bare skin. But her hand lowered, came out from under the shirt, and took hold of the drinking glass.
With the hand that held the aspirin, she turned the water on. She filled her glass halfway, popped the two capsules into her mouth, then raised the glass to her mouth and drank. The capsules went down with her first swallow.
Drinking no more, she checked the water level inside the glass. A few inches remained.
Ought to be enough .
She set down the glass.
Okay, Neal thought. I’d better get on with it. Didn’t come here for a good time. Gotta tell her about Rasputin – even if he isn’t here.
Right. How?
Must be a way.
‘ Elise! ’ he shouted in his mind. ‘ Elise! ’
He shouted into her head, ‘ It’s Neal! I’m in! The guy’s not dead! Do you hear me? He’s not dead! He might be coming after you! ’
He focused on her thoughts.
Probably have to get up and pee in the middle of the night. Who am I kidding – it’s already the middle of the night .
Damn!
There must be a way to communicate!
With her right hand, Elise reached into the pocket of her pajama shirt. She pinched the top edge of the Alka-Seltzer packet and lifted it out.
Looking at it, she found herself staring at Neal’s business card.
She’d pinched it together with the Alka-Seltzer.
‘Ah,’ she said.
Hope he made it home all right. He only had a couple. Why don’t I give him a call? No no no. Might wake him up. Anyway, he’s got that Marta. Don’t want him to think I’m trying to butt in .
She slipped the card back into her pocket, then tore the foil pouch, spread it, upended it and dumped the two white tablets into her water glass. They started to fizz.
Maybe I can make her do something, Neal thought. If I could force her hand to move . . . might get her to write a warning.
As Elise watched the water in her glass grow white and fuzzy with bubbles from the dissolving tablets, her hands were busy folding the empty foil packet, making it into a tiny hard square.
Neal put all his energy into her right hand.
Make it let go, he thought.
It tossed the tiny square onto the counter, and picked up the glass.
This one’s busy, he thought. Try her left hand; it isn’t doing anything.
Make it tap on the counter.
It hung by her side and lightly stroked her thigh while she gulped down the fizzing water.
This isn’t working, Neal thought.
He suddenly felt as if he were being smothered. He struggled to breathe. Couldn’t. His lungs ached.
What the . . .?
Elise came up for air.
Thank God, he thought.
After a few quick breaths, she resumed drinking. Not much left now. A few more swallows, no problems, and the glass was empty except for a white, powdery residue.
Elise rinsed the glass and set it down by the sink. Then she took a deep, deep breath. The air felt great, filling her lungs. But herexpanding chest popped the same bandage loose.
Phooey. Ah, well, least the others are holding .
She flicked the light off, then walked around the end of the bar and headed for the hallway.
Neal was aware of a decision, below word level, not to fool again with the bandage, leave it as-is until morning.
The decision seemed to trouble her, though.
Don’t want to bleed on my jammies. Take them off? Good idea, then I’ll bleed on my sheets .
I’m probably done bleeding, all nicely coagulated . . .
Don’t count on it. Bound to be some dribbling ooze of some sort, this many wounds .
Walking up the hallway toward her lighted bedroom, she considered changing the bandage, after all.
Just take a minute or two .
What am I going to do? Neal wondered. I came here to warn her, but . . . What the hell was I thinking, anyway? Did I think I could change the rules just because I wanted to? She can’t pick up my thoughts. Doesn’t have a clue I’m even in her. I can’t make her lift a damn finger . . .
He realized that he’d made a big mistake.
He’d gotten here fast, all right. But so what? He might as well have stayed in his car.
I
With the hand that held the aspirin, she turned the water on. She filled her glass halfway, popped the two capsules into her mouth, then raised the glass to her mouth and drank. The capsules went down with her first swallow.
Drinking no more, she checked the water level inside the glass. A few inches remained.
Ought to be enough .
She set down the glass.
Okay, Neal thought. I’d better get on with it. Didn’t come here for a good time. Gotta tell her about Rasputin – even if he isn’t here.
Right. How?
Must be a way.
‘ Elise! ’ he shouted in his mind. ‘ Elise! ’
He shouted into her head, ‘ It’s Neal! I’m in! The guy’s not dead! Do you hear me? He’s not dead! He might be coming after you! ’
He focused on her thoughts.
Probably have to get up and pee in the middle of the night. Who am I kidding – it’s already the middle of the night .
Damn!
There must be a way to communicate!
With her right hand, Elise reached into the pocket of her pajama shirt. She pinched the top edge of the Alka-Seltzer packet and lifted it out.
Looking at it, she found herself staring at Neal’s business card.
She’d pinched it together with the Alka-Seltzer.
‘Ah,’ she said.
Hope he made it home all right. He only had a couple. Why don’t I give him a call? No no no. Might wake him up. Anyway, he’s got that Marta. Don’t want him to think I’m trying to butt in .
She slipped the card back into her pocket, then tore the foil pouch, spread it, upended it and dumped the two white tablets into her water glass. They started to fizz.
Maybe I can make her do something, Neal thought. If I could force her hand to move . . . might get her to write a warning.
As Elise watched the water in her glass grow white and fuzzy with bubbles from the dissolving tablets, her hands were busy folding the empty foil packet, making it into a tiny hard square.
Neal put all his energy into her right hand.
Make it let go, he thought.
It tossed the tiny square onto the counter, and picked up the glass.
This one’s busy, he thought. Try her left hand; it isn’t doing anything.
Make it tap on the counter.
It hung by her side and lightly stroked her thigh while she gulped down the fizzing water.
This isn’t working, Neal thought.
He suddenly felt as if he were being smothered. He struggled to breathe. Couldn’t. His lungs ached.
What the . . .?
Elise came up for air.
Thank God, he thought.
After a few quick breaths, she resumed drinking. Not much left now. A few more swallows, no problems, and the glass was empty except for a white, powdery residue.
Elise rinsed the glass and set it down by the sink. Then she took a deep, deep breath. The air felt great, filling her lungs. But herexpanding chest popped the same bandage loose.
Phooey. Ah, well, least the others are holding .
She flicked the light off, then walked around the end of the bar and headed for the hallway.
Neal was aware of a decision, below word level, not to fool again with the bandage, leave it as-is until morning.
The decision seemed to trouble her, though.
Don’t want to bleed on my jammies. Take them off? Good idea, then I’ll bleed on my sheets .
I’m probably done bleeding, all nicely coagulated . . .
Don’t count on it. Bound to be some dribbling ooze of some sort, this many wounds .
Walking up the hallway toward her lighted bedroom, she considered changing the bandage, after all.
Just take a minute or two .
What am I going to do? Neal wondered. I came here to warn her, but . . . What the hell was I thinking, anyway? Did I think I could change the rules just because I wanted to? She can’t pick up my thoughts. Doesn’t have a clue I’m even in her. I can’t make her lift a damn finger . . .
He realized that he’d made a big mistake.
He’d gotten here fast, all right. But so what? He might as well have stayed in his car.
I
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