She took the hint. Moved close to him and kissed him lightly on the lips. He ran the backs of his knuckles lightly down her cheek. He said, “Call me tonight and let me know how things work out.”
“Will you come over later?”
“I can’t. Dinner with the same client. He and his wife are in town from Omaha. They’re going back tomorrow morning, so there won’t be any other opportunity to wine and dine them seriously for Elcane-Smith.” He shrugged and shook his head. “Business. I’m sorry, Allie. Really.”
“There’ll be plenty of time for us,” she said. She kissed him on the lips and went out, giving him a backward glance full of promise. The apartment would be their own exclusive playpen again. Like a couple of teenagers alone in Mom and Dad’s house. Allie, Allie.
As she stepped off the elevator into the Atherton lobby, Allie stopped and stood still for a second.
A sweet, familiar scent, but one she couldn’t quite place, floated on the air like a memory.
Then she realized it was a perfume she often wore. Someone wearing the same scent had just passed, or stepped into the other elevator to go up.
She walked on through the narrow lobby and exited on West 44th Street.
Chapter 22
HEDRA had taken the news of her eviction with surprising calm. A tremor of her lower lip, a brief and oddly different cast to her eyes. That was all.
She’d told Allie she understood and she’d move out the next day, which astounded Allie. How could Hedra have someplace to go on such short notice? In New York?
The next morning the phone woke Allie. She lay for a few seconds, listening. Between rings she could hear Hedra moving around in the apartment, gathering her possessions.
The phone was relentless, sending chilling, vibrating knives into her brain. She groaned and shot a painful glance at the clock; God, there was sand under her eyelids! A few minutes till nine. Allie wrapped the pillow around her head to deaden the shrillness of the persistent phone. She waited. Wasn’t Hedra going to answer it?
Finally she realized Hedra was going to ignore the phone; she was moving out, after all, and she received very few calls anyway.
Allie released the pillow, scooted to the cold side of the bed, and dragged the receiver over to her. Each ring of the phone was like an electric shock; she didn’t want a headache this morning.
For a panicky moment she suspected another obscene call. Then she realized the odds were against it at nine in the morning. There was a time for everything under the heavens—even sexual perverts. Nine A.M. wasn’t it. She blinked at the brilliant slanting light and said, “Hello,” in a strained, husky voice.
“Miss Allison Jones?”
Allie cleared her throat. She said yes, she was.
“Detective Kennedy here. Remember me?”
She sat up straighter in bed, her back against the pillow and headboard, and tried to focus her sleep-fogged mind. She felt a wary elation. “You found the credit cards?”
Kennedy laughed gently. “No, I’m afraid not. It’s not actually the missing cards I’m calling about. I wondered if you’d received any more obscene phone calls.”
“Since I’ve talked to you, not really.” There was no point in stirring up the law; Hedra was the reason for the calls, and she was moving out. Allie briefly considered telling Kennedy about the man accosting her on the street, but there was an explanation for that, too. Hedra. Allie didn’t want to get Hedra in serious trouble; that would only prolong the mingling of their lives. It was hardly wise to make any of this police business.
“Good,” Kennedy said. “I thought we might need to put a tap on your line, find out who the weirdo is. But if he’s not bothering you anymore, I guess that won’t be necessary.”
“Guess not,” Allie agreed.
After a pause, Kennedy said, “You okay, Miss Jones?”
“Uh, sure. Why?”
“You sound … I dunno, different from when you were here at the station. A little depressed or something. You want me to come over there and we can talk?”
God, I must sound terrible, Allie thought. Or maybe Kennedy was simply doing his job and following up on a complaint, serving the public. She said, “It’s because I just woke up.”
“Ah. The phone wake you?”
“Yeah, but that’s okay. I’m glad you called. Glad you cared enough to take the trouble.”
“Like I said, usually an obscene phone call doesn’t develop into any worse problem. On the other hand, it doesn’t hurt to take precautions. You did the right thing in coming to the police, dear.”
“I know I did. Thanks.”
“You sure you’re all right?”
“Sure.”
“Okay. Any more calls like before, though, and you contact me personally. That a deal?”
“It’s a deal.”
“Sorry I woke you.”
“That’s okay, I had to get up anyway. You were my alarm clock.” She tried to put some airy brightness in her
