many were left?”
Talking to him like he’s some child. He’ll get even with the smartass bitch. “Well, guess I was nervous, you know confused. Don’t remember.”
“What did he do when you pointed the gun at him?”
“Don’t want to talk about details, okay? He’s dead ain’t he?” She wanted the senator dead. So he’s dead. Why doesn’t she just shut up? “What, you writing a book?”
“You’re right, it’s done. We each got what we wanted.” She pushed her chair back and stood. She put the gun in the pocket of her short terrycloth robe. “Okay, Sonny, celebration time. What’ll you have?”
“My money.”
“No problem, my friend. Now we’re square.”
He watched her get up and walk across the porch to the kitchen. She opened a cabinet and took out a bottle of Chivas, pinched two small glasses in her fingers and brought them back to the table. He looked at the bottle and up at her. Without a word, she walked back into the kitchen, opened the freezer, and removed a Ziploc bag. Carried it back and set it in front of him.
“Ten thousand in that bag.” She poured two drinks. “Drink up, Sonny. It’s your big payday.”
He pulled the bag close to him and took his drink in one large gulp. First time he’d ever seen her smile, she was grinning like a little girl.
“Count it out. Life is good.” She refilled his glass.
He didn’t know if there was some fancy way to count out ten thousand dollars. He wiped his hands on his pants and pulled his chair up closer. They were all hundreds. He slowly counted to ten and stopped. That would be one thousand. He moved those bills to the side and counted to ten again. He made ten piles. Was that right? Yeah, that seemed right. He took a deep breath and leaned back in the patio chair.
He reached over and emptied his glass. Easy money, he said to himself. He put the bills back in the bag and stuffed it deep into his coverall pocket. “Yeah, life is good.”
She walked back over behind the kitchen counter. She slipped the revolver out of her pocket and held it out of sight below the counter. “What did you do with the first ten thousand, Sonny?” She opened the counter drawer. The bullets were there at the front. She plugged them into the chamber and quietly snapped it shut. “You didn’t buy a new truck or something useless such as that.” She put the gun back in her pocket. She came back to the table and topped off his drink.
He shifted in the chair. “Been looking at them.”
“Should stay away from new truck dealers. Not call attention to yourself. Hope the money isn’t in your house.”
“Remember police got the damn warrant and searched my house. Every little thing I owned throwed out on the floor. Every room, everything, out on the floor, then they walk away like not their problem. You hear any shit about ten grand being found at my place?”
“Nasty mouth. Well, I told you to bury it. Bury it and don’t go near it for six months. Did you bury it?”
“It’s safe.” None of her damn business where it is. Now shut up woman. “I’m leaving, Mrs. Dellin. Don’t think I’ll be doing bugs for you anymore either. Think we should stay away from each other.” Not all of that came out clearly, but he knew she understood.
“What’s your hurry? Finish your drink.”
He drank it and stood, his hand feeling around some before he found the back of the chair to lean on.
“Stick around. I’m going in the pool now. Why don’t you join me for a moonlight swim? You know what skinny dipping means?”
He made a small nervous laugh. What the hell she talking about, like she’s really gonna get naked in the pool with him. But that
“After I’ll make us some coffee, you shouldn’t be driving.”
“Naw, drunk a lot more than this and always got home.” He helped himself to one more drink just to show the dumb woman. But he doesn’t want to hang around there, got big money in his pocket, knows just who to find and where to find her. He’ll say how much and this time the flashy woman won’t laugh at him and say, ‘More than you got, shithead.’ Let’s see how fast she spreads ‘em now.
He watched Loraine kick off her shoes. She tossed off her headband and her long red hair fell free. Then she stared right at him while she untied her robe letting it hang loose in front. It flashed open as she turned and walked out onto the pool deck. In the light from the porch, he could see her shake off the robe.
Sonafabitch, just took her goddamn robe off pretty as you please with me standing right here. Bare back too, no bra. Must have been walking around here talking all that time, jugs just hanging loose under there. Look at that little white skirt. Never realized her ass stuck out cute like that. Maybe call to her, she’ll turn around and put on a show.
“Mrs. Dellin?” His voice was weak.
“Come on,” she said, without turning. “Bring the bottle if you want.”
He stumbled out after her. Yeah, she wants me over there, gonna let me see those babies. Walk right up to her with her damn titties sticking right out. Sonafabitch, all the way to Vegas never seen nothing like this.
Over at the edge of the pool now, in the shadows. Look, she’s grinning at me. Damn woman wants to mess around. Better than some goddamn porn. Wiggling around in that tiny skirt. That gonna come off too? Get it off, woman. Ten thousand dollars, to see what you got under there. He say that out loud? Not sure. Just kidding lady. Yeah, the ten thousand. He patted his pocket. Where’s she now—bending over—titties hanging down—saying something about clothes—can’t see. Titties—money—dumb woman. On the grass—coveralls stuck—can’t help you —get them off—can’t get up—can’t walk—.
When Barner hit the water, he came out of the darkness. But it wasn’t right. Something heavy. Get off woman. Heavy clamped tight on his back. Bare legs locked around. Two hands tearing at his hair pushing down. Don’t! Don’t! Can’t breathe. Head held under. Stop! Head pushed down, again and again. Stop it. Can’t shake her off. Choking. Get head up. Damn woman, strong, doesn’t stop—clamped on—just keeps going and going. Please, please….
Darkness…nothing.
Loraine swam to the ladder and climbed out. She found her robe and took the gun out—a bit of insurance in case he came at her, but she hadn’t needed it at all. He was weaker than she had expected, but had put up a lot of fight for a drunk. She stood watching his floating naked body. No movement. He was dead. Just the way she planned. Some booze, some bare skin, and he folded.
She took the Ziploc bag of money out of his coveralls and arranged his clothes as though he had undressed for a sneaky midnight swim. Taking off his stinking shoes and socks had been worse than getting him out of his baggy underwear. What a filthy person to touch, to undress. She’d have to drain and clean the pool as soon as the accident investigators were through. Always something.
She picked up her robe and hurried inside, she needed a shower to wash away the stench. When she was drying off after the long shower, the thought returned—he had touched her body. She had clamped onto his naked back like a leech with her legs locked under him, her hands clutching his dirty hair. He had squirmed and his body rubbed against her, and he had grabbed her legs with his grubby hands trying to get free. That man’s hands on her bare legs. It nauseated her to think about it. The tragedy of this whole affair was the necessity of touching him. She shuttered. She sat down quickly until the wave of sickness passed. She stepped back in and washed her hair and body a second time.
Then down in the kitchen, wrapped in her robe, she made a Martini and went to her favorite overstuffed- leather chair in the study.
Still early, before nine. Tired already. Need to think about talking to the police in the morning.
She needed to celebrate. She went to the kitchen and made a second Martini. When she had settled back down in her familiar chair, she made a silent toast to her plan. Her getting-rich-off-Al plan. It had worked. She had felt no touch of remorse when at last she heard the news he was dead.
