Four to Score

as an intentional one.

'You've got this all wrong,' I said. 'Sally just decodes messages for me. He doesn't do anything dangerous. And besides, he really does like you. He thinks you're terrific. He's outside. He's been looking for you all night.'

'I've made up my mind,' Sugar said. 'This is the way it's going to be. I'm going to get rid of you. It's the only way I can protect Sally. It's the only way I can get him back.' He motioned to the door with the gun. 'We need to go outside now.'

This was good, I thought. Going outside was a break. When we walked through the Ballroom, Ranger would kill him. I carefully inched my way to the door and stepped out into the hall, moving slowly, not wanting to spook Sugar.

'No, no,' Sugar said. 'You're going the wrong way.' He pointed to the door at the other end of the hall. 'That way.'

Damn.

'Don't think about trying something dumb. I'll shoot you dead,' he said. 'I could do it, too. I could do anything for Sally.'

'You're in enough trouble. You don't want to add murder to the list.'

'Ah, but I do,' he said. 'I've gone too far. Every cop in Trenton is looking for me. And do you know what will happen to me when I'm locked up? No one will be gentle. I'm better off on death row. You get your own room on death row. I hear they let you have a television.'

'Yes, but eventually they kill you!'

More tears streaked down his cheek, but his eyeliner didn't smudge. The man knew makeup.

'No more talking,' he said, pulling the hammer back on the revolver. 'Outside. Now. Or I'll shoot you here. I swear I will.'

I opened the door and looked out. There was a small employee parking lot to the right and two Dumpsters to the left. A single overhead bulb lit the area. Beyond the Dumpsters was a blacktopped driveway. Then a grassy lawn and the seniors' building. It was a really good place for him to shoot me. It was private and sound wouldn't carry. And he had several exits. He could even choose to go back into the building.

My heart was going ka-thunk, ka-thunk, and my head felt spongy. 'Wait a minute,' I said. 'I need to go back inside. I forgot my shoulder bag.'

He closed the door behind him. 'You don't need your shoulder bag where you're going.'

'Where's that?'

'Well, I don't know exactly. Wherever you go when you're dead. Climb into the Dumpster so I can shoot you.'

'What are you nuts? I'm not climbing into the Dumpster. That thing is disgusting.'

'Okay, fine, then I'll just shoot you here.' He pulled the trigger and click.

No bullet in the chamber. Standard safety procedure.

'Darn,' he said. 'I can't do anything right.'

'You ever shoot a gun before?'

'No. But it didn't seem like it'd be all that complicated.' He looked at the gun. 'Ah, I see the problem. The guy I borrowed the gun from left one of the bullets out.'

He sighted the gun at me, and before he had time to pull the trigger, I jumped behind one of the Dumpsters. Bang, zing. A bullet hit the Dumpster. Bang, zing again. We were both so panicked we were acting unreasonably. I was running between Dumpsters like a tin duck in a shooting gallery, and Sugar was firing at shadows.

He got off five rounds, and then there was the telltale click again. He was out of bullets. I peeked out from my hiding place.

'Shit,' he said. 'I'm such a loser I can't even shoot somebody. Damn.' He plunged his hand into his red purse and came out with a knife.

He was between me and the back door. My only real option was to run like hell around the building or across the grass to the seniors' building. He looked more athletic than me, but he was in heels and a skirt, and I was wearing shorts and sneakers.

'I'm not giving up,' he said. 'I'll do it with my bare hands if I have to. I'll rip your heart out!'

I didn't like the sound of that, so I took off across the grass for all I was worth, running full out for the seniors' building. I'd been in the building before. There was always a guard at the door at this time of the night. The front of the building was well lit. There were two double glass doors, and then the guard. Beyond the guard was a lobby where the old folks sat.

I could hear Sugar laboring behind me, breathing heavily and shrieking for me to stop so he could kill me.

I barreled through the doors and hollered for the guard, but no guard came running. I looked over my shoulder and saw the knife arc down at me. I spun to the side, and the knife blade sliced through the sleeve of my Rangers jersey.

The lobby couches were filled with seniors.

'Help!' I yelled. 'Call the police! Get the guard!'

'No guard,' one woman explained. 'Budget cuts.'

Sugar lunged again.

I jumped away, grabbed a cane from an old geezer and started slashing at Sugar.