Alarums

by Richard Laymon

  'I'm gonna… get the cops on you!' Harrison yelled.

  Bodie looked around. The man was curled on his side, hugging his stomach. 'Go ahead, asshole. But you'd better have a good alibi for Friday night.'

  'Fuckin' lunatics! Both of you!'

  Joyce, on her knees, clutched her robe shut with both hands and stared through strings of hanging hair. She said nothing.

  Melanie got the door open.

  Bodie, with an arm around her back, helped her down the porch stairs. It was still daylight and the sweatshirt was pressed to her face, but her breasts were hidden beneath her arms.

  Pen, looking stunned, rushed around her car and opened the rear door. 'My God, what happened?'

  'Let's get out of here.'

  Melanie ducked into the back seat. Bodie followed her. Pen ran to the other side and flung herself behind the steering wheel. She shot her car out of the driveway and sped forward. 'Where to?'

  'My van.'

  'Should we take her to emergency? What happened to her?'

  'A small cut below the eye. She fell against a table.'

  'I'm okay,' Melanie muttered.

  'We'd better take her to emergency,' Pen said.

  'I'm all right.'

  'I have a first aid kit in my van.' Bodie pulled her down so that her head rested on his lap. 'Let me take a look.' He lifted the sweatshirt away from her cheek. The cut was half an inch below her left eye. Blood filled the wound and began leaking out. He dabbed it away.

  'What went on in there?' Pen asked. 'Was there a fight?'

  'A wee scuffle.'

  'You sure nailed Harrison,' Melanie said, smiling up at him.

  'Why don't you put this on?'

  Sitting up, she slipped her arms through the sleeve holes. She drew the sweatshirt down over her head, then lifted the bottom of it and held the cloth against her wound. Her left breast stuck out like someone peering from under a stage curtain. It had a smear of blood beside the nipple.

  'Did you find out anything?' Pen asked.

  'They know we suspect them,' Bodie said.

  'What about you, Mel? Where were you all afternoon?'

  'In the bedroom. Under the bed.'

  'What did you hear?'

  'They did it, all right.'

  'Hit Dad?'

  'Yeah.'

  'What did they say?'

  'Not now. I don't… feel too good.'

  'She caught a kick in the ribs, too.'

  Pen stopped behind the van. Melanie gave the keys to Bodie, and he opened the rear doors. He was glad to see that she had lowered her sweatshirt before leaving the car.

  All three climbed into the van. As Bodie shut the doors, Melanie lay down on the sleeping bag. She raised the blood-spotted sweatshirt to her cheek.

  Bodie took out his first aid kit. He spread disinfectant cream on her cut, then applied a bandage.

  Pen, crouching at his side, asked, 'Now what should we do? Go to the police?'

  'I don't think so,' Bodie said. 'Melanie was in the house illegally. And she's the one who started the fight. I imagine we could both wind up charged with all kinds of shit.'

  'Great,' Pen muttered.

  'As it is, Harrison threatened to call the cops on us. I'm not sure he has the guts to go through with it, though.'

  She looked down at Melanie. 'Did you actually hear him admit to hitting Dad with the car?'

  'Yes.'

  'What about Joyce?'

  'She was in on it. They did it together, just like I thought.'

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Pen finished packing and waited in the living room. Bodie came down a few minutes later, carrying luggage. Melanie was behind him. She had washed the blood from her face and changed into a clean white blouse. 'Can we stay with you?' Melanie asked.

  'Of course,' Pen said. She looked at Bodie. 'Are you sure you shouldn't drive back tonight?'

  'Well…'

  'I'm not eager to get rid of you, but if Harrison presses charges you'd be better off out of state.'

  'He won't press charges,' Melanie said. 'He knows we'd tell everything.'

  'It probably would be better,' Bodie admitted, 'to get a good night's sleep before starting out. We'll leave first thing in the morning.'

  'Fine.'

  Not fine, Pen thought. She didn't want them to leave at all. But she'd known they couldn't stay long. Starting tomorrow, they would both be missing school and Bodie had classes to teach. Also, it was best that they go back as soon as possible before Melanie got a chance to make more trouble.

  She was surprised, however, by Melanie's apparent willingness to return in the morning.

  We'd better watch her, she thought.

  'I'll stop by a fast-food place,' Bodie said, 'and get us all some supper.'

  'There's a Jack-in-the-Box…'

  He nodded. 'I saw it. What would you like?'

  'Tacos would be fine. They've got great tacos.' Outside, Pen hesitated in front of the door. 'I wonder if we should leave the house keys.'

  'Screw that,' Melanie said. 'It's still Dad's house. Joyce doesn't have any right to be kicking us out.'

  'I suppose not.'

  Melanie went with Bodie to his van. Pen climbed into her car and followed them out to San Vicente.

  ***

  Driving back to her apartment, she wondered if Melanie would change her mind about leaving in the morning. It hardly seemed possible that she would abandon her hopes of nailing Joyce and Harrison, especially now that she'd apparently heard them admit their guilt.

  She must have a plan. Maybe she intends to sneak out, tonight. And do what? God only knows. She'd been crazy enough to hide in Harrison 's house - and attack Joyce.

  We'd just better make damn sure she doesn't get away from us. Even if it means staying awake all night.

  When Pen parked in front of her apartment building, she considered waiting in her car for them to show up. The stop for food should only take them five minutes.

  Don't be a chicken, she told herself. If you're not going to move out - and that was the whole point of buying the shotgun - you'd better get used to the place again.

  He took my panties. He was here this afternoon. Maybe he's a tenant like Manny.

  But not Manny. Someone else.

  I can't go on living here, she realized.

  Nor could she move out of her car seat.

  It'll be all right with Bodie here.

  Tomorrow, I'll find a new place. I'll stay in a motel for as long as…

  Tomorrow, Bodie will be gone.

  He has to go. He has to get Melanie away from all this.

  I wouldn't mind getting away from all this, myself.

  I can't go anywhere, though. Not while Dad's the way he is.

  Should call the hospital. Maybe go over there tonight.

  What if Joyce is there?

  We have to do something about those two. They can't get away with it.

  I could go to the police tomorrow and tell them everything. If they focus their investigation on Harrison , they might turn something up. I'll do that. Unless they show up here, first, to arrest Melanie and Bodie.

  At least we got her out of Harrison 's house in one piece.

  Bodie was right, we should've left her there. She probably would've managed to sneak out on her own with nobody the wiser.

  Or maybe not.

  They might've caught her. God only knows what Harrison would've done.

  It was the right move.

  What's their next move? They know the three of us are onto them. What'll they do about it? Maybe nothing.

  Harrison's an attorney, he knows we haven't got any evidence.

  Maybe it's too much that we suspect them.

  So what's he going to do, kill the three of us?

  That would bring down an awful lot of heat. He wouldn't risk it unless he was feeling mighty desperate.

  Melanie and Bodie will be gone tomorrow. Once he finds that out, it'll relieve the pressure. And once I've gone to the cops
, I'll have done my share of the damage. He won't have any motive, then, to shut me up.

  We just need to get through the night.

  In her mind, Pen saw Harrison kick open the apartment door and rush in, his.38 blasting. A slug smashed Melanie in the chest, slamming her down. She and Bodie ran, but a bullet caught him in the back. She made it to her bedroom, whipped the shotgun around and cut Harrison in half when he lunged through the doorway. She hurried into the living room. Melanie was dead, but Bodie still breathed. You'll be all right, she told him. You'll be fine.

  Real nice, she thought. I kill off my sister and let Bodie survive.

  Pen knew she wasn't psychic. That was Melanie's department. But she recognized the value of daydreams. What she had imagined was a possible scenario. Unlikely, but possible.

  Just in case, she would brace the door with a chair and keep her shotgun within reach.

  Harrison , she told herself, would have to be insane to barge in shooting.

  But he does have the gun.

  And those handcuffs.

  A former private eye. How come he didn't have to give back the badge and ID when he stopped working for that agency? Maybe he claimed he lost them. A couple of items like that could be very useful, especially if a guy is into rape.

  Not as useful as the handcuffs.

  Don't start thinking about that, she warned herself. Get off it quick.

  But something he'd said that night… something about the job. What was it? Ever shoot someone? No, but he'd drawn his gun a couple of times. Said it was a boring job.

  Except for the repos.

  Holy shit!

  She flinched as someone rapped on her window. Melanie looked in at her. Pen climbed out of the car.

  'Been here long?' Bodie asked. He had sacks of food in his hands.

  Pen shook her head. 'Just a few minutes.' Should she tell them about Harrison, that he'd had experience stealing cars and might even own the tools for it?

  Might just set off Melanie.

  A midnight search for the tools?

  Let's not rock the boat. Save it for the police.

  She took out her suitcase and led the way through the front gate. Heading for the stairs, she swept her eyes across all the apartments surrounding the pool. Did he live in one of them? Pen knew only a few of the tenants. He might be one she didn't know.

  But he knows me.

  He has my panties.

  He'd like to fuck my brains out and…

  Stop it!

  She hurried up the stairs, telling herself to stay calm.

  The creep wouldn't try anything tonight, not with Bodie here.

  And this is my last night here, you filthy scum. Tough luck.

  She opened her apartment door and looked down at the carpet. No message had been slipped under the door during her absence.

  ***

  While she and Melanie set the kitchen table, Bodie went down to get the rest of the luggage.

  'Are you really going to leave tomorrow?' Pen asked.

  'I guess so. I'll come back if Dad… changes.'

  'Do you want to go over to the hospital tonight?'

  'What's the point? He's just… it's like he's dead. I can't stand to see him that way.' Melanie sank into a chair and held her head. 'I just want to forget everything. I want to sleep.'

  'How do you feel?'

  'I've got an awful headache.'

  'I'll get you some aspirin.' Pen went into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. As she reached for the Excedrin, she saw a bottle of sleeping pills. They were Quaaludes, 150 mg, a drug she had been prescribed by her doctor when she complained of insomnia during a bad period following the rape. The expiration date had passed. But the pills shouldn't cause any harm. Even if they weren't quite as strong as they had once been, a couple of them should certainly knock out Melanie for the night. And put a stop to any plan she might have for sneaking out, later on.

  Pen's hands trembled as she shook two of the tablets onto her palm.

  It's a dirty trick, she thought.

  They'll wipe her out. Bodie and I won't have to spend the night standing guard over her.

  She put away the bottle. With the two pills in her hand, she left the bathroom.

  Bodie was sitting down at the table when she entered the kitchen. She took a tumbler from the cupboard and filled it with water. 'I got Mel some aspirin,' she said.

  Bodie nodded.

  She set the glass in front of Melanie and dropped the pills into her palm. 'It's a new brand,' she said. 'They're extra-strength. They may make you a little drowsy, but…'

  'Fine,' Melanie said. She cupped them to her mouth and drank half the water.

  'You don't have blurred vision or nausea, do you?' Bodie asked her.

  'No. Just a headache.'

  'Better lie down after you eat,' Bodie said.

  'Yeah.'

  Pen got a bottle of beer for Bodie and poured wine for herself and Melanie to drink with the meal. Sitting down, she took her tacos from their paper envelopes and put them on her plate. Bodie and Melanie unwrapped their bacon cheeseburgers. Bodie had bought an order of nachos for each of them - tortilla chips smothered with melted cheese and green chilis.

  'All we're missing is a mariachi band,' Bodie said.

  'I should've whipped up some margaritas,' said Pen. It was just as well that she hadn't, she realized; she wouldn't have dared give Melanie the sleeping pills. Some wine on top of the pills might not cause a problem. Tequilla and triple sec, though…

  'Why don't you tell Pen what happened this afternoon?' Bodie suggested.

  Melanie raised a shoulder. 'Not much to tell,' she said, and took a bite of her burger.

  'Apparently,' Bodie said, 'they had quite a lot to say about the three of us. None of it very flattering.'

  ' Harrison really tore into you,' Melanie said, looking rather gleefully at Pen. 'He used names on you that'd make that caller of yours blush.'

  'Sweet of him,' Pen muttered, and bit into a taco. 'Yeah. He thinks you were the brains behind my phone call and breaking into his garage. Said you're out to get him.'

  'Did he happen to say why?'

  'Told Joyce it was because he dumped you.'

  'Is that so.'

  'Said he'd fix your wagon.'

  'My wagon isn't broken.'

  'Said he'd like to ream your ass,' Melanie added. Bodie set down his beer. 'I should've laid waste to that prick when I had the chance.'

  'What did he say about the accident?' Pen asked. 'They know we know. First thing Harrison did when they got back was check the garage. He had it figured out even before he found the broken window that the call was a trick to get rid of him so we could check out his car. When he came back in, he said to Joyce, "I knew it. Those fucks are onto us." Then he told her not to worry, we'd never be able to prove anything.'

  'He was probably right about that,' Bodie said.

  'Joyce is afraid Dad saw Harrison driving. She thought maybe they should inject air into his veins.' Pen stiffened. 'At the hospital?'

  'Yeah. But Harrison told her they'd be idiots to do anything that risky since Dad probably wouldn't ever come to, anyway. He said they should wait and see. Even if Dad does revive, there's only a slight chance he'll have any memory of the accident.'

  Bodie nodded. 'It's very unlikely that he would remember. I fell off a roof when I was a kid, and I still can't remember falling.'

  'What were you doing on a roof?' Pen asked.

  'I don't know. I ate lunch about an hour before it happened, but the rest of it's a blank until I woke up in an ambulance.'

  'That's how Peter Hurkos became psychic,' Melanie said. 'Fell off a ladder or a roof or something.'

  'Well, it didn't make me psychic. Thank God. One around here is…'

  'One too many?' Melanie supplied, and raised an eyebrow.

  Bodie looked annoyed for a moment, then just somber. 'I was going to say, "One is enough." '

  'I bet.'

  'Cut it ou
t,' Pen told her.

  Melanie fixed Pen with a knowing gaze. 'I'm sure you can't wait to get rid of me.'

  'Hey, look, we're on your side.'

  'Then how come you're both so eager to get me back to Phoenix?'

  'It's for your own good,' Bodie told her.

  'Oh, sure.'

  'Look what you did today,' Pen said, trying to keep her voice calm. 'You broke God knows how many laws…'

  ' Lot of good the law is.'

  'Christ, you went ape, you actually assaulted Joyce.

  'She tried to kill our father!'

  'Maybe so.'

  'No maybes.'

  'On top of that, you put yourself in real danger. Bodie, too. You both could've ended up killed because of that dumb stunt you pulled.'

  'And you were safe in the car.'

  'Hey,' Bodie said, 'somebody had to stay out to get help in case the shit hit the fan. Pen wanted to go in instead of me.'

  'Sure, stick up for her.'

  'Damn it!' Bodie slammed his bottle down on the table. Pen flinched. Melanie jumped, then burst into tears and rushed from the kitchen.

  Bodie watched her go. He looked at Pen, shook his head, and muttered, 'Sorry.'

  'She was asking for it.'

  'I know, but…' With a sigh, he pushed back his chair and stood up. 'I'd better apologize to her, or something.'

  ***

  Bodie found her in Pen's room, lying on the bed with a pillow hugged over her eyes. He sat beside her.

  'Leave me alone,' she mumbled.

  'Hey, I'm sorry I lost my temper. Why don't you come on back and finish eating?'

  'I'm not hungry.'

  'Don't you want to grow up to be big and strong?'

  'Ha ha ha.'

  'Come on, Mel.'

  'I just want to sleep. I'm tired and I've got a headache.'

  'You'll feel better if you come out and finish your hamburger.'

  'No, I won't.'

  Bodie put his hand on her belly. Her skin was warm through the blouse. 'I don't like seeing you upset.'

  She sniffed. 'You're both against me.'

  'No we're not. Maybe we were a little quick to snap at you, but it's been pretty tense. We didn't know what was happening to you while you were in that house.'