after all?”
He pulled her face to his neck. “I’m not sure. Really not sure.”
“Where did you learn to work in the dark?” she asked. There was too much mystery about him.
He hesitated, then said, “In South America. In the jungle. I put in some years with the CIA.”
In the distance a vehicle engine rumbled faintly, growing closer. Her van remained where she and Angel had left it, its dark paint shiny-slick. Eileen didn’t know what to do next. She reached for him. “There’s someone coming now.”
The engine grew louder. “Who the hell is it?” Angel asked, listening. “He’s got to be coming here—there’s nothing else around. You didn’t call anyone?”
She shook her head no.
They stood side by side and watched headlights burst on the scene. Eileen opened her mouth to breath.
“No one comes here,” Angel muttered. “Stay where you are. Don’t—and I mean it, Eileen—don’t get in my way.”
“Someone already was here, remember,” Eileen said. “We’re supposed to be dead in your glass bathtub. He could be coming back.”
“He wouldn’t risk it. I’m not in a vulnerable position now.”
Eileen shivered a little. She was too uptight to argue.
“Shit,” Angel muttered. “What d’you want to bet it is our gun-toter being real clever. First the rear attack, then right in the front door with some big excuse. He must have heard us yell and known he’d missed us.”
The headlights went out, the engine cut and a figure got out of a nondescript sedan. A man. He walked toward the open front door and Eileen felt blood rush to her feet. Her face prickled.
“I think it’s time to surprise our visitor,” Angel said, his gun in his hand.
Eileen gripped his elbow tightly. “That’s Chuck!”
He turned his face toward her. “Who? Chuck, your husband? ”
“Ex-husband.” She could scarcely get the word out.
“He’s back in Pointe Judah? How long have you known?”
She swallowed. “I knew this afternoon. That’s why I went out to the parking lot at Oakdale. He was waiting there in his car. He called me to go and talk to him. Chuck was the appointment I told you about.”
“And you went? Just like that? The man’s been a pig to you. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Don’t,” Eileen said. “I want him to go away again, is all. Getting mad takes too much energy.” And she was confused, confused about his return and about his coming to Angel’s. How would he know where she might be tonight? He didn’t know anything about her life since he’d left. Or did he? “I hate this,” she said through her teeth. “He was never supposed to come back.”
“You’re sure that’s him?” Angel said. Chuck had approached the front door and they could see him with his head inside, listening.
“I’m sure.”
“To do what?”
“I don’t know.” No longer warm, she pressed her fingers to her mouth. The wind picked up again and tossed wet leaves around. “I didn’t think he’d ever leave the rigs but he said he’s come back to be here for Aaron…and me,” she finished in a tiny voice. She wanted to close her eyes, open then again and find that Chuck had never been there.
“Really?” Angel said. “If he works on the rigs, he shouldn’t have difficulty climbing around on rooftops.”
“He wouldn’t do that.”
Angel fell silent.
She touched his arm. “I mean he’s a selfish man, and he wasn’t faithful to me, but I don’t think he’s physically dangerous.” Except when he was alone with a woman who couldn’t defend herself.
“You don’t think? But you don’t know for sure?” Angel wrapped an arm around her. “You’re shaking.”
She knew Chuck had a twisted imagination and there had been no end to the punishments he’d thought up for her. “I want to stay here and wait for him to go away,” she muttered.
He massaged her scalp, bent to kiss her. “If he goes quickly, I’ll go along with that. Otherwise I’m going to have to persuade him
He pulled her face to his neck. “I’m not sure. Really not sure.”
“Where did you learn to work in the dark?” she asked. There was too much mystery about him.
He hesitated, then said, “In South America. In the jungle. I put in some years with the CIA.”
In the distance a vehicle engine rumbled faintly, growing closer. Her van remained where she and Angel had left it, its dark paint shiny-slick. Eileen didn’t know what to do next. She reached for him. “There’s someone coming now.”
The engine grew louder. “Who the hell is it?” Angel asked, listening. “He’s got to be coming here—there’s nothing else around. You didn’t call anyone?”
She shook her head no.
They stood side by side and watched headlights burst on the scene. Eileen opened her mouth to breath.
“No one comes here,” Angel muttered. “Stay where you are. Don’t—and I mean it, Eileen—don’t get in my way.”
“Someone already was here, remember,” Eileen said. “We’re supposed to be dead in your glass bathtub. He could be coming back.”
“He wouldn’t risk it. I’m not in a vulnerable position now.”
Eileen shivered a little. She was too uptight to argue.
“Shit,” Angel muttered. “What d’you want to bet it is our gun-toter being real clever. First the rear attack, then right in the front door with some big excuse. He must have heard us yell and known he’d missed us.”
The headlights went out, the engine cut and a figure got out of a nondescript sedan. A man. He walked toward the open front door and Eileen felt blood rush to her feet. Her face prickled.
“I think it’s time to surprise our visitor,” Angel said, his gun in his hand.
Eileen gripped his elbow tightly. “That’s Chuck!”
He turned his face toward her. “Who? Chuck, your husband? ”
“Ex-husband.” She could scarcely get the word out.
“He’s back in Pointe Judah? How long have you known?”
She swallowed. “I knew this afternoon. That’s why I went out to the parking lot at Oakdale. He was waiting there in his car. He called me to go and talk to him. Chuck was the appointment I told you about.”
“And you went? Just like that? The man’s been a pig to you. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Don’t,” Eileen said. “I want him to go away again, is all. Getting mad takes too much energy.” And she was confused, confused about his return and about his coming to Angel’s. How would he know where she might be tonight? He didn’t know anything about her life since he’d left. Or did he? “I hate this,” she said through her teeth. “He was never supposed to come back.”
“You’re sure that’s him?” Angel said. Chuck had approached the front door and they could see him with his head inside, listening.
“I’m sure.”
“To do what?”
“I don’t know.” No longer warm, she pressed her fingers to her mouth. The wind picked up again and tossed wet leaves around. “I didn’t think he’d ever leave the rigs but he said he’s come back to be here for Aaron…and me,” she finished in a tiny voice. She wanted to close her eyes, open then again and find that Chuck had never been there.
“Really?” Angel said. “If he works on the rigs, he shouldn’t have difficulty climbing around on rooftops.”
“He wouldn’t do that.”
Angel fell silent.
She touched his arm. “I mean he’s a selfish man, and he wasn’t faithful to me, but I don’t think he’s physically dangerous.” Except when he was alone with a woman who couldn’t defend herself.
“You don’t think? But you don’t know for sure?” Angel wrapped an arm around her. “You’re shaking.”
She knew Chuck had a twisted imagination and there had been no end to the punishments he’d thought up for her. “I want to stay here and wait for him to go away,” she muttered.
He massaged her scalp, bent to kiss her. “If he goes quickly, I’ll go along with that. Otherwise I’m going to have to persuade him
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