CHAPTER FOUR
Roy woke up in a king-sized bed. Next to him, face down with her hands tied behind her back, lay the girl Joni. She was naked. A short length of clothesline led from her wrists to Roy’s right hand. He untied his hand, then both of hers.
He rolled Joni onto her back. Her eyes were open. She looked up at him, through him, past him. Almost as if she were blind.
“Sleep well?” he asked.
She didn’t seem to hear.
He placed a hand on her chest, feeling the steady beat of her heart, and the rise and fall of her breathing.
“Where’s your spirit?” he asked, and laughed.
She didn’t blink or move. Not when he pinched her. Not when he stroked her body, or sucked it, or bit it. Not when he entered her. Not when he shuddered with an orgasm. Not when he pulled out and got off the bed.
He tied her again, anyway.
He dressed in the father’s clothes. He made coffee. While it percolated, he prepared six slices of bacon, three eggs over easy, and two pieces of toast. He carried them into the living room and turned on the television.
The phone rang. He picked it up.
“Hello?” he asked.
“Hello?” The woman’s voice sounded confused. “May I speak to Marv, please?”
“He isn’t here. Can I take a message?”
“This is Esther. His secretary?”
“Oh. You must be wondering why he didn’t show up at work.”
“He didn’t even call in.”
“Oh, well, no. He had a heart attack last night. Early this morning, actually.”
“No!”
“I’m afraid so. Last I saw, they were loading him into an ambulance.”
“Is he…is he alive?”
“Last I heard. I’m staying with Joni. You know, baby-sitting. I haven’t heard a thing since they left.”
“What hospital was he taken to, do you know?”
“Let me think. Gee, you know, I’m not really sure. Everything was so confused.”
“Could you let us know when you hear any word of his condition?”
“I’d be glad to.”
She gave him the office telephone number. He didn’t copy it. “I’ll be sure to get back to you,” he said, “the minute I get any news.”
“Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.”
He hung up, went back to the couch, and began to eat. His breakfast was still warm.
When he finished it, he searched for the telephone book. He found it in a kitchen drawer under a wall extension. He poured himself another cup of coffee and returned to the living room.
First, he looked up Hayes. No Hayes, Donna. Only the Hayes, D. that he had checked last night. It had been her apartment, no question about that. He’d recognized some of the furniture.
He wondered if she still worked for that travel agency. What was its name? Had a catchy slogan. “Let Gold be your guide? Not gold, Gould. Gould Travel. He thumbed through the white pages, found it, and dialed.
“Gould Travel Service, Miss Winnow.”
“I’d like to speak to Mrs. Hayes, please.”
“Hayes?”
“Donna Hayes.”
“We have no Donna Hayes at this number. This is Gould Travel Service.”
“She works there, or she
“Just a moment, please.” He waited for almost a minute. “Sir, Donna Hayes left our employ several years ago.”
“Do you know where she went?”
“I’m afraid not. May I be of service to you? Were you thinking of a cruise, perhaps? We have some marvelous cruises…”
“No thank you.” He hung up.
He looked up Blix, John. Donna’s father. Her parents would know where she’d gone, for sure. He copied the address and phone number.
Shit, he didn’t want to see them. They were the last people he wanted to see.
What about Karen? He grinned. He wouldn’t mind seeing Karen, at all. In fact, he wouldn’t mind seeing a lot of her. Maybe she’d know where to find those two bitches.
Worth a try.
Even if she didn’t know, a visit could still turn out worthwhile. He’d always liked the looks of her.
What was the name of that guy she’d married? Bob something. Something like a candy bar. Milky Way? No. Mars Bar. Bob Mars Bar. Marston.
He looked up Marston, found a Robert, and copied the address and telephone number.
He’d pay them a nice visit. Not now. He didn’t want to leave quite yet. What was the hurry? He might as well stick around for a while, enjoy himself.
He went into the bedroom. “Hi there, Joni. What you been up to?”
She stared at the ceiling.
CHAPTER FIVE 1.
Sunlight and screeching seagulls woke Donna. She tried to fall asleep again, but the narrow bed, swaybacked with age, made it impossible. She got up and stretched her stiff muscles.
Sandy was still asleep on the other bed.
Quietly, Donna crossed the cool wood floor to the front window. She raised the blind and looked out. Across the courtyard, a man weighted down with suitcases was leaving a small, green-painted cabin. A woman and a matching pair of children waited for him inside a station wagon. Half the cabins of the Welcome Inn had either a car or a camper parked in front. Somewhere nearby, a dog barked. She pulled the blind.
Then she looked for the telephone. The room didn’t have one.
While she was dressing, Sandy woke up.
“Morning, honey. Did you sleep well?”
“Fine. Where are you going?”
“I want to find a telephone and call Aunt Karen.” She tied her sneakers. “I don’t want her worrying about us.”
“Can I come?”
“You can stay here and get dressed. I’ll only be a minute, then we’ll go get some breakfast.”
“Okay.”
She buttoned her plaid cotton blouse and picked up her handbag. “Don’t open the door for anyone, right?”
“Right,” the girl said.
Outside, the morning air was fresh with the scent of pine, a smell that reminded her of warm, shadowed
