Alarums (23 page)

    '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.'

    

    

    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. We 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.

    'I'm gonna… get the cops on you!' Harrison yelled.

    Bodie looked around. The man was curled on his side, hugging his stomach. 'Go ahead, asshole. But you'd better have a good alibi for Friday night.'

    'Fuckin' lunatics! Both of you!'

    Joyce, on her knees, clutched her robe shut with both hands and stared through strings of hanging hair. She said nothing.

    Melanie got the door open.

    Bodie, with an arm around her back, helped her down the porch stairs. It was still daylight and the sweatshirt was pressed to her face, but her breasts were hidden beneath her arms.

    Pen, looking stunned, rushed around her car and opened the rear door. 'My God, what happened?'

    'Let's get out of here.'

    Melanie ducked into the back seat. Bodie followed her. Pen ran to the other side and flung herself behind the steering wheel. She shot her car out of the driveway and sped forward. 'Where to?'

    'My van.'

    'Should we take her to emergency? What happened to her?'

    'A small cut below the eye. She fell against a table.'

    'I'm okay,' Melanie muttered.

    'We'd better take her to emergency,' Pen said.

    'I'm all right.'

    'I have a first aid kit in my van.' Bodie pulled her down so that her head rested on his lap. 'Let me take a look.' He lifted the sweatshirt away from her cheek. The cut was half an inch below her left eye. Blood filled the wound and began leaking out. He dabbed it away.

    'What went on in there?' Pen asked. 'Was there a fight?'

    'A wee scuffle.'

    'You sure nailed Harrison,' Melanie said, smiling up at him.

    'Why don't you put this on?'

    Sitting up, she slipped her arms through the sleeve holes. She drew the sweatshirt down over her head, then lifted the bottom of it and held the cloth against her wound. Her left breast stuck out like someone peering from under a stage curtain. It had a smear of blood beside the nipple.

    'Did you find out anything?' Pen asked.

    'They know we suspect them,' Bodie said.

    'What about you, Mel? Where were you all afternoon?'

    'In the bedroom. Under the bed.'

    'What did you hear?'

    'They did it, all right.'

    'Hit Dad?'

    'Yeah.'

    'What did they say?'

    'Not now. I don't… feel too good.'

    'She caught a kick in the ribs, too.'

    Pen stopped behind the van. Melanie gave the keys to Bodie, and he opened the rear doors. He was glad to see that she had lowered her sweatshirt before leaving the car.

    All three climbed into the van. As Bodie shut the doors, Melanie lay down on the sleeping bag. She raised the blood-spotted sweatshirt to her cheek.

    Bodie took out his first aid kit. He spread disinfectant cream on her cut, then applied a bandage.

    Pen, crouching at his side, asked, 'Now what should we do? Go to the police?'

    'I don't think so,' Bodie said. 'Melanie was in the house illegally. And she's the one who started the fight. I imagine we could both wind up charged with all kinds of shit.'

    'Great,' Pen muttered.

    'As it is, Harrison threatened to call the cops on us. I'm not sure he has the guts to go through with it, though.'

    She looked down at Melanie. 'Did you actually hear him admit to hitting Dad with the car?'

    'Yes.'

    'What about Joyce?'

    'She was in on it. They did it together, just like I thought.'

    

    

    Pen finished packing and waited in the living room. Bodie came down a few minutes later, carrying luggage. Melanie was behind him. She had washed the blood from her face and changed into a clean white blouse. 'Can we stay with you?' Melanie asked.

    'Of course,' Pen said. She looked at Bodie. 'Are you sure you shouldn't drive back tonight?'

    'Well…'

    'I'm not eager to get rid of you, but if Harrison presses charges you'd be better off out of state.'

    'He won't press charges,' Melanie said. 'He knows we'd tell everything.'

    'It probably would be better,' Bodie admitted, 'to get a good night's sleep before starting out. We'll leave first thing in the morning.'

    'Fine.'

    
Not fine,
Pen thought. She didn't want them to leave at all. But she'd known they couldn't stay long. Starting tomorrow, they would both be missing school and Bodie had classes to teach. Also, it was best that they go back as soon as possible before Melanie got a chance to make more trouble.

    She was surprised, however, by Melanie's apparent willingness to return in the morning.

    
We'd better watch her,
she thought.

    'I'll stop by a fast-food place,' Bodie said, 'and get us all some supper.'

    'There's a Jack-in-the-Box…'

    He nodded. 'I saw it. What would you like?'

    'Tacos would be fine. They've got great tacos.' Outside, Pen hesitated in front of the door. 'I wonder if we should leave the house keys.'

    'Screw that,' Melanie said. 'It's still Dad's house. Joyce doesn't have any right to be kicking us out.'

    'I suppose not.'

    Melanie went with Bodie to his van. Pen climbed into her car and followed them out to San Vicente.

    

    

    Driving back to her apartment, she wondered if Melanie would change her mind about leaving in the morning. It hardly seemed possible that she would abandon her hopes of nailing Joyce and Harrison, especially now that she'd apparently heard them admit their guilt.

    She must have a plan. Maybe she intends to sneak out, tonight. And do what? God only knows. She'd been crazy enough to hide in Harrison 's house - and attack Joyce.

    
We'd just better make damn sure she doesn't get away from us. Even if it means staying awake all night.

    When Pen parked in front of her apartment building, she considered waiting in her car for them to show up. The stop for food should only take them five minutes.

    
Don't be a chicken,
she told herself.
If you're not going to move out - and that was the whole point of buying the shotgun - you'd better get used to the place again.

    
He took my panties. He was here this afternoon. Maybe he's a tenant like Manny.

    
But not Manny. Someone else.

    
I can't go on living here,
she realized.

    Nor could she move out of her car seat.

    
It'll be all right with Bodie here.

    
Tomorrow, I'll find a new place. I'll stay in a motel for as long as…

    
Tomorrow, Bodie will be gone.

    He has to go. He has to get Melanie away from all this.

    
I wouldn't mind getting away from all this, myself.

    
I can't go anywhere, though. Not while Dad's the way he is.

    
Should call the hospital. Maybe go over there tonight.

    
What if Joyce is there?

    
We have to do something about those two. They can't get away with it.

    
I could go to the police tomorrow and tell them everything. If they focus their investigation on Harrison
, they might turn something up. I'll do that. Unless they show up here, first, to arrest Melanie and Bodie.

    
At least we got her out of Harrison
's house in one piece.

    
Bodie was right, we should've left her there. She probably would've managed to sneak out on her own with nobody the wiser.