Alarums

  'Sorry,' Pen said. 'Is everything all right?'

  'Fine. I was about to ask you back in.'

  They entered the room.

  'Did he… make any kind of response?'

  'I'm afraid not.'

  Pen followed Melanie closer to the bed and bumped her when she jerked to a rigid stop.

  Melanie began to groan.

  Joyce looked puzzled, then alarmed.

  Melanie's back arched and she suddenly quaked. She pressed her fists to the sides of her head.

  'What's she doing?' Joyce blurted. 'My God!'

  Pen's mind seemed to freeze as she stood at the back of her twitching, moaning sister.

  'Don't worry,' Bodie said. He sounded worried. 'It's like last…'

  Melanie lurched against Pen. Bodie stopped her from falling. With Bodie at her back, Pen braced herself up and wrapped her arms around Melanie's chest. The girl's whole body jumped with spastic shudders. Pen kept her face turned away to avoid the thrashing head.

  'You got her?' Bodie gasped.

  'Yeah.'

  'You got her? Don't let her fall.'

  'Should I get help?' Joyce asked.

  'No. It'll be okay.'

  'What's wrong with her?'

  Melanie's head snapped back, striking Pen's jaw just below the ear. The pain was a hot jolt. She squeezed her eyes shut, but didn't let go of Melanie.

  'You okay?' Bodie asked.

  Pen heard him through a ringing in her ear.

  'Ease her down. Try to ease her down.'

  She felt Bodie's hands on her sides, pushing at her ribcage to steady her as she sank to a crouch. The strain lessened when Melanie's rump met the floor.

  Abruptly, her body went limp. Her head sagged forward. She took deep breaths.

  'Are you okay?' Pen asked.

  The head bobbed slightly.

  Bodie's hands went away from Pen. He stepped to the front and knelt beside Melanie. 'How you doing?' he asked in a gentle voice.

  'Okay, I guess.'

  'Another vision?'

  'I… I think so.'

  He helped her up. Pen, rising to her feet, rubbed her sore jaw. She stretched her mouth open wide. It made her ear hurt.

  'What was it?' Bodie asked.

  'I don't know.'

  He stroked Melanie's cheeks.

  'I can't remember. Just that it was awful. But I lost it. Like sometimes when you wake up from a nightmare and it's gone.'

  'Is she all right now?' Joyce asked.

  It struck Pen as interesting that the question wasn't directed to Melanie - as if a more reliable opinion were required.

  Nodding, Bodie put his arms around her. She clung to him, face pressed to the side of his neck. One of Bodie's hands was motionless at the center of her back. The other patted her gently.

  Pen watched.

  She worked her jaw from side to side.

  Then she saw her father on the bed, oblivious to it all. She went to him.

  'I'm sorry I made such a scene,' Melanie said when they were back in the car.

  'Are you certain you're all right?' Joyce asked.

  'Yeah.'

  'Do those things happen often?'

  'No. Hardly ever.'

  'It sure scared the hell out of me.'

  'I'm sorry.'

  'As long as you're all right.' Joyce pulled away from the curb. She glanced toward Pen. 'Where to? Would you like to come back with us, or…?'

  'We're not far from my apartment.'

  'You're welcome to spend the night at the house.'

  'Why don't you?' Bodie suggested from the back seat.

  'Pen got a couple of obscene phone calls last night,' Melanie explained. 'She's pretty frightened.'

  'I'm not frightened,' Pen insisted, wishing Melanie had kept quiet about the situation. It was personal. Joyce didn't need to know about it. 'They made me a little nervous,' she said, 'but I'm okay now.'

  Am I? she wondered.

  She didn't look forward to being alone in the apartment.

  On the other hand, getting away by herself might be a relief.

  A long, hot bath. Sleep in her own bed.

  How'd you like me to fuck your brains out?

  She felt a hot rush of dread.

  It won't get any better, she told herself, by staying somewhere else. It might even get worse.

  'Why don't you go ahead and take me to my apartment?' she said.

  'Are you sure?'

  'It was just a voice on a phone. I can't let a little thing like that get to me.'

  'Obscene phone calls,' Melanie said. 'Everybody gets them. I've had a few.'

  'Me, too,' Joyce said.

  'What did you do?' Melanie asked her.

  'I just hung up, but I'll admit I was pretty edgy for a while.'

  'They never do anything but call,' Melanie went on. 'I think they have to get their jollies over the phone because they're afraid of women. The phone is safe and anonymous. They never actually pay a visit.'

  'I wouldn't say never,' Bodie told them. 'There was a story in the news a couple of months ago about a woman who was getting calls like that. The day after she got an unlisted number, she was raped and murdered. Apparently, changing number made the guy feel rejected.'

  'Oh, thank you very much, Bodie,' Pen said. 'That's just what I wanted to hear.'

  'I think you have a right to be worried, that's all. I didn't like the sound of that guy.'

  'They all sound like that,' Melanie said.

  'The calls were recorded on my answering machine,' Pen explained to Joyce.

  'Whit won't let me get one of those things.'

  'I've heard him on the subject,' Pen said. 'Dad likes answering machines about as much as he likes carhops.'

  Joyce turned off Pico and headed up the sidestreet toward Pen's apartment. 'You're sure you wouldn't rather stay with us?' She sounded as if she really wanted Pen to join them for the night - maybe to keep an eye on Melanie in case of another 'vision'.

  'No,' she said. 'I'll be okay. Maybe I'll come by in the morning, though.'

  'Do,' Joyce urged her. 'Come early, and we'll all have a nice breakfast together.'

  'You've got a deal.'

  ***

  Joyce eased the Lincoln to a stop across from Pen's apartment building. Pen swung her door open. For a moment, she was ready to back down.

  'See you in the morning,' Melanie said.

  'Right. See you then.' She started to step out.

  'I'll go up with you,' Bodie said, 'and check the place out.'

  She felt a surge of relief. 'Thank you. I'd like that.'

  'I'll go, too,' Melanie said.

  Outside the car, she put herself between Pen and Bodie, and latched onto his hand.

  They walked to the iron gate, and Bodie swung it open. Pen went through first. She heard their footsteps close behind her as she cut across the courtyard toward the stairway. Party sounds of music, loud voices and laughter came from one of the apartments on the second floor. Though the pool lights were off, she spotted a couple in the whirlpool at the far end. She couldn't see who they were. She probably, in fact, wouldn't have recognized them even in light. Most of the other tenants were strangers to her. She preferred it that way.

  Melanie and Bodie followed her up the stairs and along the balcony to her door. While she hunted for her keys, they caught up.

  'A lot of activity around here,' Melanie said.

  'Saturday night.'

  'Does that guy, Manny, still live here?' Melanie asked.

  'Oh yes.'

  She pushed her key into the lock, twisted it, and opened the door. Reaching inside, she flicked a light switch.

  The lamp by the couch came on.

  On the carpet at her feet lay a square, white envelope - the kind that birthday cards came in. She crouched over it. There was no stamp, no address. P. CONWAY was written in large, crooked letters.

  Picking up the envelope, she could feel that it was empty.

  'Someone must've sli
pped it under my door,' she muttered.

  'I don't like this,' Bodie said.

  She turned the envelope over, and felt her legs go weak as she read its scribbled message:

  I CAME AND YOU WEREN'T HOME. TOO BAD. NEXT TIME I'LL COME WHEN YOU ARE. SEE YOU SOON.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  'Let me see.'

  Pen handed the envelope to Bodie. He held it out to the side so that Melanie could read it, too.

  'I guess you'd better come back with us,' Melanie said.

  'Yeah,' Pen muttered. 'Let me get a few things.'

  They waited in the living room.

  'This is starting to look serious,' Melanie said. 'I mean, I never thought he might come after her.'

  'It doesn't surprise me much,' Bodie said. 'The way that guy sounded on the phone… he sounded like he meant it.'

  'Maybe she'd better go to the police.'

  'Yeah.'

  Melanie took the envelope from him and studied both sides. She pursed it open to make sure it was empty. Turning around, she stared at the place on the carpet where Pen had found it. Her shoulders rose as she took a deep breath. She sighed the breath out. Her head lowered, and she shook it slowly from side to side. The guy was actually here,' she said in a weary voice. 'Lucky thing Pen wasn't.'

  'I feel like such a jerk.'

  Bodie put a hand low on her back. Her skin was warm through the blouse. 'Don't worry about it,' he said.

  'I feel like I'm in the goddamn Twilight Zone. Dad. This.'

  'Pen almost getting hit this morning,' Bodie added. 'I'd forgotten about that.'

  'I hadn't. And if you want to talk Twilight Zone, there're your visions. It's too bad you can't remember the one at the hospital.'

  'I remember it,' she said. She turned and looked into Bodie's eyes. 'I remembered it then. I just didn't want to talk about it in front of the others.'

  'What was it?'

  'Later. I'll tell you when we're alone.'

  'We're alone now.'

  'Pen.'

  Bodie could hear her in another room. Footsteps. Drawers opening.

  'She'll be done in a minute,' Melanie said.

  'Why don't you want her to know about it? Does it involve her?'

  'In a way.'

  'Come on, what is it?'

  'No. I said later. It's just between you and me.'

  'Okay,' he muttered. 'Later.'

  'Don't be mad at me.'

  'I'm not mad.'

  'Yes you are,' she sulked.

  ' "True!" ' he blurted. ' "Nervous - very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?" '

  ' "The disease had sharpened my senses," ' came Pen's voice from the other side of the room, ' "not destroyed, not dulled them." '

  Bodie grinned at her.

  Melanie, looking perplexed, switched her gaze from Bodie to Pen.

  'The Tell-Tale Heart,' Pen explained.

  'We oughtta take our show on the road,' Bodie said. The hurt glance from Melanie made him regret the suggestion. 'Ready to go?'

  'All set.' Pen had a small suitcase at her side, a purse hanging from her shoulder. She wore the same white jeans as before, but her burgundy blouse had been replaced by a plaid flannel shirt that was neatly tucked in. She wore a suede jacket over the shirt, its front open, the dangling ends of its belt swaying as she walked.

  Bodie watched her take a few steps. There was just enough difference in the look and motion of her shirt to indicate, in Bodie's judgement, that she had taken the opportunity to put on a bra.

  'I'll carry that,' he said, reaching for the suitcase.

  Thank you.'

  As she passed it to him, the telephone clamored. Her hand jerked and the suitcase slipped from Bodie's fingers, thumped the floor. Pen stood rigid. She flinched as the phone rang again.

  'Want me to get it?' Bodie asked.

  She didn't look capable of answering.

  'I will.' Melanie rushed past him.

  He hurried behind her to the kitchen and watched her snatch up the receiver. 'Hello?' Pause. 'No, this isn't Pen. May I tell her who is calling?' She listened, then covered the mouthpiece and called, 'It's some guy named Gary.'

  'Okay,' Pen said. She came up beside Melanie and took the phone. 'Hello?… Right, this is the Pen Conway… Of course I remember you. "Never look a gift drink in the mouth." '

  Bodie felt like a snoop, listening, but Melanie hadn't left so he stayed, too. Besides, he told himself, the guy didn't know if Pen would remember him, so they couldn't be on intimate terms.

  'I guess it was the slides,' she said. 'I thought I was going to barf… Right, I just drove home… I was tempted, but I didn't know for sure whether you'd come down afterwards… Oh, really?' Pen fooled with the top button of her shirt. She frowned slightly. Tonight? I really can't… No, it's a family situation. I really couldn't. Look, why don't you give me your number? When this situation is settled, I'll call you.' She nodded, but didn't write down his number. 'Got it… I will. Thanks for calling, Gary… Goodnight.' She hung up. 'A guy I met last night at the mystery writers meeting.' She unplugged the phone and set it on top of the refrigerator. 'We'd better go. Joyce'll think we've abandoned her.'

  In the living room, Pen stopped and looked down at the envelope on the coffee table where Melanie had left it.

  'Should we take it with us?' Melanie asked.

  Pen picked it up and crumpled it into a ball.

  'Hey, don't ruin it! That's evidence.'

  'Evidence of what?' Pen asked her sister. Without waiting for a reply, she headed again for the kitchen.

  'Maybe you should show it to the police,' Melanie called.

  Pen didn't answer. She came back without the envelope.

  'You threw it away?'

  'Do you think I want it looking at me when I come back?'

  'Bodie and I were talking. We think you should go to the police.'

  Pen left the lamp on. They stepped outside. She pulled the door shut and rattled the knob. Walking along the balcony toward the stairs, she looked back at them. 'I'm not going to the police. First off, they've got bigger problems to worry about. Second, there's certainly not sufficient evidence to identify the creep even if they did care.' With a hand on the metal railing, she started down. 'They'd just advise me to get an unlisted number or move out. Besides, they'd want to hear the tape.'

  And that, Bodie guessed, might be the real reason she didn't want the police involved. He couldn't blame her. They would insist on listening to the tape. Pen would be there with them as it played, as that piece of scum talked about fucking her, sticking his tongue in her, coming in her mouth. Hearing it again, herself, would be awful enough. But to have a couple of strangers listening, maybe wondering just how it would be to do those things to Pen… and they would wonder exactly that, Bodie thought. A man couldn't help it.

  'What are you going to do?' Melanie asked.

  'I don't know yet. Move out, maybe. Or buy a gun.'

  'I guess I'll turn in,' Joyce said shortly after they returned to her house. 'It's early, though. Feel free to stay up as long as you want. Watch some TV, have a snack, a drink, whatever.' To Pen, she added, 'You know where everything is.'

  'Would it be all right to use the jacuzzi?' Pen asked.

  'Sure. That'd be nice on a night like this. I'd join you but… I'm the one who didn't get a nap this afternoon.'

  They told her goodnight, and she went upstairs.

  'You two interested?' Pen asked, looking at Melanie.

  'I don't think so. But you go ahead.'

  'Are you sure?'

  Bodie wanted to go in the jacuzzi. Badly. He said nothing.

  'We didn't bring our suits,' Melanie said.

  One of Pen's shoulders rose and fell just slightly. 'Dad has some spare trunks he keeps around for guests. One of those should be fine for Bodie. You could wear your underthings or whatever,' she told Melanie.

  'Or nothing,' Bodie suggested.

  'Hardly far,' Melanie said
.

  'I'll go turn the heat on.'

  Melanie dropped onto the sofa, slouched back, and folded her hands behind her head. She watched Pen walk away, then turned her eyes to Bodie.

  He shrugged. With a smile to hide his disappointment, he sat beside Melanie. He put a hand on her thigh. 'I think the jacuzzi would be neat.'

  'We'd freeze getting out.'

  'I don't mind.'

  'I'll bet.'

  'What's that supposed to mean?'

  'You just want to see Pen with her clothes off.'

  He laughed softly, then moved his hand higher. He slid her skirt against the warm smoothness of her skin. 'I'm not interested in Pen.'

  'I've seen you looking at her.'

  'Of course I look at her. I do that. When people are in my presence, I look at them. It's a defense against collisions.'

  'Yeah, makes jokes.'

  'Should I turn my head away when she's in the room?'

  'It's not funny,' Melanie said.

  'I know it's not,' he told her. 'I'm sorry. I suppose I have been looking at her. She is attractive.'

  'Tell me about it.'

  'But she's not you, Melanie. You're the one I love.'

  He got his hand out from between her legs as she suddenly twisted around. She threw her arms around him and hugged him hard. Her face pressed the side of his neck. He lightly stroked her back.

  'In spite of your weirdness,' he kidded.

  'I'm so messed up.'

  'You're fine.'

  'No, I'm not.'

  Bodie noticed a figure enter his peripheral vision. Turning his head just a bit, he saw Pen at the corner of the room. She halted, then backstepped quietly past the banister's newel post and crept up the stairs.

  When she's ready to go in, Bodie thought, she'll have to come down those stairs and I'll be right here.

  He felt eager, guilty.

  'Have I been rotten to her?' Melanie asked.

  'To Pen? I wouldn't say rotten, exactly. I know you have this rivalry or inferiority complex or something about her, but I think she could use a little more understanding from you. It isn't just your father who's in the hospital. He's Pen's father, too.'

  'I know,' she said in a voice full of pain.

  'And she also has this business of the obscene caller to deal with. Either one of those situations is pretty

  damned traumatic, and she's had both of them dumped on her at the same time. I'm sure she'd appreciate a little support.'