Final Justice (43 page)

Their gazes locked in mingled anger and pain.

"I'd better get going," he said finally.

He was almost to the door but turned and saw how she was staring after him like the last mourner before a coffin lid closes.

Chapter 26

It was almost dark when Luke entered the church through a rear door. Once inside, there was enough light still filtering through the windows that he could see his way around. He was in the storage room, situated directly behind the baptismal pool which was sandwiched between velvet curtains. Choir robes hung on a rack along one wall with hymn books stacked neatly on shelves beneath.

The pool was flush with the floor, steps on each end. It was bigger than most, ten feet long, six feet wide and four feet deep. It was said the wife of Cleve Hampton-the-second, who had built the church, weighed over three hundred pounds and wanted to be the first person baptized in it. She had insisted on making sure it was large enough for her.

The pool stayed empty unless it was needed, so Luke turned on the valves to start water running. While it was filling he made sure the curtain on the other side behind the altar was tightly closed. He then entered the sanctuary through a side door and hurried past the neat rows of pews and up the red carpeted center aisle to switch on one light in the foyer. It would be enough that the ladies could find their way to a seat.

If Emma Jean followed all his instructions, the ladies would know to park a good distance away and walk to the church, slip inside, and be as quiet as possible as they waited for the party to begin. Even Reverend Lansky, who lived right next door, would not notice anything going on.

Luke had called Emma Jean just before she closed the laundromat. All the women she had called, while pretending to be Irene Cleghorn, had said they'd be there.

Satisfied the stage was set, he hurried to the storage room in time to let Sara in the back door before she panicked and thought he hadn't arrived yet.

"It's pitch dark in here," she whispered uneasily. "I can't see my hand in front of my face."

He took a small flashlight from his pocket and switched it on. "Just relax. I'll tell you everything you have to do."

When he finished, she groaned, "Oh, Luke, I don't know..."

"You have to. Otherwise he'll carry out his threat."

"But how will I know to time things to happen?"

"I'll be standing in the far corner, and when you hear what sounds like a hoot owl, you'll know it's time to start getting him in the pool. The rest is up to you. I'll be listening, and when he's in position, I'll yank the curtains open at the same time I turn on the light over the pool. The switch is close enough I can hit them both before Burch realizes what's happening.

"Now the second that light flashes on," he continued, "I want you to already have your back turned to the sanctuary and ready to pull yourself out of the pool. I'll move fast to get behind the curtain and pull you under it. There won't be time for you to get your clothes back on because we've got to get out of here fast. Go ahead and take them off now, and I'll have them bundled and ready by the back door."

"Now?" she echoed uncertainly.

"I can't very well gather them up in the dark later, and if you try to afterward, somebody is liable to come rushing back here and recognize you. Besides, you're going to be wet, remember?"

"But..."

"Just do it fast. He might walk in that door any second."

"But won't it look funny if I'm standing here naked? Won't he be suspicious if I look too eager?"

"He's so arrogant he probably expects you to be, but just in case..."He snatched a choir robe off the rack. "Put this on. He'll think it's sexy."

"Sexy?" she yelped, holding up the white robe. "Good grief, Luke. It's sick. Me in a choir robe acting like a slut."

"He'll love it. Hell, tell him it's your idea of being a virgin for him, the first time you're having him and all that kind of stuff."

"I still say it's sick. And it's also sacrilegious."

"Well, so is he."

Luke was pleased to hear her giggle.

"It's terrible, but the more I think about it, the better I like it."

"I knew you would once you stopped being so scared. Now hurry and get undressed."

She giggled again. "You've been waiting years for this, haven't you?"

He laughed. "You don't know how many times I froze my ass in a cold shower over you, woman."

She peeled out of her dress. "Well, you're more mature now. I think I can trust you." She yielded to impulse, "Besides, I understand you've got somebody else to blame for cold showers now."

Luke wasn't sure how to respond, then decided to hell with it. She already knew, and it was pretty bad if he couldn't trust her, of all people. "Yes, I guess I do."

"Well, I'm real happy for you, Luke, but please be careful."

"We have been, and we will be, and I don't believe she'd have said anything to you if I hadn't told her about you and Dewey. I was with her that night after it happened, and I was so bummed out I just had to unload."

"I know the feeling, and it's okay. I just don't want you to get hurt. She's a sweet girl, and I know her life has to be hell married to Rudy, but it's a one-way street. You know that. So don't get in too deep."

"Maybe I already am," he admitted.

"I was afraid of that." She had taken off her slip and bra and panties and was totally naked but too intent on what was about to take place to be embarrassed or self-conscious.

Luke rolled her clothes in a bundle and placed them next to the door while she put on the robe. "Okay. I'm going to get into position. The rest is up to you." He turned off the flashlight and hugged her. "I know you can do it—for Dewey and for yourself."

She hugged him back. "I want you to know how grateful I am you're doing this for me."

"I'm just sorry I didn't take care of it sooner. If I had..."

She pressed a finger to his lips. "Shush. I don't want to hear it. You're keeping me from being blackmailed into having to be that creep's whore for the rest of my life, and I'll never forget it."

He thought how he was not doing it solely for her, only she would never know that.

* * *

Burch opened the door slowly and instinctively reached for the light switch, but Sara was ready, as Luke had instructed, to stop him.

"
I
want it dark," she said, her hand covering his as she once more fought an impulse to gag. "I told you, honey child, this is gonna be a special night."

He laughed throatily and reached for her, then, feeling the billowy garment, paused to ask in wonder, "Hey, what is this?"

"A choir robe. I'm wearing it because it's white."

"Yeah," he scoffed. "Like you're a virgin."

"It's my first time with you, so that makes me a virgin
for
you."

"Yeah, I guess..." he groped for her breasts. "So you've made your point. Now turn on the lights."

She felt like spitting in his face but instead managed to coo, "Now I told you, Burchie, baby, it's got to be special, and you aren't going to see me till I say so."

"Okay, I'll play your stupid game, but get that thing off so I can feel you up good."

"And you get undressed. I want to feel you, too, sweet thing." She fought to keep from gagging.

"Yeah, I will. Hurry..."

He fumbled with his clothes, then grabbed her again, but, realizing he was still wearing his undershirt, she held him at bay. "Not till you've taken everything off."

He pulled the undershirt over his head, then roughly drew her into his arms and began covering her face with hot, wet kisses. Sara willed herself to let him, reminding herself over and over it was revenge for Dewey, and also to ensure her children would not be taken from her, that they would not have to grow up in a broken home. And when this was over, she was going to concentrate on being the best mother she could be. She was also going to get a real job, maybe in the new drapery plant rumored to be opening up next year. She would save every penny she could so when the children were grown she could strike out on her own and make a new life. She would not, by God, continue to live in a loveless marriage after they left home.

He had been there less than five minutes, and Sara wasn't sure she could take another second of it but knew she had come too far to turn back. She also knew how disappointed Luke would be if she failed. Emma Jean, too, because he had told her if not for Emma Jean, they couldn't have pulled it off, that she had used her talent to imitate Irene Cleghorn to make those women she had called think they were being invited to a surprise party for Ramona Hampton.

Luke had been thorough in his planning, too, not allowing for any chance that word might get out.
Emma Jean-Irene
had made each lady she called promise not to tell her husband, not to tell a soul, for fear it might somehow get back to Ramona.

As for why the party was being held in the sanctuary instead of the church fellowship hall, he instructed
Emma Jean-Irene
to say that the special treat she had planned could only be held there and later they would know why.

But no presents were wanted,
Emma Jean/Irene
had emphasized. The reason was that Luke did not want paper rattling when the ladies came down the aisle, afraid Burch might hear.
Emma Jean/Irene
had explained that Ramona would like it better if everyone contributed a few dollars each to buy a needed electric skillet for the church kitchen in her name. But, most important,
Emma Jean/Irene
had instructed, they all had to be very quiet and sit in the dark till the big surprise happened.

"Come on," Burch was snarling at Sara's ear as he clutched her buttocks and thrust himself at her. "I want a quickie now. We can play later."

* * *

Luke could hear every word and knew Sara was having a rough time holding Burch off. They were still by the door, far away from the pool, so he stealthily picked his way to the curtain separating the pool from the sanctuary and opened it just a crack. The soft, sparse light from the foyer behind them was sufficient to frame the women seated on the front row. He counted ten. One was missing, Irene Cleghorn, the purported hostess.

Emma Jean was to have called her at the very last minute and pretend to be the maid of one of the other ladies, apologizing for her mistress because she had not been invited to the surprise party. She was also to convey the explanation that her mistress had been so busy getting everything together she thought she had already invited her and was so embarrassed when she realize she hadn't. Irene's feelings would be hurt, but she would, of course, rush to the church.

Burch was trying to push himself inside her, and Sara twisted away. "No," she whispered, remembering despite her rage to keep her voice down, for the
guests
had probably begun to arrive, though it was doubtful they would be able to hear from such a distance. "I told you, we have to do it special."

"And I want it now."

"And you're going to have to wait."

"Hey, I think you better get something straight." His hand shot out to twist her hair and yank. "I'm boss here. Always. I say how we do it and when. Not you. Now get on the floor and..."

"I won't."

He yanked harder.

"Listen," she hissed between clenched teeth because he was hurting her, "If you want just plain, ordinary sex, man on top, woman on bottom, then you aren't half the man my Dewey was."

"Oh, yeah? And what made him so damn special? I saw his pecker, remember?" He snickered. "Or maybe I should say his
weenie.
Feel of this, bitch." He grabbed her hand and pulled it against his erection. "It's big. Real big. You saw it before. You're feeling it now. And Dewey Culver, the old fart, never saw the day he was half my size."

Sara's knee was actually starting to twitch from wanting to slam into his balls, but she managed to hold back and continued to goad, "I'm not talking about size, Burch. I'm talking about being adventuresome. Now I told you I wanted tonight to be special because it's the first time. If you aren't willing to play, then okay, we do it your way. I'll take your money and screw you whenever you want, and it'll be as boring to me as it probably is for your wife."