the motel,” he said. “I stopped in at the police department.”
“The police?”
“I wanted to get the story on Dan. I thought there were…things we should know.”
The tight sick feeling seemed to swell inside Tyler. “And?” she murmured.
“I didn’t find out much. He was murdered there in the house. They don’t know who did it. A sister from Sacramento claimed his body.”
“Roberta. She’s an accountant. She had dinner with us once at Ben Jonson’s. A very nice person.”
Abe let go of her hand. He put an arm around her and eased her close to his side. “I’m awfully sorry about all this.”
“At least…his parents aren’t alive. It would’ve been terrible for them. He wasn’t married?”
“I didn’t ask. I assume he wasn’t, since his sister…”
“Probably not. God, it’s funny. Yesterday, my biggest worry was that he might be married. Then, today, I was so worried that he wouldn’t be. And all the time, he was dead in that house for everyone to gawk at.”
“It’s not him, Tyler.”
“Yeah, I know. I keep telling myself. God, you wouldn’t think they’d be allowed to put someone on display like that.”
“Madame Tussaud’s been doing it for two hundred years.”
“Doesn’t make it right.”
“No,” Abe said, “it doesn’t.”
“It’d probably take a court order to get it out of there.”
The path curved around the slope, and Tyler saw Nora and Jack down at the water’s edge. Combers were rolling in. Off to the side, a woman stood in the surf holding the hand of a toddler. A man was jogging along the shoreline, a black retriever prancing ahead of him. Stretched out on a blanket near the foot of the slope was a young couple embracing. Tyler felt Abe’s hand caressing her side. She took a deep breath of the fresh, tangy air.
“When are you leaving?” she asked.
“There’s no rush.”
“Today? Are you leaving today?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On you.”
She stopped walking. Turning to her, Abe let the towels fall. He looked into her eyes as his hands slid up her arms, cupped her shoulders. “I’ll stay another night,” she said, “if you will.”
He smiled slightly. “Do you think Nora would object?”
“Surely you jest?”
He eased Tyler against him. Gently. One hand stroking her hair, the other light on her back. She hugged him tightly. He was warm and smooth and solid, and she remembered embracing him that morning and the way his hands had felt on her breasts. It seemed like a very long time ago. Dan had been there in the room with them like a chaperon. If I’m going to lose you to this guy, Abe had said, I’d rather not get in any deeper. I want you too much already. The memory of his words made Tyler’s heart pound fast. Guilt swept through her, and she hugged Abe more tightly to ward it off. Though he stroked her hair and back gently, as if intent only upon consoling her, Tyler felt his rising hardness.
Abe stepped back. His smile trembled. “I guess I can stay one more night.”
Tyler nodded. She was a little breathless. “I would like that,” she said.
He looked toward the water, and Tyler’s eyes strayed down to his trunks. The bulge slanted upward, forcing the elastic band slightly away from his waist. “There might be a problem,” he said, and crouched to pick up the towels.
“A problem?”
They walked down the path.
“The owners of the motel seem to be missing. Their car was found abandoned this morning. Nobody seems to know what happened to them.”
“Do you think the motel might close?”
“Maybe there’s someone to keep it running, I don’t know.”
“Oh, great. It’s the only place in town, isn’t it?”
“Far as I know. Brian Blake also appears to be among the missing.”
“What the hell’s going on?”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh, man. This town. I knew when we got here it was a creepy place. I wanted to get out of here last night. And I might’ve, too, except for you.”
“Except for me?”
“It’s all your fault,” Tyler said, and squeezed his hand.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Besides, I don’t think I could’ve pried Nora away.”
In the sand at the bottom of the hill, Tyler kicked off her sandals. She picked them up and hooked her arm through Abe’s. The sand felt hot, almost burning. Nora and Jack were a distance up the beach, wading through the wash, but they’d left their clothes behind in a heap. Tyler dropped her sandals next to the pile. Abe put down the towels.
“Shall we go in?” Tyler asked.
“We both need to cool off.”
With a laugh, she dashed across the sand. Abe ran along easily beside her. Cold water splashed up her legs. She kicked through a knee-high wave, charged into one that chilled her to the hips, then dived. She went rigid with the cold blast, but moments later it no longer felt so bad. She swam out, the swells lifting her, easing her down. When something seized her foot, she thought
She tugged free, came up for air, and whirled around. A moment later, Abe’s head popped to the surface, hair matted down, face shiny and dripping. She swatted water at him. He ducked under the surface. She watched him glide forward, saw his arms reach out, felt his hands on her hips. He pulled her down. His body slid against her as if it were oiled. He nuzzled the side of her neck, kissed her mouth. They rolled under the water, embracing. One of his thighs pressed between her spread legs and she quivered and scissored her legs shut, trapping it there. She shoved a hand down the back of his trunks, fingered the crease of his rump, clenched a firm buttock and writhed against him. But her lungs started to hurt. She pushed herself away from Abe, clawed to the surface, and gasped for air. Abe came up in front of her. Treading water, they panted for a while.
“Trying to drown me?” Tyler finally asked.
“
“What a way to go,” she said. The words reminded her of Dan on the corridor floor, his throat torn out.
“What?” Abe asked.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“I keep…forgetting about Dan. Then I keep remembering.”
“Yeah.”
“Would you mind if we get out now?”
“Not if that’s what you want.”
“We’d better.” She forced a smile. “Before we lose our suits.”
“As good a reason as any.”
Side by side, they swam closer to shore. Then they waded out, the waves nudging their backs as if to hurry them along. “Let’s just walk,” Tyler said.
“Towel?”
“The sun will dry us.” She took Abe’s hand, and they walked on the hard-packed sand, the wash of the ocean sometimes swirling over their feet. The sun felt hot and good. Gulls wheeled overhead, squealing. Jack and Nora, a distance up the beach, were strolling slowly toward them.
