ring my bell and demand entrance to my apartment and then start insulting me.”
“Insulting you?” he asked with a slow grin. “Is any woman ever really insulted when a male tells her she is sexually desirable?”
“It depends on the male,” she told him tartly.
He leaned back and lazily got a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out and lighted it, then calmly spun the matchstick on the rug.
“Where’s Vincent?” The two words lashed out at her like the angry crack of a whip.
“Vincent who?” she lashed back.
“My buddy. The lad you hogtied and lashed to the mast last night at Bart’s party. Come off it, woman,” he went on impatiently. “What did you do with him?”
“What makes you think I did anything with him?”
He shook his head sadly. “Here we go again. This isn’t a soap opera. Vinnie Torn. Haven’t got him stashed around here, have you?”
“Certainly not.”
“Uh-huh. I didn’t think so, else you wouldn’t have telephoned him a little while ago. It was you on the phone?” he challenged, pointing his cigarette at her as though he levelled a lethal weapon at her breast.
“How did you know?” Aline’s voice faltered slightly.
“Your voice for one thing. It is good, you know. One of the best things about you. Sexy and intimate. Besides, there has been no other woman in Vinnie’s life for months. What have you done with him?”
“Now, you’re sparring,” she accused angrily. “I don’t know what happened to your precious Vinnie. Last time I saw him was at Bart’s party.”
“I happen to know,” he said slowly and emphatically, “that you and he slipped out together. He told me not to look for him home until late… that you and he had plans, for a few hours. But… where is he now?”
“I don’t know,” she confessed miserably. “That’s why I telephoned to ask for him. If you want to know the exact truth,” she went on angrily, determined not to let her voice break again, “I passed out cold at Bart’s party. I don’t know what happened.”
He eyed her speculatively under sweeping black lashes. “Where were you when you finally came to?”
“That’s not anyone’s business,” she told him defiantly.
“Perhaps not. But Vinnie is my business. I’ve been looking after him for years and I intend to keep on doing so. Where did you leave him? In what condition?”
“I told you the last time I saw him was at the party when I left.”
“And I know you’re lying. You and he left together. See here! You say you passed out. How do you know who you left with or what you did?”
“I’ve done some checking this morning. A man named Ralph Barnes brought me home. You can ask him if you like.”
“I suppose he’d lie for you if you asked him to,” Gerry said with indifference. “I happen to know this much: Vinnie took me aside at the party a little before midnight and said he was taking you with him. And not to worry if he didn’t get back to our place until quite late. When I got home about an hour later, he wasn’t in. He hasn’t come in yet… or phoned or anything. So what am I supposed to think?”
“I don’t care what you think,” she snapped.
He grinned with mocking arrogance. “I could make you care.” He got up and moved across the room, leaned over her and gazed into her eyes with what she realized he must consider hypnotic intensity.
Aline had never felt less susceptible to hypnotism. She glared back into his eyes and said, “Get out of my apartment before I call the police.”
He continued to lean over her and his expression did not change. It was as though he had not heard her. She felt a strange dizziness coming over her, and closed her eyes suddenly. She kept them closed while he pressed his lips hard against hers.
Gerry Howard withdrew his lips quickly, crossed the room to the door and went out.
Aline didn’t open her eyes until she heard the door close behind him. She felt dazed and bewildered, and the familiar
“Insulting you?” he asked with a slow grin. “Is any woman ever really insulted when a male tells her she is sexually desirable?”
“It depends on the male,” she told him tartly.
He leaned back and lazily got a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out and lighted it, then calmly spun the matchstick on the rug.
“Where’s Vincent?” The two words lashed out at her like the angry crack of a whip.
“Vincent who?” she lashed back.
“My buddy. The lad you hogtied and lashed to the mast last night at Bart’s party. Come off it, woman,” he went on impatiently. “What did you do with him?”
“What makes you think I did anything with him?”
He shook his head sadly. “Here we go again. This isn’t a soap opera. Vinnie Torn. Haven’t got him stashed around here, have you?”
“Certainly not.”
“Uh-huh. I didn’t think so, else you wouldn’t have telephoned him a little while ago. It was you on the phone?” he challenged, pointing his cigarette at her as though he levelled a lethal weapon at her breast.
“How did you know?” Aline’s voice faltered slightly.
“Your voice for one thing. It is good, you know. One of the best things about you. Sexy and intimate. Besides, there has been no other woman in Vinnie’s life for months. What have you done with him?”
“Now, you’re sparring,” she accused angrily. “I don’t know what happened to your precious Vinnie. Last time I saw him was at Bart’s party.”
“I happen to know,” he said slowly and emphatically, “that you and he slipped out together. He told me not to look for him home until late… that you and he had plans, for a few hours. But… where is he now?”
“I don’t know,” she confessed miserably. “That’s why I telephoned to ask for him. If you want to know the exact truth,” she went on angrily, determined not to let her voice break again, “I passed out cold at Bart’s party. I don’t know what happened.”
He eyed her speculatively under sweeping black lashes. “Where were you when you finally came to?”
“That’s not anyone’s business,” she told him defiantly.
“Perhaps not. But Vinnie is my business. I’ve been looking after him for years and I intend to keep on doing so. Where did you leave him? In what condition?”
“I told you the last time I saw him was at the party when I left.”
“And I know you’re lying. You and he left together. See here! You say you passed out. How do you know who you left with or what you did?”
“I’ve done some checking this morning. A man named Ralph Barnes brought me home. You can ask him if you like.”
“I suppose he’d lie for you if you asked him to,” Gerry said with indifference. “I happen to know this much: Vinnie took me aside at the party a little before midnight and said he was taking you with him. And not to worry if he didn’t get back to our place until quite late. When I got home about an hour later, he wasn’t in. He hasn’t come in yet… or phoned or anything. So what am I supposed to think?”
“I don’t care what you think,” she snapped.
He grinned with mocking arrogance. “I could make you care.” He got up and moved across the room, leaned over her and gazed into her eyes with what she realized he must consider hypnotic intensity.
Aline had never felt less susceptible to hypnotism. She glared back into his eyes and said, “Get out of my apartment before I call the police.”
He continued to lean over her and his expression did not change. It was as though he had not heard her. She felt a strange dizziness coming over her, and closed her eyes suddenly. She kept them closed while he pressed his lips hard against hers.
Gerry Howard withdrew his lips quickly, crossed the room to the door and went out.
Aline didn’t open her eyes until she heard the door close behind him. She felt dazed and bewildered, and the familiar
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