Alarums. Part 29

'Okay. We'll do something. I don't know what, buta'

'We have to.'

Bodie took a drink of beer and stood up. Pen continued to sit on the edge, right beside the steps. Turning around, he reached over the side and turned off the heat.

'Maybe we can come up with a plan,' she said, still sitting there.

Bodie waded toward the steps.

'I don't know what,' she said.

'We'll think of something.' His throat felt tight. He stared straight ahead so he wouldn't have to see where she was looking as he climbed the first step and felt the water level slide down to his thighs. The bikini trunks hugged him.

Pen stood up. Bodie, pulling the towel off his shoulders, offered it to her. 'Want to dry your legs?' he asked.

'Thanks.' She took it and bent over, her hair swaying at the sides of her face as she ran the towel down her legs. She gave it back to him. She stepped into her sandals.

'Would you hold this for me?' he asked.

She took the beer bottle. As he dried himself, she moved past him and stepped down from the platform.

Looking up at him, she said, 'We need a way to trick them out of the house.'

'Like phoning to say your father wants to see them?'

'Oh, sure. Right.' Her glance flicked downward and quickly aside. She squinted as if peering at something in the bushes. 'I don't know,' she said, and took a sip of beer.

Bodie, done with drying, wrapped the towel around his waist and climbed down the stairs.

Pen stepped backward. She followed him toward the house. 'You know,' she said, 'Melanie might not even be at Harrison 's house. She could've gone anywhere. I mean, she didn't come out and tell you where she was going?'

'No, she didn't.'

'Before we do anything else, we should drive by and see if your van's in the neighborhood.'

'I'd like to take a quick shower first.'

'Go on ahead.'

He pulled open the sliding gla.s.s door, stepped aside to let Pen pa.s.s, and entered the kitchen behind her. The seat of her white shorts was soiled a little. He let his gaze glide down the backs of her legs. 'I'll hurry,' he said.

Pen stayed in the kitchen and Bodie went upstairs. He tried not to think about the fact that he was alone in the house with her, but he could think of little else. His insides felt quivery.

Nothing's going to happen, he told himself. Don't get excited. You wouldn't dare, and she wouldn't go for it. Neither of you wants to stab Melanie in the back.

But he left the bathroom door unlocked. He peeled the swimsuit down his legs and wrung it out over the sink.

Pen's white bikini was hanging over the top runner of the shower door. It would get wet if he left it there. He pulled it down. Saw her wearing it in the hot spa. Saw her taking it off here in the bathroom. Tempted to caress the garment, he quickly draped it over a towel rod.

He showered. He imagined Pen sneaking in and sliding back the frosted door. She was naked. Mind if I join you?

Don't torment yourself, he thought. She won't.

She didn't.

When he was done, he walked down the hallway to the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Quickly, he dressed and went downstairs. He found Pen on the living room sofa, leaning back with her legs stretched out. Her purse was beside her, its strap over her shoulder. 'Ready to go?' she asked.

'I guess so.'

They went out to her car.

Bodie, in the pa.s.senger seat, watched her climb in and start the engine. She turned the car around. On San Vicente, she lowered the visor to shield her eyes from the late afternoon sun. Below the visor's shadow, soft down on her cheek and over her lip shone golden in the sunlight.

She looked at him.

'Just thinking,' he said.

'Oh?'

He hadn't been thinking about anything, just admiring Pen's face. 'What if Melanie's not there?' he asked.

'I guess that would be quite a relief.'

'If she's not there, where is she?'

Pen shook her head slightly. 'More to the point, what'll we do if she is there?'

'Who knows?'

'I wish she'd just stayed in Phoenix.'

The words hurt Bodie.

'I don't mean you,' Pen said as if she knew.

'I brought her out.'

'You were just being gallant. I bet you're sorry now, though, aren't you? Got yourself right in the middle of a real mess.'

'It has its compensations.'

Pen kept her eyes on the road.

I shouldn't have said that, Bodie thought. Lord!

'Yeah,' Pen said. 'I heard Melanie compensating you last night. Thin walls.'

For a moment, Bodie didn't understand. Then he realized she had heard them in bed.

That wasn't what I meant by compensation, Bodie thought.

It's what she thinks I meant.

Good thing.

My G.o.d, she heard us s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g.

'I guess we should've turned the radio higher,' he said.

'She probably wanted me to hear,' Pen said. 'The way she was acting last night, it wouldn't surprise me.'

'Wanted you to hear?'

'So I'd know she had something I didn't.'

Me?

She's talking about me, here.

'Trying to make you jealous?' he heard himself ask. His voice sounded distant.

'It wouldn't surprise me,' she said.

'Were you?' He couldn't believe he had asked that. 'Jealous?' She glanced at him. 'What do you think?'

He swallowed. 'I wouldn'ta hazard a guess.'

'And I won't hazard an answer. If I say yes I was jealous, I'm as much as asking you to put moves on me, and I couldn't do that to Melanie. If I say no, you're insulted.'

'Good point.'

'Let's just stay friends.'

'Good idea.'

'Better keep an eye out for your van.'

He realized that she had just turned onto Harrison 's street.

The Mercedes was parked in his driveway. Joyce's Continental was at the curb in front of his house.

'Interesting,' Pen said. 'She didn't bother parking up the road this time.'

Their secret love's no big secret any more.'

'Mel's call saw to that.' Pen turned the corner. 'I wonder what they had to say about that.'

'Whatever it was, Melanie probably heard some of it.'

'If she's there.'

They found Bodie's van parked on the opposite side of the block.

Pen pulled in behind it. Bodie got out. He peered through its windows and returned to the car. 'She's not inside.'

'She really is in Harrison 's place.'

'Looks that way.'

'Any bright ideas?' Pen asked.

'Leave her there.'

'Brilliant.'

'I'm serious. She got herself in there, and I suspect she's perfectly capable of extricating herself when the time is right.'

'What if she's not? What if they already have her? What if they came back from the hospital and said things, talked about running down Dad, and then caught Melanie?'

'Then the situation takes a quantum leap into s.h.i.ts-ville. But I'd prefer to believe that hasn't happened. For all we know right now, those two had nothing to do with the hit-and-run. They aren't going toa get violent with Melaniea just because she knows they're having an affair.'

Pen looked at him. Her eyes were somber. 'We can't just leave her there,' she said in a whisper.

'I know.'

'But you saida'

'Just trying to talk us out of doing something stupid.'

'Like what?'

'I'll go in and get her. Alone. You stay in the car and get the cops if we don't come out in five minutes.'

'That's your plan?' Pen asked.

'Great, huh? Simple and direct.'

'He's got a gun.'

'He won't shoot anyone. Not with you waiting.'

'I don't like it.'

'What's your plan?'

'Why don't I go in and you wait in the car?'