retire after she’s done with your dad.”
“So, that would make the second rich man your father? Or...wait. The third?”
“I don’t know who my fuckin’ father is, and neither does she.”
There was a perfectly natural casualness to her tone that bothered Adam. It gave her words a note of truth.
“When I was little, she took my pediatrician for free appointments and a discount on my tonsillectomy. And she didn’t even have to. We could afford it.”
“How’d she do that?”
Rain lowered her head. Her eyes crinkled up a little as she smiled behind her knees. “You’re so fuckin’ cute when you’re dense. She fucked the pediatrician, Adam, what do you think?”
“No offense, but that’s pretty hard to believe, Rain.”
“Believe whatever you want. Just tellin’ you what I know.”
“How do you know?”
“I noticed Mom never went up to the window to pay like everybody else. After my tonsils were taken out, I went in for a check-up. Dr. Petrie came into the examination room, said hi to me, then took my mother’s arm, and they were gone. Didn’t take long before I was bored, so I left the room and walked down the hall to the next door. It was another examination room. I went in and it looked empty at first, but someone was breathing heavy, y’know? Huffin’, puffin’, ready to pop off a big one. They were behind one of those folding dividers, but I could see their fuzzy shadows. She was on her knees and her head was bouncin’ like a ball. Up and down.”
Rain rested her head face-down between her knees. The room became deafeningly silent.
Maybe it was true. If it were, though—if Gwen had been married before and her husbands had died—Adam had heard only one side of it, and that from a bratty, unstable child. It did not mean Gwen had actually murdered them. Rain would probably tell him her mother had killed JonBenet Ramsey if it would get him on her side. Part of him felt sorry for her, though. Life was hard enough on its own without going through it with a you’re-either-for-me-or-against-me attitude toward everyone else on the planet.
Adam said, “Well, I like her.”
“Does that mean you’re not gonna help me kill her?” Rain asked.
“You’re crazy.” His erection had not gone away, and Adam was furious with his penis.
Rain lifted a bra from the floor on her toe. It dangled for a moment, then dropped. “You know what you need?”
“More manageable hair?”
“You need to go out with me tonight.”
“What would that accomplish? Besides a possible appearance on Cops.”
“Might accomplish more than you think. Might wake you up. Bring you back to life.”
“I’m not dead,” Adam said, standing.
She smiled. “Not yet.”
He stepped toward the door. “Thanks for the tour of your dwellings. I’m sure FEMA will be on it in no time.”
Rain bounced off the cedar chest, stepped in front of him. “Oh, no you don’t. I’ve been good long enough. Now I want to play.” She untied her belt and the robe fell open.
Adam looked at her for a moment. Small round breasts, smooth, tanned skin. His jeans got tighter between his legs. He grabbed the lapels of her robe and pulled it closed. “No. I told you that’s not going to happen again.”
Wearing a beautiful, sparkling smile, Rain reached into the right pocket of her robe and removed a Smith and Wesson LadySmith revolver, a snubnosed .38 Special with a scaled-down grip for the gun-totin’ lady’s smaller, more delicate hand. Touched the tip of the barrel to the little furrow beneath his nose and said, “Take off your clothes.”
Adam’s veins clenched. His blood flow diminished. His vision darkened and he was afraid he would pass out.
Rain laughed. “You look funny with your eyes crossed like that. Now take your fuckin’ clothes off, Big Brother.”
Deciding it was not an ideal time to remind Rain not to call him that, Adam took off his shirt and tossed it onto the cedar chest.
Rain said, “C’mon.
“So, that would make the second rich man your father? Or...wait. The third?”
“I don’t know who my fuckin’ father is, and neither does she.”
There was a perfectly natural casualness to her tone that bothered Adam. It gave her words a note of truth.
“When I was little, she took my pediatrician for free appointments and a discount on my tonsillectomy. And she didn’t even have to. We could afford it.”
“How’d she do that?”
Rain lowered her head. Her eyes crinkled up a little as she smiled behind her knees. “You’re so fuckin’ cute when you’re dense. She fucked the pediatrician, Adam, what do you think?”
“No offense, but that’s pretty hard to believe, Rain.”
“Believe whatever you want. Just tellin’ you what I know.”
“How do you know?”
“I noticed Mom never went up to the window to pay like everybody else. After my tonsils were taken out, I went in for a check-up. Dr. Petrie came into the examination room, said hi to me, then took my mother’s arm, and they were gone. Didn’t take long before I was bored, so I left the room and walked down the hall to the next door. It was another examination room. I went in and it looked empty at first, but someone was breathing heavy, y’know? Huffin’, puffin’, ready to pop off a big one. They were behind one of those folding dividers, but I could see their fuzzy shadows. She was on her knees and her head was bouncin’ like a ball. Up and down.”
Rain rested her head face-down between her knees. The room became deafeningly silent.
Maybe it was true. If it were, though—if Gwen had been married before and her husbands had died—Adam had heard only one side of it, and that from a bratty, unstable child. It did not mean Gwen had actually murdered them. Rain would probably tell him her mother had killed JonBenet Ramsey if it would get him on her side. Part of him felt sorry for her, though. Life was hard enough on its own without going through it with a you’re-either-for-me-or-against-me attitude toward everyone else on the planet.
Adam said, “Well, I like her.”
“Does that mean you’re not gonna help me kill her?” Rain asked.
“You’re crazy.” His erection had not gone away, and Adam was furious with his penis.
Rain lifted a bra from the floor on her toe. It dangled for a moment, then dropped. “You know what you need?”
“More manageable hair?”
“You need to go out with me tonight.”
“What would that accomplish? Besides a possible appearance on Cops.”
“Might accomplish more than you think. Might wake you up. Bring you back to life.”
“I’m not dead,” Adam said, standing.
She smiled. “Not yet.”
He stepped toward the door. “Thanks for the tour of your dwellings. I’m sure FEMA will be on it in no time.”
Rain bounced off the cedar chest, stepped in front of him. “Oh, no you don’t. I’ve been good long enough. Now I want to play.” She untied her belt and the robe fell open.
Adam looked at her for a moment. Small round breasts, smooth, tanned skin. His jeans got tighter between his legs. He grabbed the lapels of her robe and pulled it closed. “No. I told you that’s not going to happen again.”
Wearing a beautiful, sparkling smile, Rain reached into the right pocket of her robe and removed a Smith and Wesson LadySmith revolver, a snubnosed .38 Special with a scaled-down grip for the gun-totin’ lady’s smaller, more delicate hand. Touched the tip of the barrel to the little furrow beneath his nose and said, “Take off your clothes.”
Adam’s veins clenched. His blood flow diminished. His vision darkened and he was afraid he would pass out.
Rain laughed. “You look funny with your eyes crossed like that. Now take your fuckin’ clothes off, Big Brother.”
Deciding it was not an ideal time to remind Rain not to call him that, Adam took off his shirt and tossed it onto the cedar chest.
Rain said, “C’mon.