disappeared without another word, though Laura wasn’t sure how far they went.
“Thanks,” she said to Catherine. “I guess it’s time I learned to do that.”
“No problem,” Catherine answered nonchalantly, but her voice shook. She continued to watch Buddy closely.
Recovering a little, Buddy made a move to grab her. One of Catherine’s knees came up with a jerk. He screamed and fell to the ground, rolling over and over in agony.
“You’ll pay,” Laura heard him gasp when he got some breath back. “You’ll pay. I’ll get you one of these days.”
“You want more?” Catherine taunted him, but Buddy’s threat had frightened her. Laura grabbed a nearby stick, ready to bring it down on Buddy’s head if she had to.
“Well done, Catherine,” a deep voice said. “I see I’m not needed after all. You and your friend seem to have the matter well in hand.”
A man sauntered toward them, peeling an apple expertly with a long knife as he walked. Laura thought he was probably the best looking man she had ever seen. His hair was pale blond, his eyes a brilliant blue, and his features were perfect, so classic they could have come from a Greek statue. His clothes were classic too. A well-cut tweed jacket emphasized his broad shoulders, and his grey flannels were perfectly pleated. He was older than the others but not more than thirty, she guessed. She wondered how long he had been watching.
“Hello Morris,” Catherine said tonelessly.
Laura regarded him with interest. So this was the Morris Buddy’s pals had mentioned. She could see why he scared them. Morris was scary.
Morris’s eyes slid from Catherine and rested on her. “Want some?” he offered, holding out a chunk of apple.
“No, thank you,” Laura said. Morris turned to Catherine and held the chunk out again. She shook her head.
“Too bad,” he said, his tone mocking. “Best apple I’ve had in a long time. The nice woman at the vegetable stand gave it to me. Said she likes to see young people eating healthy food.”
Neither Laura nor Catherine answered. He eyed them thoughtfully; then he looked down at the writhing figure on the ground.
“So Buddy has been causing trouble, has he?” he asked, and deftly flipped a curl of apple skin into Buddy’s stomach. “I guess I should have known he would,” he said with feigned sadness. “Still, he was useful in his way. It will be a shame to have to get rid of him. But that’s the way it goes.”
Laura wondered what that meant. The tone had been gentle, but there was no doubt about the implied threat. She didn’t like Morris, though she couldn’t have said exactly why. He was just… just wrong.
“I’m glad I found you, Catherine,” Morris continued, his voice silky. “I‘ve come to take you to lunch. I think we had a date?”
Laura looked swiftly at Catherine. Her face was pale and she hadn’t looked up since Morris had appeared. Who was this man, and what did he mean to her? Surely Catherine wasn’t involved with him? More likely, he had an unhealthy interest in her. He would be harder to handle than Buddy. He was older and very confident. She felt a rush of pity for the girl. Imagine trying to handle the horrible Morris on top of Buddy and everything else!
Laura made up her mind. “Catherine is having lunch with me. We’re old friends, you see,” she explained to Morris, astonished at how easily she could lie – and at how strong her impulse was to let this man know that Catherine wasn’t alone. “We haven’t seen each other for a long time and there’s a lot to catch up on, so Catherine will be staying with me for a while.”
Morris looked at her with raised eyebrows. Laura was sure he didn’t believe her but he didn’t let it show. “Best to do as the lady says,” he told Catherine after only a second’s hesitation. “But I intend to have you keep that date,” he added, and now there was no doubt of the threat in his voice. He gave Catherine a long look
“Thanks,” she said to Catherine. “I guess it’s time I learned to do that.”
“No problem,” Catherine answered nonchalantly, but her voice shook. She continued to watch Buddy closely.
Recovering a little, Buddy made a move to grab her. One of Catherine’s knees came up with a jerk. He screamed and fell to the ground, rolling over and over in agony.
“You’ll pay,” Laura heard him gasp when he got some breath back. “You’ll pay. I’ll get you one of these days.”
“You want more?” Catherine taunted him, but Buddy’s threat had frightened her. Laura grabbed a nearby stick, ready to bring it down on Buddy’s head if she had to.
“Well done, Catherine,” a deep voice said. “I see I’m not needed after all. You and your friend seem to have the matter well in hand.”
A man sauntered toward them, peeling an apple expertly with a long knife as he walked. Laura thought he was probably the best looking man she had ever seen. His hair was pale blond, his eyes a brilliant blue, and his features were perfect, so classic they could have come from a Greek statue. His clothes were classic too. A well-cut tweed jacket emphasized his broad shoulders, and his grey flannels were perfectly pleated. He was older than the others but not more than thirty, she guessed. She wondered how long he had been watching.
“Hello Morris,” Catherine said tonelessly.
Laura regarded him with interest. So this was the Morris Buddy’s pals had mentioned. She could see why he scared them. Morris was scary.
Morris’s eyes slid from Catherine and rested on her. “Want some?” he offered, holding out a chunk of apple.
“No, thank you,” Laura said. Morris turned to Catherine and held the chunk out again. She shook her head.
“Too bad,” he said, his tone mocking. “Best apple I’ve had in a long time. The nice woman at the vegetable stand gave it to me. Said she likes to see young people eating healthy food.”
Neither Laura nor Catherine answered. He eyed them thoughtfully; then he looked down at the writhing figure on the ground.
“So Buddy has been causing trouble, has he?” he asked, and deftly flipped a curl of apple skin into Buddy’s stomach. “I guess I should have known he would,” he said with feigned sadness. “Still, he was useful in his way. It will be a shame to have to get rid of him. But that’s the way it goes.”
Laura wondered what that meant. The tone had been gentle, but there was no doubt about the implied threat. She didn’t like Morris, though she couldn’t have said exactly why. He was just… just wrong.
“I’m glad I found you, Catherine,” Morris continued, his voice silky. “I‘ve come to take you to lunch. I think we had a date?”
Laura looked swiftly at Catherine. Her face was pale and she hadn’t looked up since Morris had appeared. Who was this man, and what did he mean to her? Surely Catherine wasn’t involved with him? More likely, he had an unhealthy interest in her. He would be harder to handle than Buddy. He was older and very confident. She felt a rush of pity for the girl. Imagine trying to handle the horrible Morris on top of Buddy and everything else!
Laura made up her mind. “Catherine is having lunch with me. We’re old friends, you see,” she explained to Morris, astonished at how easily she could lie – and at how strong her impulse was to let this man know that Catherine wasn’t alone. “We haven’t seen each other for a long time and there’s a lot to catch up on, so Catherine will be staying with me for a while.”
Morris looked at her with raised eyebrows. Laura was sure he didn’t believe her but he didn’t let it show. “Best to do as the lady says,” he told Catherine after only a second’s hesitation. “But I intend to have you keep that date,” he added, and now there was no doubt of the threat in his voice. He gave Catherine a long look
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