The Case of the Lady in Apartment 308 (11 page)

As he reached the top of the stairs, Marcia came from the closer empty apartment and called softly to him.

Ed walked back toward her. “You didn’t answer my knock.”

“I was in the bathroom.”

He gave a brilliant response. He said, “Oh.” Then he added, “Are you okay?”

She blushed scarlet. She didn’t reply. She just stood there, smiling.

His slow feet had gotten his body to hers, and he took her into his rain-wet arms and pressed her against his sopping body. He kissed her until neither of them could breathe correctly.

What was he doing? He slowly released her and just looked at her.

Marcia said, “I owe you for the jackpot.”

Since she offered, he said, “No, the evening was my treat. I didn’t win the jackpot, you did. It’s yours.”

Did she insist on paying him? No. She just grinned and said, “It was such a nice evening—”

“Winning money helps.”

She ignored him and finished her sentence, “But last night was better.”

She knew the right buttons to punch. He was melted caramel—sweet, soft and malleable—just like that.

He asked, “Anybody with you?” And he looked beyond her to her apartments.

“My brother is helping me paint.”

“Oh.”

Her eyes sparkled. “What did you have in mind to look so deflated?”

He regarded her for just a minute before his smile began.

She watched the smile grow as she grinned and licked her lips.

He looked beyond her and back down the stairs. No one was around, so he kissed her again.

It was a stupid thing to do, but he didn’t realize it, then.

She fit against him so nicely. She was so soft. She wiggled a little to get closer and aroused him unduly.

He panted.

She drew back a little and put her hand to his cheek. “What’s the matter?”

He regarded her soberly and told her the truth. “You really trigger me. I want you.”

She grinned widely and replied, “Good.”

“What’s good about it?”

“I want to do it again. It was just so nice.”

Earnestly, he urged, “Do it again, with me.”

Sassily, she told him, “No one else offered.”

And he was shocked. Could she have become twenty-three and not yet realized…? And he pitied all the guys who’d tried and hadn’t been understood by her. But he was glad that had happened. And he was glad it had been nice for her. He asked, “What do you. think about TEXAS?”

She considered the premise. Then she inquired kindly, “It’s south of here? South and somewhat west?”

“Would you like to drive down with me to see it?”

“Are you going to Texas?”

“I’ve learned that one says TEXAS as if it’s all in caps.”

“Why is that?”

Ed shrugged. “It’s the biggest state?”

“No, Alaska is.”

Ed nodded. “Then it’s probably a throwback to the time before Alaska was gobbled up. I’m going down there. Come along with me. It’ll open up new horizons.”

She whispered, “That was done last night.”

He groaned as if with great pain.

“What’s the matter?” She put her hand on his chest and looked up at him in concern.

“I want you, right now.”

She grinned and shook her head, but she blushed scarlet.

So he kissed her.

When he finally lifted his mouth, he urged, “Come with me.”

“I can’t. Not right now. I’ll come down to see you when I’m free.”

“You
are
married?”

“No, silly. I’m working on…a project.”

He asked tersely, “With the cops?”

“It’s a survey. It should be over soon.” She nodded with her words. “I can come down later. I would like to.”

She shivered his insides. He coughed to clear his throat. “I’ll be driving down on Friday morning. If you change your mind, you can go with me, then.”

She considered it and said, “That does give me some elbow room. I’ll let you know.”

“Now?”

“No, silly. When I’m free.”

“I’ll be in touch. I’ll call you. I’ll see to it that you have my number and where I’ll be.”

“All right.”

He carefully crowded her. She allowed him to again draw her very close as he hugged her to his wet body. He wasn’t even aware of being so rain-soaked. He was hot. So was his wet jogging suit.

That amused her. Oh, well, she could change easily enough.

She looked around to see if anyone was observing them.

So Ed looked, too. He’d forgotten about looking for someone else. He kissed her.

It was the skyrocket type of kiss, and they left this planet.

Oddly, they heard voices. He made soothing sounds to her, but some yahoo took hold of Marcia’s arm and said to Ed, “Let go! It’s
now!”
And he slammed a gun belt into her hands.

Marcia exclaimed, “Oh! Now?”

And the lump confirmed it. “They just got here. It’s
now!”

Marcia wiggled and pushed Ed from her. “I’ve got to go.”

Ed saw the big man was running down the stairs. He asked, “What—?”

“They’re robbing the bank.”

“Who?”

Another big man in coveralls came from the apartment and said, “Right now!”

And Marcia followed the guy recklessly down the stairs!

They were all
cops!

Ed was offended. Then he went to the apartment to look out, and he saw the binoculars on the table in plain sight. It had been a stakeout.
That’s
why she’d been there. She really wasn’t a painter.

Ed picked up the binoculars and went to the window. He focused on her as she ran across the street to where some squad car had drawn up.

She was in danger!

Ed put the binoculars down and went out of the apartment, down the hall and down the stairs two at a time without any thought at all.

He ran all the way down the block and was stopped dead by a cop who asked for—ID.

Ed told the cop, “Marcia’s over there.”

“Yeah. Let’s see your driver’s license.”

“I’m jogging. I’ve got to help her.”

“She can take care of herself. Let me see some ID or you’re going downtown.”

The cop was serious.

Of course, being in jogging clothes, Ed carried no ID. He put out his arms and said again, “I’ve been jogging.”

“Good for you. Go away. You’re distracting me. It’s just a good thing for you that I know who the hell you are. Now, shut up and stand aside.”

Ed did that. He stretched and looked and moved and was snarled at by the nasty cop.

There was bedlam on beyond and—a gunshot!

The cop caught Ed as he ran past and slammed him against the side of a cruiser. The cop snarled, “Stay there! One move and I zap you.”

It was only then that Ed realized the cop was almost as wired as he was.

Ed stood still. But he shivered with his need to find Marcia.

Was she all right? Where was she? His teeth rattled a little.

Ed took an arguing breath, and the cop didn’t even turn around. He just growled and said real low and mean as he concentrated at a distance, “Shut up and stay still.”

It was all over in only one…millennium. Ed was frayed. The cop wasn’t much better. Other people came into sight. There she was! She was on her feet and directing people. She had a whistle in her mouth and she was getting people out of the way. She didn’t need him. She was a pro.

Ed stood and just watched her. She was okay. She had to quit the force. Women had no business—at all—being cops. She could get hurt. She could have been…killed.

He stood a long while. She went to a squad car and left. The cop near Ed was directing traffic. People were rubbernecking and asking questions.

It was over.

She was all right.

Ed slowly went back to his compound. He could barely walk it. Instead of being jumpy, he was drained. He stood in the shower for a long time. He slowly came to the acknowledgment that he was lucky he was leaving Peoria.

If the job in TEXAS didn’t work out, he’d go on to California.

It was a serious thing he was escaping there. Marcia was dangerous to a man who had survived women for thirty-seven years.

He could barely move. He found he wanted to cry. She’d been right in the middle of danger, and he’d been kept away from helping her. What all
else
would she get into?

It really was a good thing that he was leaving.

The car came into the compound with just a whisper. He glanced out of the window and saw her get out of the squad car. She came up to the door as he opened it.

She was full of herself. She was excited and laughing and gesturing, and he stood there assuring himself that she wasn’t a ghost. She was real.

He heard her say, “…was easy! We did it!”

Ed replied, “You have to quit your job.”

She stood still as her face sobered. She looked at him as an adult does to a recalcitrant child. She said,
“Why.” It was not a question. It was an invitation for an adult to hear what the imbecile had as a reason for such a stupid remark.

“I can’t stand it.”

She frowned slightly. “You can’t stand…what?”

“Not being able to help you.”

That melted her down. It was she who was caramel all sweet and easy. She laughed so gently, deep in her throat. She went to Ed and put her arms around him.

But his arms were tense and crushing as he held her to him. “I can’t handle you being a cop.”

“Prejudice is not couth.”

“Then I’m—uncouth.”

“I hadn’t noticed!” she exclaimed in some elaboration, but she laughed low in her throat. “Want to lie down a while and rest? I’d like to twiddle with you.”

Ed scowled. “Playing cops turns you on?”

Marcia considered. “I don’t think that’s it. But I have been exuberant. We got them! Hah!”

“Who?”

“The bank robbers! They weren’t smart enough to quit after the first one. Now they’re really in trouble.”

She walked away from Ed to the window. “Your neighbors will question you about the squad car being parked in front of your place.”

“What should I tell them?”

She shrugged sassily. “Oh…that we finally caught up with you?”

He pushed. “Are you quitting your job?”

“No, but I have some time off. I can go with you, now. If you’d still like company down to Texas… whoops, sorry. TEXAS.”

“Can you be ready by Friday?”

She grinned at Ed. “Yeah.”

“You’re supposed to say, ‘Yes, sir.’”

“Oh.”

“Aren’t you gonna say it right?”

“No, sir.”

He smiled slowly. Then he went to her and held her against him.

She said, “I can read a road map.”

“That would help.”

She was sly as she grinned wickedly. “You could fiddle around with my body.”

And Ed hugged her tightly as he said in a foggy voice, “Done.”

“Not yet.”

There’s nothing worse than a sassy woman. It was just a good thing he knew how to handle her.

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