  Bodie, ignoring him, grabbed Melanie's arm and dragged her off Joyce.

  'Leave go!' Melanie yelled.

  'Come on!'

  She stumbled along on her knees, pulled by Bodie.

  'Everybody calm down!' he shouted. 'We're getting out of here. We're going.'

  'Crazy bitch!' Joyce shrieked.

  Harrison moved in.

  'Leave her alone!' Bodie warned.

  Harrison kicked. The toe of his running shoe smashed Melanie in the ribs just below her armpit. Her hand jerked from Bodie's grip. She tumbled, her face striking the edge of a table. Bodie snatched her sweatshirt. Harrison, hanging onto it, lunged against him. Hooking an arm around Harrison 's head, he twisted and flung the man over his hip. As Harrison hit the floor, Bodie dropped and drove a knee into his belly. Harrison 's breath blasted out. 'I told you to leave her alone!' He tore the sweatshirt from Harrison 's grip.

  Melanie was on her knees, hanging onto the table with one hand while she pressed the other hand to her cheek. Blood spilled out between her fingers. Her side had a red scuff from the kick.

  Crouching, Bodie gave her the sweatshirt. He glimpsed a small gash over her cheekbone before she pressed the sweatshirt against it. 'Come on,' he said gently. 'Let's get going.' Hands beneath her armpits, he lifted her. She was very heavy for a moment. Then her legs were supporting her weight. He steered her toward the door.