After a while, when our passions had somewhat dissipated, we ‘came back and snuggled together on the couch. Automatically, it seemed, as we were lying on our sides with out bodies pressed together, our lips meeting.
Our kisses were lingering and affectionate, yet stimulating because our lips were still highly sensitive. We played around, kissing lightly, our tongues caressing each other. Then her lush breasts probed against my chest, lovely cushions – so soft and heated, the tips strangely hard.
I moved my head downward. Happily she wriggled and pushed herself along the couch so that she brought her breasts up for my pleasure. I nursed. I nuzzled.
I enjoyed their wonderful softness and their perfumed dampness.
Eventually, and quite naturally, we shifted about, each surge moving us closer together. The touch of her wonderful bareness against mine was an exquisite feeling. It was like a lush and tropical paradise.
Finally the paradise became so inviting that we couldn’t ignore it any longer.
I came to her and she accepted me; and after that it was memorable minutes of completeness. So complete were the minutes that when they ended we remained pinned together a long time. We stroked and caressed each other and we found the touches of the other still fantastic.
After we’d stirred around the apartment, I slipped into my clothes. Honey wrapped her lovely figure in a robe. She was standing in the center of the room, tightening the belt around her slim waist, her lovely bare legs and feet visible.
“By the way,” she said, “how did you like my routine?”
“It was a wonderful success.”
“Thank you, Lincoln.”
“You’re very welcome. Very.”
“I like you, Lincoln. I like the way you made love to me.”
“Shucks,” I said, “it’s nothing. Any red-blooded boy would have done the same.
After seeing your topless. act.”
“No, I don’t think so. You may think I’m young and innocent. I’m young, but I don’t think I’m innocent.”
“I agree.”
Her hand swept the honey-colored hair away from the side of her smiling face.
“Did you make love to my sister, Bonnie?”
“No.” I said. “What gave you that idea?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said. “I just had the feeling that Bonnie might fall to pieces with you around.”
“If she had, I would have been ready to pick up the pieces.”
“Can I fix you another scotch?”
“One more,” I said, “And then I have to leave.”
I walked over to the sideboard with her and helped her fix the drinks. She asked, “Why don’t you stay all night with me, Lincoln?”
I picked up my fresh drink and took a good sip. Then I told her, “Don’t tempt me.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do,” she said softly.
After we’d taken our drinks back to the couch we settled down on it. As I sipped at mine I knew that I wanted to spend the night with her. I wanted to spend a lot of nights with her. But at the moment I knew it wasn’t possible.
Although I’d forgotten about Sarah Leighton’s murder since I’d started watching Honey’s routine, it was back on my mind again.
“How well do you know Lee Harmon?” “He’s Bonnie’s husband,” Honey said. “That makes him my brother-in-law.”
“All right,” I said. “How well do you know your sister?”
She swung around her head sharply and looked into my eyes. “What do you mean my that?”
“I don’t mean anything. Lots of times sisters don’t really know each other.
They may think they do, but they don’t.”
She was staring suspiciously at me. “Did you really go by my sister’s apartment to talk to Lee?”
I nodded. “Because of Sarah Leighton.”
I was watching Honey closely, but there was nothing in her face or eyes to reveal that the mention of Sarah’s name had shaken her.
“I don’t even know her.”
“She was murdered this morning,” I said.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Honey said. “Was she a friend of yours?”
“Sort of.”
She was looking down into her glass as she brought: it up for a sip. After she’d swallowed she said, “Was she as good as I? Sexually, I mean?”
She wasn’t being serious about the whole thing and I couldn’t discuss the thing sensibly with her. Why should I? Honey, with the lovely breasts and the luscious body. Why should she be concerned with a lot of mundane things? Like the murder of a girl who’d asked me to protect her.
“No,” I finally said. “She wasn’t as good as you. Sex-wise.”
Her eyes widened briefly, as though she hadn’t expected me to answer her at all. “At least you’re honest, Lincoln, I like that.”
“And I like you, Honey.”
“Will you come back some time and see me again?”
“Is that an invitation?”
She smiled. “A standing invitation – or any way you’d like to have it.”
While we’d been talking shed squirmed around a bit restlessly. Now as she shifted her shoulders and positioned them against the cushion, the front of her robe fell open a trifle.
I could see the lush valley between her wonderful caramel breasts. The big mounds were only partially visible but they were so seductive. I tried to resist the temptation, but I couldn’t. I just had to slip my hand inside her robe and cup the left breast in my palm. It was heavy and warm.
“Don’t stop,” Honey purred.
I didn’t want to stop. I wanted my hand to remain there all night and I wanted to enjoy all the rest of her that went with that delicious breast.
But since this morning when I’d found Sarah strangled in her apartment, I’d accomplished nothing in finding her murderer. Tomorrow was another day. I was determined to take full advantage of it.
With her lovely breast nestled in the palm of my hand, my thumbs had begun stroking the nipple. Immediately I felt the quick intake of her breath, the nipple growing taut.
I didn’t really have to leave her now, I thought. Like Jenks had said, I was supposed to forget about the murder. The police would take care of the matter.
It was an intriguing thought.
The police could be out in the rain, doing their best. I could be in bed with Honey, snuggled up against her bareness. Or wrapped up in the warmth of her heat and her blanket. And I would also be doing my best.
But there was always a day after tomorrow; and then I’d think back about everything, and I wouldn’t be happy with myself. Reluctantly I pulled my hand out Of the front of her robe.
I finished the rest of my scotch as I stood up. Then L set the glass onto the end table. “I’d like to come back and see you, Honey. I’d like to, very much.
May I?”
Her eyes tightened. “What is it, Lincoln? Tell me what’s bothering you.”
I told her. I spent a few minutes telling her about myself, the request of Sarah Leighton to protect her, and the way I’d blown it.
I finished up by saying, “I know it’s trite, and it’s ridiculous But you know how they express it on the TV Westerns – A man has got to do what a man’s got to do.”
She put her glass aside and then she was gliding to her feet. Her arms slipped around my neck and then she had willowed herself tightly against me.
“Sure, it’s corny, Lincoln, but I don’t mind. I know what you’re trying to say.
I guess that’s why I like you.”
I knew I could kid around with her. I said, “I know why, too. You’re just after my hot little goody, Honey.”
“Of course I am.”
Her hot little goody was pinned against, me. She wiggled a little down below to make the pinning action that much better.
Then she smiled. “So when you’ve kicked the thing that’s bugging you, come back and see me. Will you, Lincoln?”
“You can take bets on it,” I told her as I got my trench coat out of the closet. “Even at ten to one odds.” I slipped into my coat.
Quickly she came across the room. We embraced again and her lips and body made joyful promises.
She was still breathing fast as she walked me to the door. “You are wonderful.
Any man with that much sex and that much integrity should not be seduced a second time. Go man. And then come back to me.”
I went outside, glancing back to see her wave before she closed the door. I walked out to the curb in the pouring rain, and slid under the wheel of my car.
After I’d turned over the motor I sat there for a couple of minutes letting it warm up before I drove away. I could hear the rain drops hammering on the roof of my car, the stream of water running down my windshield. I turned on the wipers, high speed, but they were barely able to keep the glass clear.
Then I turned on the lights and pulled away from the curb. I’d traveled only about a half block when I saw the intersection ahead of me. Like numerous intersections in San Fernando Valley, this one was flooded with a stream of water.
In the center of the intersection a car was stalled with the hub caps covered by rushing water. A man’s arm was extended out of the driver’s side window and as I approached, he waved at me to push him out of the intersection. It happened all the time. With the water that high, some of the dumb nuts never slowed down. The moment they hit it at a high rate of speed it flooded out their motor. For a second I thought about going around the car and letting him sweat it out for awhile. But I didn’t. Good old Sam. That was me!
I entered the intersection slowly, feeling the force of the water shake my car and I heard it banging up against the muffler. Gently I moved it forward until I’d made contact with his rear bumper.
I accelerated slowly, shoving his forward. After I’d gotten him out of the intersection I noticed that he was pulling over to the curb. I shoved down the gas pedal to give him enough momentum to coast over to the edge of the street.
But at that moment he was waving again, motioning that he wanted to talk to me.
I kept on pushing over to the curb, and when we finally stopped I was parked directly in back of him. He jumped out of the car and came back to me. I cracked the window down, feeling the rain drops splattering against my face.
“My car won’t start,” he said.
“It’s probably flooded out,” I told him.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that either your wires, plugs, or distributor cap is wet. Probably all three.”
“How do I get them dry?”
“Just wait a little while,” I said, “and then you try to start it again. If there wasn’t too much water, it might dry out by itself.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“Then you’ll have to dry everything yourself. Your best bet is to get to a filling station. Do you want me to stop at one and tell them to tow you in?”
He swung his head back and forth and stared dismally up and down the street.
“Nah,” he said. “I’d rather sweat it out. If you’ll show me what the distributor cap is.”
“You’re kidding?”
He was shaking his head. “I’m not mechanical minded. Maybe it’s time I learned.”
I didn’t especially want to give him a short course in auto maintenance; and I wasn’t happy about stepping out in the rain. I decided to make it quick, and be on my way.
“All right.” I turned out my lights and slipped out of my car.
He’d headed back towards his car but now he was even with my front wheel. He stopped abruptly and turned around.
“I’ve got a gun,” he said.
It was true. He’d whipped it out of his trench coat pocket and it was aimed at my chest. “Get up on the sidewalk,” he said.
Then I saw the light go on inside the other car. A man crawled out of it and slammed the door shut. Now he was walking towards me.
“You bastards,” I said. I had to blink rapidly because the rain was beating down on the top of my head and water was gushing into my eyes. I figured they wanted my money. And maybe my car.
I’d performed my duty like Good Sam. Twice. The first time and the last time.
The one with the gun said, “Let’s take a little walk, Lincoln. Come on.” He stepped to one side, the gun still pointing at me. “That vacant lot over there.
In the corner.”
I started walking, realizing that they didn’t want my money. He’d called me by my name. That meant they’d been waiting for me until I cane out of Honey’s apartment. I hadn’t been looking up the street while I’d let the car idle. Even if I had, I probably wouldn’t have paid any attention to them.
The water was above my shoe toes; and every time I took a step my feet were making sucking sounds as I pulled them out of the mud. Behind me I could hear the two of them making the same kind of noise as they followed.
It was so dark that no one would have been able to see us from the street. I couldn’t understand why they wanted me to walk to the farthest corner of the lot. And then I knew, but I tried not to think about it.
Suddenly I was very cold and there was a heavy clump of fear huddled in the pit of my stomach. Nobody likes to die. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want to die because I’d done nothing that merited death.
The worst part of it was that I didn’t know when he’d pull the trigger.
I felt the prickles of fear spreading across my back and shoulders and I found that I was holding my breath, getting prepared for’ the shock of the slug when it came.
“That’s far enough.”
I froze, becoming a statue with my right foot to the back of me, the shoe halfway out of the mud. Both of them came forward. When they finally stopped they were so close to the back of me that I could hear them breathing.
I couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to turn my head to see what they were doing. When I’d pulled it around so that it was a quarter turn to the right, the back of my skull exploded.
The next thing I knew my head was being rocked viciously back and forth, there was a half dozen vague figures ghosting by in front of me, and the world was spinning. With each blow to the side of my face it felt as though my skull was cracking open even further.
The left side of my face and left eye felt strange and eventually I realized that it was coated with mud. A lot, of it was in the left side of my mouth and the gravelly dirt coated my tongue. Abruptly the blows stopped. I was slammed forward. My legs were weak but I didn’t fall to the ground.
“Can you hear me, Lincoln?”
I faked it, not wanting to answer immediately. Vaguely I began to realize that I hadn’t been shot and I’d been unconscious for a long time. I even figured it out that one of them was holding me up; while’ the other one stood in front of me, slapping me face to revive me. He slapped me again. Twice, and in quick succession.
I tried to answer him but I had all that mud in my mouth and my tongue didn’t want to function. So I merely grunted.
“You stay away from Bonnie and Honey. Do you hear?”
I heard but it didn’t make sense. Why?
This time the blows that rocked my head were really vicious. “Listen! You don’t go back to Bonnie or Honey! Now say you understand!” I grunted.
After that they worked me over. In the gut, in the ribs, the kidney area. The back of my head and my body felt like it was covered with a mass of open sores sprinkled with salt and then set afire. The pain was unbearable and before long I didn’t care anymore. I was so tired, I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t fight back.
Eventually the darkness closed in and the pain disappeared; and I was happily slipping into it, knowing it was more than the darkness.
It was a world that consisted of mud and it was cooling and soothing and it welcomed me and gave me a chance to rest.