you’ve never been before. And talk to important lawyers and the police. Face up to all kinds of strangers and be ready with smart answers. It could get real creepy for a young woman. A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be worrying about such stuff.” He chuckled slightly. “I bet all the boys tell you you’re pretty.”
Geez, another man who underestimates her. “Huress, talk about the case, do we have anything to discuss?” She should have trusted her instincts. This was a waste of time.
“Well, I might be able to help you. People listen to me down here. You know what I mean, a sergeant on the police force? No doubt, I could get your brother out immediately, if I wanted to bad enough. It would be up to you. Know what I’m saying? Let me take you somewhere and we can talk.”
“You mean like you could take me to dinner and explain it all.”
“Wasn’t thinking about a dinner, but I know a place.”
“We’re not moving from this spot. You have ten seconds to start talking.”
“Well, I know how to get him released, but I’d have to stick my neck out. Let me be frank with you, Sandy, I won’t do it for nothing. I need to get something from you in return.”
“I wonder what that would be.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Hey, it would get your brother out.”
“Forget it Bobby, it ain’t gonna happen. And I don’t believe for a second you can get him released.”
“You think you’re the smart one here, but you’re dead wrong. You see, I’ve been doing little jobs for Moran for a long time. Some of them, well, let’s just say he owes me. True, I can’t get the charges dropped, but I sure as hell can get him out on bail, if I put in the word. That is, if you’re nice to me.”
“So, if I put out for you, you’ll put in for me? Stop with this brainless proposition, Huress. You’re putting your job on the line here.” She put her hand on the door handle. “I can’t believe you tried this.”
“Tried what? No proposition. You and I met and we got interested in each other, happens all the time, it’s natural. Just something between us and nobody else will ever know. In the morning, it’s like it never happened except you’ve gotten him released. You’ve the power to do that. You might even be saving his life. If you don’t, something bad might happen to him that you could have prevented, and you’re the one to blame.” He took the keys out of his pocket and put them in the ignition. “Come on, let’s go.”
“No!” She glanced around, no other customers were parked or in the store just now.
“I promise you’ll be in control. Whatever you say, that’s it. You say stop, we stop. You say take me home, I take you home. It would be the smart thing to do because you’d be getting your brother out.”
Her hand was still on the door handle. Her choice was to stay inside within his precarious reach and tell the creep off, or to get out now, run and be safe. Her fight or flight response was never in question, she couldn’t resist the fight. “You have a wife?”
“A wife?”
“Yes, that person who takes care of your house, cleans your toilets, feeds you and the dog? The one who’s home right now giving your kids baths and tucking them in bed?”
His face turned red. “Why you little smartass bitch….”
“You’ve been stalking me haven’t you? Don’t you realize what you’re doing right now? I can’t believe you’re dumb enough to try this.” She pulled the door lever. “Hey, this door is locked!”
“Well, it sticks sometimes. You see this badge?” He turned his body slightly so she could see it. The movement also exposed the gun on his hip. “I could make a lot of trouble for you and your brother. I hoped it wouldn’t come down to this but you’re forcing me. Now I know you’re sitting there thinking you’re the one in control of this situation, and you can brush me aside, but there’s something you didn’t consider.”
“I’m saying no to you.
“Listen. You don’t realize this but they should have transferred your brother out to county jail long ago. Moran has overlooked it but I keep on top of everything. Gangs of cretins are out there who’d love to get friendly with your brother just as fast as they can rip off his jumpsuit. After twenty-four hours at County, don’t be shocked if he pleads guilty. And he’ll never forgive you. You could have made it easy for him. Now none of that has to happen. You could be friendly with the nice sergeant here. What’s the big deal? What you’re giving me you’ll never miss anyway. Just relax and go along.”
His slimy words crawled on her skin. She gave a quick look around the cab to spot something for defense: a screwdriver, a ballpoint, anything. His revolver was holstered in plain sight but it was unlikely she could take it away from him.
He was breathing heavily now. “You see what you’ve done to me.” He started rubbing his crotch. “I’m willing to compromise. It’s dark here, just put your pretty little head down. Do it and your brother will be out walking in the sunshine tomorrow. No one will ever know.” He unzipped his pants and reached for her hand.
“Unlock this door now!”
“Or what? You a black belt or something?”
She couldn’t just sit there, he would just keep coming at her. She had to upset the situation somehow, get him off balance. “Why don’t you give up on me here? Take your fantasies somewhere else and jerk off.”
He swung fast with the back of his right hand. She barely had time to duck. He made a loud grunt as his hand smashed and cracked the rear glass. He grabbed the back of her hair fiercely. He tried to force her head down. His other hand reached into his open fly. She stretched up and held the horn down with one hand. She jerked his keys out of the ignition with the other. Her fist closed around the mass of keys with the sharp ends jutting out between her clinched knuckles like some bizarre medieval weapon. She was certain she could smash into one of his eyes. Then she would scrape across his face to the other eye. With any luck, she thought, the pain and blood would occupy him enough so she could go for his gun. She hoped it was loaded.
Just then, the truck shook with a sudden bang. They both were jolted forward against the dash.
Sandy heard a familiar voice call out, “You okay in there, Sugar?”
He yanked open his door and sprang out of the truck. His hand instinctively moved to the butt of his holstered gun. He stood facing Linda Call. She was standing there motionless with her arms folded across her chest and her feet spread wide apart. The pickups were bumper to bumper. He stared at her with wide eyes, still panting heavily.
Linda pointed to his open pants and laughed. “Go ahead, make my day.”
He shifted around awkwardly trying to close his fly but some material was caught in the zipper. He looked back at Sandy and yelled, “Does Goddard know you’re a lesbo? Get the fuck out of my truck before you stink it up!”
Sandy was over at Linda’s pickup before she realized his key ring was still tightly gripped in her hand. She heaved them as far as she could into the darkness of the adjacent vacant lot.
Chapter 19
The number one task for Sandy the next morning was at the newspaper office. The obnoxious assault by Huress had unsettled her mind. She wanted to be certain she had thanked Linda. In addition, something else about Linda bothered her.
It was Friday; the newsroom was busy and carried a high-level jumble of voices, keyboard clicks, and printer noise. Linda pulled a chair over for her. “You really were shaken last night when I dropped you off. You should have let me come in for a minute.”
“Now that I think about it, you’re right. We could have had a cup of tea, and you could have talked me down. I was so hyper I couldn’t sleep.”
“Yes, a horny two-hundred-pounder with a gun can do that.”
“Hush up or I’ll start shivering again. One of his threats was to see they transferred Raymond out to the county jail immediately. He’s probably taking care of that this morning.”
“Huress might have been acting on orders from Moran.”
