him?”
“Yes, and there was no one there. It looked like they’d cleaned up afterwards, though. Things were much too neat and orderly for what they must have done to him there. I gathered a few things in one suitcase and ran. I sailed a friend from an all-night gas station, but he wouldn’t help. I finally went to Gladys Waugh’s. I don’t much believe in all that witchcraft nonsense but I knew Gerry would probably be there.”
“You never thought of going home to your husband right then?”
“No.” Joanna shook her head. “I was afraid. Afraid that whoever had done that to Phil would want to do it to me. I was afraid to face Jim and tell him all I’d been doing. I’m still a little afraid, but I’ll make myself do it. Because that’s the only way we can possibly get anything going for us again. Dr. Jacobs was right about that much.” Leaning back she added, “At least I got one thing I’ve always wanted.”
“Which?”
“A trip to Mexico.”
XIX
I T WAS RAINING AGAIN . Jim Benning came cutting across the broad lawn with a closed umbrella clutched straight out in front of him. “Wait,” he called toward Easy’s car. “You don’t want to get wet.”
“It commences,” said Joanna. She was sitting with knees high and head low, making no move to leave the Volkswagen.
Six floodlights were planted around the lawn and the short gravel driveway. Two more hung from the eaves of the house’s flat shingle roof and another was mounted over the garage doors. The lights glared in different pastel shades, dyeing the light drizzling rain and turning Benning red, yellow, and blue as he trotted down to the car. It was a few minutes after 4 A.M.
Before he went around to his wife’s side of the VW, Benning reached in through Easy’s half-open door and tried to shake hands. “You’ve done a terrific job, Easy. I’m sorry about the way I’ve been pressuring you over this. I can’t begin to … aren’t you cold in just that light sweater, Joanna?”
“No,” she answered. “Mexico is a warm country.”
“This isn’t Mexico, though. Do you want to wait while I get one of your warmer coats to wrap around you?”
Joanna unbuckled her seatbelt, raised and turned to kneel in the chair. She made a long stretch and caught her lone suitcase out of the back. “Jim, Easy isn’t bringing me home from the hospital.”
“Huh,” said her husband, “that isn’t one of our suitcases, is it?”
“It was a going-away present.” Joanna elbowed her door open and stepped out onto the rainy drive. The garage floodlight made her and the misty rain falling on her shine pale gold.
Benning let go of the part of Easy’s hand he’d caught. He ran around the front of the car, struggling to unfurl the black umbrella. The ferule of the umbrella poked at Easy’s right front headlight. “I’m glad you’re back,” he said to his wife. “We’ll get you inside where you can rest.” He forced the umbrella to unfurl and open, then held it over his pretty dark wife. “You’ll need rest.”
Joanna stepped clear of the umbrella’s protection. “I’m not dying,” she said. “It’s only people around me who’ve been doing that.”
“We don’t have to talk about everything now,” said Benning. “Even though you were a little cryptic when you got around to calling me on the phone. I can be patient. You rest now, Joanna, and we can talk tomorrow or even the next day.” He had the umbrella back shielding her from the drizzle again. “I think I can fix it so I won’t have to go into the agency for a few more days. So we can be together, if you like.”
Joanna circled the front of Easy’s car. Leaning in, she touched his arm for a moment. “I really will try,” she told him in a low voice. Turning, she walked away across the lawn and into the house.
“Benning,” said Easy as his client started to follow.
“I’d better go with her.” He was standing sideways, with one foot pointing at their house
“Yes, and there was no one there. It looked like they’d cleaned up afterwards, though. Things were much too neat and orderly for what they must have done to him there. I gathered a few things in one suitcase and ran. I sailed a friend from an all-night gas station, but he wouldn’t help. I finally went to Gladys Waugh’s. I don’t much believe in all that witchcraft nonsense but I knew Gerry would probably be there.”
“You never thought of going home to your husband right then?”
“No.” Joanna shook her head. “I was afraid. Afraid that whoever had done that to Phil would want to do it to me. I was afraid to face Jim and tell him all I’d been doing. I’m still a little afraid, but I’ll make myself do it. Because that’s the only way we can possibly get anything going for us again. Dr. Jacobs was right about that much.” Leaning back she added, “At least I got one thing I’ve always wanted.”
“Which?”
“A trip to Mexico.”
XIX
I T WAS RAINING AGAIN . Jim Benning came cutting across the broad lawn with a closed umbrella clutched straight out in front of him. “Wait,” he called toward Easy’s car. “You don’t want to get wet.”
“It commences,” said Joanna. She was sitting with knees high and head low, making no move to leave the Volkswagen.
Six floodlights were planted around the lawn and the short gravel driveway. Two more hung from the eaves of the house’s flat shingle roof and another was mounted over the garage doors. The lights glared in different pastel shades, dyeing the light drizzling rain and turning Benning red, yellow, and blue as he trotted down to the car. It was a few minutes after 4 A.M.
Before he went around to his wife’s side of the VW, Benning reached in through Easy’s half-open door and tried to shake hands. “You’ve done a terrific job, Easy. I’m sorry about the way I’ve been pressuring you over this. I can’t begin to … aren’t you cold in just that light sweater, Joanna?”
“No,” she answered. “Mexico is a warm country.”
“This isn’t Mexico, though. Do you want to wait while I get one of your warmer coats to wrap around you?”
Joanna unbuckled her seatbelt, raised and turned to kneel in the chair. She made a long stretch and caught her lone suitcase out of the back. “Jim, Easy isn’t bringing me home from the hospital.”
“Huh,” said her husband, “that isn’t one of our suitcases, is it?”
“It was a going-away present.” Joanna elbowed her door open and stepped out onto the rainy drive. The garage floodlight made her and the misty rain falling on her shine pale gold.
Benning let go of the part of Easy’s hand he’d caught. He ran around the front of the car, struggling to unfurl the black umbrella. The ferule of the umbrella poked at Easy’s right front headlight. “I’m glad you’re back,” he said to his wife. “We’ll get you inside where you can rest.” He forced the umbrella to unfurl and open, then held it over his pretty dark wife. “You’ll need rest.”
Joanna stepped clear of the umbrella’s protection. “I’m not dying,” she said. “It’s only people around me who’ve been doing that.”
“We don’t have to talk about everything now,” said Benning. “Even though you were a little cryptic when you got around to calling me on the phone. I can be patient. You rest now, Joanna, and we can talk tomorrow or even the next day.” He had the umbrella back shielding her from the drizzle again. “I think I can fix it so I won’t have to go into the agency for a few more days. So we can be together, if you like.”
Joanna circled the front of Easy’s car. Leaning in, she touched his arm for a moment. “I really will try,” she told him in a low voice. Turning, she walked away across the lawn and into the house.
“Benning,” said Easy as his client started to follow.
“I’d better go with her.” He was standing sideways, with one foot pointing at their house
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