She could have gone in almost any direction. But after a moment she turned decisively and began walking back toward me. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and settled down to wait for her.
WHEN I heard her key in the lock, I moved from the window and flattened out against the wall. She opened the door, closed it behind her, and shot the bolt. She was doing a very efficient job of locking the door but I was already inside it.
She took off a pale bluetrenchcoat and hung it in the front closet.
Under it she'd been wearing a knee-length plaid skirt and a tailored yellow blouse with a button-down collar. She had very long legs and a powerful, athletic body.
She turned again, and her eyes did not quite reach the spot where I was standing, and I said, 'Hello, Portia.'
The scream didn't get out. She stopped it by clapping her own hand over her mouth. She stood very still for a moment, her body balanced on the tips of her toes, and then she willed her hand to drop from her mouth as she settled back down on her heels. She took a deep breath and made herself hang onto it.
Her coloring was very fair to begin with, but now her face looked bleached. She put her hand over her heart. The gesture looked theatrical, insincere. As if she recognized this, she lowered her hand again and breathed deeply several times, in and out, in and out.
'Your name is- '
'Scudder.'
'You called before.'
'Yes.'
'You promised to give me an hour.'
'My watch has been running fast lately.'
'Has it indeed.' She took another very deep breath and let it out slowly. She closed her eyes. I moved out from my post against the wall and stood in the middle of the room within a few steps of her. She didn't look like the sort of person who faints easily, and if she were she probably would have done it already, but she was still very pale and if she was going to flop I wanted a fair shot at catching her on the way down. But the color began to seep back into her face and she opened her eyes.
'I need something to drink,' she announced. 'Will you have something?'
'No, thanks.'
'So I drink alone.' She went to the kitchen. I followed close enough to keep her in sight. She took a fifth of Scotch and a split of club soda from the refrigerator and poured about three ounces of each into a glass. 'No ice,' she said. 'I don't fancy the cubes bumping up against my teeth. But I've got into the habit of taking my drinks chilled. Rooms are kept warmer here, you know, so that room-temperature drinks won't do at all. You're sure you won't join me?'
'Not right now.'
'Cheers, then.' She got rid of the drink in one very long swallow. I watched the muscles work in her throat.A long, lovely neck. She had that perfect English skin and it took a lot of it to cover her. I'm about six feet tall and she was at least my height and maybe a little taller. I pictured her with JerryBroadfield , who had about four inches on her and could match her with presence of his own.
They must have made a striking couple.
She drew another breath, shuddered, and put the empty glass in the sink. I asked her if she was all right.
'Oh, just peachy,' she said. Her eyes were a very pale blue verging on gray, her mouth full but bloodless. I stepped aside and she walked past me into the living room. Her hips just barely brushed me as she passed. That was just about enough. It wouldn't take much more than that, not with her.
She sat on a slate-blue sofa and took a small cigar from a teak box that rested on a clear Plexiglas end table. She lit the cigar with a wooden match,then gestured at the box for me to help myself. I told her I didn't smoke.
'I switched to these because one doesn't inhale them,' she said.
'So I inhale them just the same and of course they are stronger than cigarettes. How did you get in here?'
I held up the key.
'Timmiegave you that?'
'He didn't want to. I didn't give him much choice. He says you've always been nice to him.'
'I tip him enough, the silly little fuck. You gave me a fright, you know. I don't know what you want or why you're here.Or who you are, for that matter. I seem to have forgotten your name already.' I supplied it. 'Matthew,' she said. 'I do not know why you are here, Matthew.'
'Who did you phone from the coffee shop?'
'You were there? I didn't notice you.'
'Who did you call?'
She bought time by puffing on her cigar. Her eyes grew thoughtful.
'I don't think I'm going to tell you,' she said at length.
'Why are you pressing charges against JerryBroadfield ?'
'For extortion.'
