Endless Night (36 page)

“You know damn well.”

Sharon threw down the robe. She grabbed Jody by the shoulders. But didn’t squeeze hard. Didn’t shake her. “Okay, Jody. Tell me. Right now.”

“You fucked him.”

Sharon’s fingers tightened their grip. Then she seemed to realize what she was doing, and let go. Her arms fell to her sides. The look in her eyes made Jody want to turn away. It was as if she could see all the way to the back of Jody’s head. “I see. I fucked him. There are only two hims around here, so which one was it?”

“You know dam well.”

“Tell me.”

“Dad.”

“Wrong.”

“Andy? You ... ! He’s only twelve years old! My God, what kind of depraved sex pervert are you!”

Sharon shook her head. She didn’t look particularly upset, but she sure looked solemn. “Well, I’m glad to know we don’t have a real problem.”

“You don’t call ... !”

“I haven’t fucked anyone—as you so delicately put it. Not recently. Not even close to recently. Certainly not your father or Andy. My God, Jody. I might not be as pure as the driven snow, but I don’t go around jumping in the sack with guys I just met—and I sure don’t go around seducing children. What on earth makes you think I’d do something like that?”

“What I ... I found evidence in the wastebasket.”

“Do you always go around looking in the wastebaskets?”

“No! I was throwing out my bandages and ... and I saw it.”

“What did you see?”

“The wrapper. The condom wrapper.”

Sharon narrowed her eyes. Her lips were a straight, tight line. She shook her head. “I see.”

She stepped around Jody and entered the bathroom.

“Come in here, please.”

Jody followed her, watched her squat in front of the wastebasket and reach down. After searching for a couple of seconds, Sharon stood up and turned around. She held out the torn foil wrapper toward Jody. “What does that say?”

Jody gazed at it, stunned. “Oh, my God,” she muttered.

“Wrong. It says Alka-Seltzer. The booze and all those chips and things last night didn’t agree with me.”

“So ... you didn’t...”

“No, I didn’t. My God, Jody. Everything else aside, do you actually think your father would leave you and Andy unprotected so that he could sneak into my bed for a quickie?”

“Well ...”

“He would never do a thing like that. Do you want to know what we did? After you two kids zonked out, he came over here with me and gave me a kiss at the door.”

“You don’t have to ...”

“We kissed, and it was very nice, but I didn’t ask him in and he didn’t invite himself in. He went back to the other room and planted himself on the balcony in front of the door and that’s where he stayed. He wouldn’t even let me relieve him. Said I needed my beauty sleep.”

“Your beauty sleep?”

“Yeah, my beauty sleep. I thought it was a really sweet thing to say.”

“I know.”

“Your dad’s a sweet guy.”

“Yeah. I know. Oh, jeez, Sharon, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Sharon crouched and picked up her robe. “Just don’t jump to conclusions about me, okay?”

“I’m such an idiot.”

“You’re fine, Jody. Now, move it or lose it, I’ve got a shower to take.” As Jody stepped out of the way, Sharon gave her upper arm a gentle squeeze. “And don’t worry, I won’t say anything to your dad.”

“Thanks.”

In the bathroom doorway, Sharon turned around. She raised her eyebrows. “We’re friends?”

“You bet.”

“Good deal.”

Chapter Thirty-three

Her father was gone from the balcony, but Jody saw him as she walked past the window of room 238. He was at the table, in the chair Sharon had occupied last night, almost out of sight beyond the edge of the curtain.

She knocked on the door. Andy opened it for her. He’d gotten dressed. His hair was even combed, and still looked wet.

“Been waiting long?” she asked him.

“Yeah. What took you so long?” He shut the door after Jody was in.

“Things,” she said, and gave him a mysterious smile. She pulled the other chair away from the table and sat down. Andy dropped onto the end of the bed where she’d slept. Near the foot of the other bed was Dad’s Mossberg shotgun. “Where’d that come from?”

“It’s been around,” Dad said.

“I thought you left it in the car.”

“It wouldn’t do us much good there.”

She wondered for a moment what she’d done with her Smith & Wesson, then remembered sliding it under the front seat of the car just as they’d pulled into the Texaco station last night. It must still be there. The magazine and box of ammo, too. Unless Dad or Sharon had gone under there and taken them out.

Ask?

If she asked, she would get a firearms lecture.

So she decided to let it go. The gun was probably right where she’d left it.

It better be. If somebody broke in the car and stole it last night
...

Not likely. The car was just down below in the parking lot, in plain view from the balcony where Dad had stood watch.

I shouldn’t have left it there, anyway, she told herself. Major stupid move.

I’m being major stupid a lot lately.

Maybe it has to do with having people trying to murder you all the time.

“So, what’re we doing now?” she asked.

“Now that you’re here,” Dad said, “we’re waiting for Sharon.”

“Well, she’s done with her shower. I heard the water go off just before I left and came over here.”

“Is your stuff all packed and ready to go?” Dad asked.

“Pretty much. Are we gonna leave, or have breakfast, or what?”

“Checkout time isn’t till noon. That gives us almost an hour and a half. I think we might as well leave everything in the rooms and go have breakfast. We can load up the car after we get back, then make some final pit stops and be on our way.”

“On our way where?” Jody asked.

Dad smiled at Andy. “That’s just what we were discussing when you came along.”

“We’re not going to Phoenix,” Andy told her.

“Thank God for that.”

“I suppose I’ll have to phone Spaulding sooner or later,” Dad said.

“Don’t hurry,” Andy suggested.

“He’s been notified that you turned up—that’ll do for the time being. I’ll want to check with a few people and find out where we stand before I have it out with him. In the meantime, just consider yourself part of the family.”

Andy grinned. “Can I choose which part?”

“Family pet,” Jody said.

“Ha ha. Is Sharon like part of the family, too?” he asked.

Dad shrugged. “Guess so.”

Narrowing his eyes, Andy rubbed his chin like an old sage stroking his goatee. “Let’s say Sharon’s my wife. You two can be our kids.”

“Get outa here,” Jody said.

Dad just shook his head. On his crooked mouth was a true smirk.

“How about it?” Andy asked.

At least he’s not miserable and crying, Jody told herself.

“You’d have to ask Sharon,” Dad said.

“Maybe she’s got a soft spot in her heart,” Jody said, “for obnoxious pip-squeaks.”

“Then she must love you.”

“In your ear.”

“Children, children, let’s try to get along.”

Just then, Sharon appeared on the balcony. She glanced through the window and raised a hand in greeting as she walked by.

“There’s the little woman now,” Andy said, and hopped up to open the door. Swinging it wide, he bowed slightly. “My dear, we’ve been expecting you.”

Sharon wrinkled her nose and looked from Jody to Jack. “What’s with
him?
”

“He’s bonkers for you,” Jody explained.

Andy winced and went scarlet. “I
am not.
I’m just kidding around.
Cripes!”

Grinning at him, Sharon said, “Nothing to be ashamed of, pal. Guys are always going bonkers for me.”

Jody turned so she could see her father. His face looked almost as red as Andy’s.

“You do look very nice this morning,” Dad said. It sounded like a perfunctory compliment, but Jody had no doubt that he meant it. Meant it in a big way.

Sharon bobbed her head a bit and said, “Thanks.”

She looked fresh and cool and ready for adventure. Her short-sleeved white blouse had epaulettes and pocket flaps and its top few buttons undone. The blouse seemed a bit large for her. It wasn’t tucked in, and hung straight down from the front of her breasts so that it hid the top few inches of her shorts. The shorts were tan, loose around her legs, and very short. Their cuffs surrounded her thighs just below the hanging tails of her blouse.

Her legs were tawny and sleek. And they had muscles.

She wore white socks that came up just above her ankles. Her low-top British Knights looked brand new and brilliant white.

From her shoulder hung a brown leather purse.

Jody wondered if Sharon’s pistol was in the purse. It might be there. Since her blouse wasn’t tucked in, though, she might be carrying it in the waist of her shorts. Either in back or in front.

The way her blouse hung out in front, she could have
hand grenades
strapped to her belly and you’d never see a bulge.

Jody glanced from Dad to Andy. They were both watching Sharon—who wasn’t even
doing
anything. Just standing there, hip out so she was mostly on one leg, her right hand hanging on to the shoulder strap of her purse, her left ... maybe the guys were staring because of how the strap of the purse was pressing against Sharon’s right breast.

Men.
Jeez.

“So,” Sharon said. “What’s up? Do we check out now, or find a place to eat, or ... ?”

“I think we’ll go and eat,” Dad told her. “Checkout isn’t till noon, so we’ve got all kinds of time.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“There’s a Denny’s just down the road.”

Jody expected him, next, to say, “Let’s walk. It’s not all that far. The exercise’ll do us good.” Before he could get the chance, she said, “We’ll drive, won’t we? My feet are still sort of racked up, and Andy’s got a bad knee. Anyway, I just took a shower. I don’t want to get all sweaty and yucked up.”

“What the hey,” Dad said. “We can drive.”

While he wrapped the shotgun inside their old blanket, Sharon opened the door and checked outside.

In the hot back seat of the car, Jody ducked down and slid her hand underneath Sharon’s seat. The carpet felt gritty.

“What’re you doing?” Andy asked.

She touched her pistol. “Nothing.” She left it there and sat up straight.

Dad eased out of the parking space. “Since we’re not walking, we aren’t limited to the Denny’s. Whatsay we scout around and see if we can’t find a local place?”

“Here we go,” Jody said.

“You can eat at a Denny’s any time,” he explained as he backed out of the parking space.

“I know, I know.”

“Maybe we can find a McDonalds,” Andy said.

“Oh, you’re dreaming,” Jody said. “You and Sharon have gotta say goodbye to all the nice, reliable chain-food places you’ve come to know and love. You’re traveling with Kong Fargo, now.”

Dad laughed.

“His life is a quest for culinary adventures.”

“We’re on the road,” he said. “Why settle for the same food we can get a few blocks from home?”

“I’m with you,” Sharon told him. “It’s not just the food, either. You get some local color.”

“And some local germs,” Andy said.

Jody laughed and nudged him with her elbow.

“Comedians,” Dad muttered.

As he steered past the Denny’s, Jody said, “Farewell to all that is familiar and safe.”

During the next few minutes, she came to see that Sharon was even better suited for Dad than she’d suspected. Sharon not only ignored the national chain restaurants, but even wanted to avoid local places that appeared reasonably normal. “Aah, that joint looks boring,” she would say. Or, “Too mundane.” Or, “What kind of ambience is
that?”

“You eat there,” Dad would add, “and you won’t even remember it by tomorrow.”

“We’re gonna starve,” Andy said.

“Nope,” Jody assured him. “Any minute now, they’ll spot some dark, greasy dive that sports enough atmosphere to seem picturesque.”

Jody was the one who spotted it, though.

“Thar she blows.”

It was called Kactus Kate’s.

“Good eye, good eye,” Dad said—a compliment he usually reserved for Jody when she chose not to swing her baseball bat at a bad pitch.

“That’s a great sign up there,” Sharon said.

The sign suspended above the cafe’s door was a six-foot Saguaro cactus that resembled a skinny green man with raised arms. Nobody had gone so far as to paint a face on the cactus, but it did sport a red sombrero tilted at a jaunty angle. The sign looked as if it had been cut out of plywood. It looked long overdue for a fresh coat of paint.

Dad swung to the curb in front of Kactus Kate’s.

“We’re really going to
eat
here?” Andy asked.

Jody nodded. “Bet you’re wishing you’d stayed on the roof of the gas station.”

“If it’s really bad,” Dad said, “we’ll look for someplace else.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, Andy. They’re almost never that bad.”

Dad plucked the key out of the ignition.

“Maybe we shouldn’t,” Sharon said, frowning at him. “If the kids really don’t want to try a place like this ...”

“Jody just likes to hear herself complain. She gets a kick out of trying these places. Right, honey?”

Sharon looked around at her.

Jody shrugged. “They keep life interesting, sort of. But then, so does a sharp stick in the eye.”

“What about you?” Sharon asked Andy.

“I don’t know. We always used to eat at McDonalds or Burger King, or ...”

“Are you willing to give this a try?”

“I guess so. Sure, why not?”

“Hey,” Jody said to him, “what’s the worst that can happen?”

“That’s
what I like to hear,” Sharon said. “Let’s go get ’em.”

Kactus Kate’s had the decor of an old west museum: walls hung with wagon wheels; rusty lanterns; branding irons; paintings of lonesome deserts and cliff dwellings; and framed, yellowing photos of the likes of Jesse James, Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Custer, Buffalo Bill, the Wild Bunch, Wyatt Earp, and Dad’s all-time favorite gun fighter, James Butler Hickok.