of those senators who goes to Washington and forgets the platform he ran on.”
“We’re taking this young man in,” one of the policemen said. “Evidently he was interrupted before he actually got what he came for. We’ve searched him and he’s clean. We’d appreciate it if you’d do the necessary.”
“The necessary?” Sally said. “What do you mean, the necessary?”
“Nothing to get upset about, ma’am,” the policeman said. “We need to have Mr. Lamar file charges.”
“Of course, Officer,” Wilson said.
Celina felt tired, so very tired. She’d done her part and come to the party because her parents had begged her to. And she realized she hadn’t seen either of them among the group outside. Bitsy and Neville knew when to make themselves scarce.
“I’ll be calling you,” Charmain told her, and pressed a dry kiss on her cheek. “Take care of yourself, dear. You don’t look well.”
Wilson took Celina by the shoulders and studied her. “No, you don’t, young lady. Not that you should after everything you’ve been through. But you will give serious thought to what I mentioned to you, won’t you?”
“What was that?” Charmain asked so offhandedly, it was hardly a question at all.
“Why, I want Celina to join my staff again, of course,” Wilson said heartily. “She used to work part-time for the campaign. Now she’s going to have lots of free time. She’s not just beautiful, she’s brilliant, and I don’t like to see that kind of talent going to waste.”
Celina bowed her head and took a small step closer to Wilson, just close enough to murmur, “That was a mistake.” Then she nodded in all directions and moved away from him. “I think I’m going to take the advice of my well-wishers and toddle off to get some rest, so I’ll bid you all good night.”
A chorus of good-byes followed her as she walked toward the house and made for the nearest telephone to call the cab back. A faint buzzing began in her head. Once before she’d felt the sensation, and she’d almost passed out. That had been when she’d had an encounter with Wilson, too, and it had terrified her.
She used the passage of the police through the house to make her getaway without having to speak to her parents again, and ran the length of the driveway until she could s1ip through the gates and wait outside.
Within moments the police cars pulled away, their lights flashing again.
Tired didn’t come close to describing how she felt. Her limbs were heavy and her head ached so badly, she wanted to close her eyes.
“Are you out of your mind, Celina?”
She jumped, and clutched the neck of her dress.
Jack Charbonnet, his hands in his pockets, leaned menacingly over her. “You really have a thing for courting danger, don’t you? What the hell are you doing out here on your own? Trying to see if you can pick up a murderer? Or maybe just a rapist?”
“Don’t!”
His face moved, grew less distinct. She threw out her arms and was vaguely aware of hands gripping them as she began to fall.
She should ask him what he was doing there.
A cold place cleared at the center of her mind, and she saw another face—Wilson Lamar grinning at her.
She shook her head, willing the image away. Tears sprang in her eyes. She couldn’t stop them.
“Celina?” Jack Charbonnet. “Hold on, kiddo, hold on. It’s okay.”
You never trusted men who told you things would be okay.
Wilson sweated and stood very close to her. “I need you, Celina. Trust me, it’ll be okay. “ They were in the small sitting room on the second floor at her parents’ home. “I swear if you won’t talk to me, I’m going to kill myself. I’ve got a gun in the car and I’m going to drive out to the Atchafa1aya Swamp and put the thing in my mouth. By the time they find me, there won’t be anything left.”
“Celina, can you hear me?” Jack asked. “I’m taking you home. I’m going to drive you home.”
She hit him. Hit him again. And
“We’re taking this young man in,” one of the policemen said. “Evidently he was interrupted before he actually got what he came for. We’ve searched him and he’s clean. We’d appreciate it if you’d do the necessary.”
“The necessary?” Sally said. “What do you mean, the necessary?”
“Nothing to get upset about, ma’am,” the policeman said. “We need to have Mr. Lamar file charges.”
“Of course, Officer,” Wilson said.
Celina felt tired, so very tired. She’d done her part and come to the party because her parents had begged her to. And she realized she hadn’t seen either of them among the group outside. Bitsy and Neville knew when to make themselves scarce.
“I’ll be calling you,” Charmain told her, and pressed a dry kiss on her cheek. “Take care of yourself, dear. You don’t look well.”
Wilson took Celina by the shoulders and studied her. “No, you don’t, young lady. Not that you should after everything you’ve been through. But you will give serious thought to what I mentioned to you, won’t you?”
“What was that?” Charmain asked so offhandedly, it was hardly a question at all.
“Why, I want Celina to join my staff again, of course,” Wilson said heartily. “She used to work part-time for the campaign. Now she’s going to have lots of free time. She’s not just beautiful, she’s brilliant, and I don’t like to see that kind of talent going to waste.”
Celina bowed her head and took a small step closer to Wilson, just close enough to murmur, “That was a mistake.” Then she nodded in all directions and moved away from him. “I think I’m going to take the advice of my well-wishers and toddle off to get some rest, so I’ll bid you all good night.”
A chorus of good-byes followed her as she walked toward the house and made for the nearest telephone to call the cab back. A faint buzzing began in her head. Once before she’d felt the sensation, and she’d almost passed out. That had been when she’d had an encounter with Wilson, too, and it had terrified her.
She used the passage of the police through the house to make her getaway without having to speak to her parents again, and ran the length of the driveway until she could s1ip through the gates and wait outside.
Within moments the police cars pulled away, their lights flashing again.
Tired didn’t come close to describing how she felt. Her limbs were heavy and her head ached so badly, she wanted to close her eyes.
“Are you out of your mind, Celina?”
She jumped, and clutched the neck of her dress.
Jack Charbonnet, his hands in his pockets, leaned menacingly over her. “You really have a thing for courting danger, don’t you? What the hell are you doing out here on your own? Trying to see if you can pick up a murderer? Or maybe just a rapist?”
“Don’t!”
His face moved, grew less distinct. She threw out her arms and was vaguely aware of hands gripping them as she began to fall.
She should ask him what he was doing there.
A cold place cleared at the center of her mind, and she saw another face—Wilson Lamar grinning at her.
She shook her head, willing the image away. Tears sprang in her eyes. She couldn’t stop them.
“Celina?” Jack Charbonnet. “Hold on, kiddo, hold on. It’s okay.”
You never trusted men who told you things would be okay.
Wilson sweated and stood very close to her. “I need you, Celina. Trust me, it’ll be okay. “ They were in the small sitting room on the second floor at her parents’ home. “I swear if you won’t talk to me, I’m going to kill myself. I’ve got a gun in the car and I’m going to drive out to the Atchafa1aya Swamp and put the thing in my mouth. By the time they find me, there won’t be anything left.”
“Celina, can you hear me?” Jack asked. “I’m taking you home. I’m going to drive you home.”
She hit him. Hit him again. And
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