even begin to figure out the ramifications of that.
While I sat there, stunned, she tapped in a series of numbers.
A moment later, she met my eyes and said, “It’s his machine.”
“Maybe you’d better hang up.”
“He might be monitoring.”
Should I stop her?
Maybe not. This could be a good deal.
Or a disaster.
“Hi, Tony,” she said. “It’s me, Judy. Are you there?” She stopped talking. She waited.
Leave it at that! Don’t say another word!
“I guess you’re not home. Okay. Well, I just called to see how you’re doing. Give me a call back if you want to. I’m still at the same number. So long.”
She hung up.
“We’ll probably get to him before he even hears it,” she said.
“I imagine so,” I said.
“It’s funny that he changed his number. Do you know why he did that?”
I couldn’t come up with a good lie right off the bat, so I just said, “No idea.”
“Maybe it has to do with his accident.”
“Could be.”
“At any rate, he hasn’t gotten home yet. I’m sure he would’ve picked up.”
“You can bet on that. He’s been dying to get a call from you. But you never know, maybe he’s taking a shower or something. We probably ought to wait a few minutes and try him again.”
Judy shook her head. “No. I don’t want to wait any longer. I need to go out and find him.”
“Want me to come with you?”
“You don’t have to,” she said, and turned away.
“Sure I do,” I said. From my seat on the sofa, I watched her stride into a nearby room and switch on a light. At the other end of the room was a rumpled bed.
Judy stepped out of sight.
Raising my voice, I said, “I can’t have you going out there all by yourself. Something might happen to you.”
“I’ll be all right,” she called.
“Maybe. But what if you’re not? I’m the one who left Tony stranded. I’d feel awful.”
“You hardly even know me.”
“I’d feel awful, anyway. You’re a nice person.”
A quiet laugh came from the bedroom. Then Judy said, “Well, I’m not sure how nice I am, but thanks.”
“You are nice. And trusting. I mean, I’m a complete stranger, but you let me in here in the middle of the night. You even gave me a beer.”
“Well, we’ve got a mutual friend, I guess. Or enemy.”
“I want to help you look for him. Really.”
“Fine with me. I might be a nice person with a lot of sterling qualities, but I am a chicken. It’ll be great to have you along.”
“You and me, Judy.”
She came out of the bedroom. Her pajamas were gone, and she was no longer barefoot. She wore white socks and blue sneakers, a pale blue skirt, and a short-sleeved white blouse that looked crisp and cool. Most of the blouse’s buttons weren’t fastened yet. It wasn’t tucked in, either, and hung down like a miniskirt. Only a few inches of her real skirt showed in front of her thighs.
“You’re wearing a skirt?” I asked.
“It’s a hot night.”
“Tony’ll like that.”
“I guess so,” she said.
“And no bra.”
She laughed. “Hot night. Besides, look who’s talking.”
“I have an excuse. Tony wrecked mine.”
“I don’t need an excuse. You’re not my mother.” Grinning, she looked down and worked on fastening the rest of her buttons. “It’s not like I’m trying to do Tony any favors,” she said. “I just want to be comfortable.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “Hell, you look great.”
“Thanks. I feel great. This is kind of fun, in a way. It’s like going out for an adventure.”
I found myself grinning. “Yeah,” I said. “It is.”
Finished with her buttons, she hurried into the kitchen. She came back with her purse and slipped its strap onto her shoulder. “All set,” she said. “You ready to go? Do you want to hit the bathroom first?”
“Ah. Maybe so. Good idea.”
She pointed the way.
I went in, turned on the light and shut the door. The bathroom was small, but very clean. A wonderful, flowery aroma filled the air. It
While I sat there, stunned, she tapped in a series of numbers.
A moment later, she met my eyes and said, “It’s his machine.”
“Maybe you’d better hang up.”
“He might be monitoring.”
Should I stop her?
Maybe not. This could be a good deal.
Or a disaster.
“Hi, Tony,” she said. “It’s me, Judy. Are you there?” She stopped talking. She waited.
Leave it at that! Don’t say another word!
“I guess you’re not home. Okay. Well, I just called to see how you’re doing. Give me a call back if you want to. I’m still at the same number. So long.”
She hung up.
“We’ll probably get to him before he even hears it,” she said.
“I imagine so,” I said.
“It’s funny that he changed his number. Do you know why he did that?”
I couldn’t come up with a good lie right off the bat, so I just said, “No idea.”
“Maybe it has to do with his accident.”
“Could be.”
“At any rate, he hasn’t gotten home yet. I’m sure he would’ve picked up.”
“You can bet on that. He’s been dying to get a call from you. But you never know, maybe he’s taking a shower or something. We probably ought to wait a few minutes and try him again.”
Judy shook her head. “No. I don’t want to wait any longer. I need to go out and find him.”
“Want me to come with you?”
“You don’t have to,” she said, and turned away.
“Sure I do,” I said. From my seat on the sofa, I watched her stride into a nearby room and switch on a light. At the other end of the room was a rumpled bed.
Judy stepped out of sight.
Raising my voice, I said, “I can’t have you going out there all by yourself. Something might happen to you.”
“I’ll be all right,” she called.
“Maybe. But what if you’re not? I’m the one who left Tony stranded. I’d feel awful.”
“You hardly even know me.”
“I’d feel awful, anyway. You’re a nice person.”
A quiet laugh came from the bedroom. Then Judy said, “Well, I’m not sure how nice I am, but thanks.”
“You are nice. And trusting. I mean, I’m a complete stranger, but you let me in here in the middle of the night. You even gave me a beer.”
“Well, we’ve got a mutual friend, I guess. Or enemy.”
“I want to help you look for him. Really.”
“Fine with me. I might be a nice person with a lot of sterling qualities, but I am a chicken. It’ll be great to have you along.”
“You and me, Judy.”
She came out of the bedroom. Her pajamas were gone, and she was no longer barefoot. She wore white socks and blue sneakers, a pale blue skirt, and a short-sleeved white blouse that looked crisp and cool. Most of the blouse’s buttons weren’t fastened yet. It wasn’t tucked in, either, and hung down like a miniskirt. Only a few inches of her real skirt showed in front of her thighs.
“You’re wearing a skirt?” I asked.
“It’s a hot night.”
“Tony’ll like that.”
“I guess so,” she said.
“And no bra.”
She laughed. “Hot night. Besides, look who’s talking.”
“I have an excuse. Tony wrecked mine.”
“I don’t need an excuse. You’re not my mother.” Grinning, she looked down and worked on fastening the rest of her buttons. “It’s not like I’m trying to do Tony any favors,” she said. “I just want to be comfortable.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “Hell, you look great.”
“Thanks. I feel great. This is kind of fun, in a way. It’s like going out for an adventure.”
I found myself grinning. “Yeah,” I said. “It is.”
Finished with her buttons, she hurried into the kitchen. She came back with her purse and slipped its strap onto her shoulder. “All set,” she said. “You ready to go? Do you want to hit the bathroom first?”
“Ah. Maybe so. Good idea.”
She pointed the way.
I went in, turned on the light and shut the door. The bathroom was small, but very clean. A wonderful, flowery aroma filled the air. It
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