After Midnight

He started to crouch, then apparently changed his mind. Instead of lowering Elroy onto the driveway, he eased the body down on the trunk of the car. Then he patted both front pockets of the trousers. I heard keys jingle.

The body started to slip, so Steve halted it with one hand. Holding it still, he shoved his other hand into the right front pocket. A moment later, he came out with a key case.

He tossed it to me and said, “Catch.”

It sailed toward my left shoulder.

In my left hand, I held the end of the cord that led to his ankle.

I clutched the cord more tightly, and didn’t go for the keys.

The leather case smacked me below my left shoulder, slid down my breast and fell to the grass.

“Nice catch,” he said.

“Nice try,” I told him.

He laughed softly. Then he said, “I know it’s asking a lot, but if I pick up your friend and move out of the way, would you be kind enough to unlock the trunk for us?”

“No.”

“Please? Pretty please with sugar?”

“Which hand do you want me to use for the keys?” I asked. “The one with the saber in it, or the one with the cord in it?”

“Either would be fine,” he said.

“I’m sure.”

“You know what? I’ve got a terrific idea. Why don’t we simply dispense with the cord altogether? In fact, why not forget this entire captive routine and work as a team?”

“You’re dreaming.”

“Let’s be partners from now on. How about it? It would make life so much easier for both of us if we start working together instead of fighting each other.”

“Only one problem with that,” I said. “I’d turn up raped and dead.”

“No, no, no. Don’t be ridiculous. I wouldn’t hurt my partner.”

“Forget about it. Come over here and pick up the keys.” I gave the cord a couple of quick tugs.

“Okay, okay.” Leaving Elroy on the car’s trunk, Steve came toward me. I backed away. “I know you want me,” he said. “You should’ve seen the look on your face last night when I was up against the door. You wanted to be the door. Not to mention in the kitchen tonight when I licked the teryaki off your incredible, luscious body…”

“Just shut up and grab the keys.”

He squatted, reached forward into the grass, and picked up the key case. Staying low, he gazed at me and said, “You want me, I want you. We’d be great together. We could go off tonight…Hell, we could leave Elroy here and drive away right now. I’ll take you to my van, and we’ll hit the roads. We’ll leave all this behind. What do you say?”

“Eat shit and die.”

Laughing, he stood up. “That’s what I love about you. You’re so tough. And you’ve got a sense of humor. Not to mention your killer figure.”

“He’s slipping,” I said.

“Huh?”

“Elroy.”

Steve looked over his shoulder just in time to watch Elroy’s body slide off the car’s trunk and tumble onto the driveway. Facing me again, he shook his head, smiled, and said, “All the guys fall for you.”

52

HEAD GAMES

It worked out well. With Elroy sprawled on the driveway, Steve was spared the extra chore of lifting him off the trunk.

I waited near the side of the car while Steve unlocked the trunk. As the lid swung up, he stuffed the keys into a front pocket of his shorts. Then he turned around, picked up Elroy, carried him over to the trunk and dropped him in. The car squeaked and rocked a little. Steve slammed the lid shut.

“Shall we be off?” he asked.

“Not quite yet,” I said. “We’re missing something.”

He grinned. “I suppose we’d forget Elroy’s head if it weren’t attached.”

“Let’s go get it.”

Worried that Steve might try to shut me out of the house, I stayed ahead of him, walking backward all the way to the front door.

I’d liked it better when he had his arms full.

In the foyer, I said, “Let’s make a stop in the kitchen, first.”

For that, I let him take the lead.

As we entered the kitchen, he warned, “Careful of the broken glass.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“You’re welcome. What are partners for?”

I stepped around the glass. “We’re not partners.”

“Maybe not yet. But soon.”

“Yeah, sure.” I spotted my own keys near the end of the counter, exactly where I’d left them after coming into the house with Elroy. “Step over to the right,” I said.

Steve followed instructions. When he was out of my way, I walked toward the counter.

“Need your keys?” he asked.

I didn’t bother to answer.

“Which hand will you pick them up with?” he asked. “The one with the cord, or the one with the sword?”

“This may work,” I said. Then I tucked the plug under my right armpit. I clamped my upper arm tightly against my side to hold it there. “Now if the cord gets away from me,” I said, “I’ll just have to chop your head off.”

“Hey, we’re a team,” he said. “Get your keys. I won’t try anything.”

Watching him closely, I sidestepped to the counter and used my left hand to pick up the key case.

He watched me closely as I slipped the case down inside the front of my panties. The leather felt smooth and cool. “Lucky keys,” he muttered.

“Shut up,” I said. “Let’s go get Elroy’s head.”

Being careful again to avoid the broken glass on the floor, we left the kitchen. From there, we had several possible ways of getting to the pool. I decided on the den door, mostly because I wanted to inspect the carpet damage.

The trail of blood started at the doorway of the guest bathroom and dribbled along the hall toward the den. Not great quantities of blood, but enough. Too much.

“I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do about these stains,” I said, walking a few paces behind Steve. “They aren’t going to clean up. Damn you, anyway. I’ve been cleaning up after myself ever since last night. I’ve covered up everything. I’ve worn myself out, cleaning up and covering up and…What am I gonna do about this? There’s no way to make all these blood stains go away, you bastard.”

“Replace the carpet,” Steve suggested.

“Yeah, sure. You think my friends wouldn’t notice a new carpet?”

He grinned over his shoulder. “Come away with me, and it won’t matter.”

“No way.”

He entered the den. I followed him, pausing long enough to hit a light switch with my elbow. A lamp came