Part 30 (1/2)

'I can think of one excellent reason.'

'What?'

'Because I won't let you.'

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

Pen steered her car into the driveway and parked behind Harrison 's Mercedes. She kept the engine running.

Bodie took off his wrist.w.a.tch. Handing it to Pen, he said, 'Five minutes.'

'I'm frightened.'

'Not me.'

'Yeah, I can tell.'

'It's been nice knowing you.'

'Very funny.'

Bodie climbed from the car. He felt as if his breath had been knocked out. His legs seemed ready to collapse, but he forced them to move, one after the other, until he reached the front door.

He pressed the doorbell. Chimes rang inside the house.

He struggled to breathe.

He wondered whether Pen had started the five-minute countdown when he left the car, or planned to wait until he was inside.

He reached up to ring the bell again, and the door opened.

Harrison arched a single eyebrow. He wore a blue warm-up suit with white stripes down the sleeves and legs, and he didn't hold a gun. 'What have we here?' he asked.

'Sorry to bother you,' Bodie said, trying without success to keep his voice from shaking.

Harrison leaned sideways and looked past him. 'One accounted for. Where's the other sister, trapped in a telephone booth?'

'Could I come in and talk to you?'

He stepped back to let Bodie enter. 'I take it you've been selected to represent the grievance committee.'

'Something like that.'

He shut the door behind Bodie. 'What's on your mind, punching me out?'

'No, thanks.'

'Then what?'

'We know about you and Joyce.'

Harrison smirked. 'That's rather obvious at this point. You're way off base, however, if you think I had anything to do with running down Whit.'

Bodie's stomach dropped. 'I don't know what you'rea'

'Oh, you weren't in on the cute little telephone call or breaking into my garage?'

Bodie's eyes caught movement off to the side. Turning his head, he saw Joyce lean against the entryway from the hall. She wore a bathrobe that was too large for her. The sleeves were rolled above her wrists. 'When I get back to my house tonight,' she said, 'I want all three of you gone. I never want to see any of you again.'

'Fine,' Bodie said.

'Who's going to pay for the garage window?' Harrison asked.

'Melanie,' Bodie said, and wondered if his voice was loud enough to carry to her hiding place.

'I knew it,' Joyce said.

'That crazy little b.i.t.c.h.'

'Listen, mistera'

'No, you listen. We don't appreciate being the targets of this lunatic vendetta, and the courts have remediesa'

'MELANIE!'.

'What the f.u.c.k area?'

'MELANIE, GET OUT HERE!!!'.

Joyce clenched her robe tight and stood there rigid, a look of alarm on her face.

'Is she here?' Harrison raged. 'G.o.dd.a.m.n it, if that little b.i.t.c.h is in my housea!'

Bodie stepped past him.

Harrison clamped his shoulder. Whirling, Bodie knocked the hand away. 'We'll be out of here in aa'

Joyce shrieked. Harrison 's glower changed to shock. Bodie spun around in time to see Joyce slam against the floor with Melanie on her back. Straddling her rump, Melanie tore at her hair, jerked her head up and smacked a fist into her cheek.

Bodie, rammed aside by Harrison, fell against a chair. He shoved himself up. As he raced across the room, he saw Harrison grab Melanie by the neck of her sweats.h.i.+rt and try to hoist her off Joyce. The loose, sleeveless sweats.h.i.+rt flew up her body, covered her face, caught her arms for an instant, then released her. Harrison staggered off balance, waving the empty s.h.i.+rt at the ceiling. He landed on his rump.

Melanie, naked to the waist, punched the back of Joyce's neck.

Harrison was getting up.

Bodie, ignoring him, grabbed Melanie's arm and dragged her off Joyce.