freaked me out like that.'
The guy's time ran out, but he called again. 'Suck me, honey. Open up wide. Suck me off. I want to come in your mouth. I want to shoot my load down your throat. Come on, open up. Open wide, you whore. Yes, yes. Take me in, swallow my cock and- beeeeep.'
Three down, one to go.
Bodie took a deep breath.
The fourth message started.
'Pen, it's Joyce. Your father's been in a terrible accident. I'm at the emergency room of the Beverlywood Medical Center on Pico. You'd better get here as soon as you can.'
CHAPTER SEVEN
Pen struggled awake. Someone was knocking on her door. Why was her door shut, and who…? She remembered. Melanie's here. And her boyfriend, Bodie. The guy I stabbed .
What if I'd killed him?
She seemed to shrink inside.
The door opened and Melanie's face appeared in the gap. She looked hurt and confused. 'You'd better get dressed.'
'What's wrong?'
'We listened to the tape.'
Pen's throat went tight. 'Well, damn it, thanks a bunch. You and Bodie both?'
'Joyce was on it.'
'Huh?'
'On your tape. Dad's been hurt. They took him to an emergency room. Joyce didn't say how he was, just that he'd been in a terrible accident.'
'God. Oh, no.'
'We'd better get over there.'
'Yeah. Yeah. I'll just be a minute.'
The door shut.
Pen sprang from the bed. She flung her pajamas off.
An accident. Dad.
In a daze, she took panties from her drawer and stepped into them. She was still pulling them up as she rushed to her closet. She tugged a pair of white slacks off a hanger, put them on, and grabbed the nearest blouse. It was burgundy, silken, too dressy for the slacks. She didn't care. She put it on and pushed her feet into sandals while she fastened the buttons. She let the blouse hang out. She zipped her pants on the way to the door.
'… call her,' Bodie was saying as she entered the living room. 'She could tell you how he's doing.'
'I guess.'
'Call Joyce?' Pen asked. 'Yeah.' She turned back and went into the kitchen. Her disconnected telephone was still on top of the refrigerator. She pulled it down and plugged it into the wall. With a shaky hand, she dialed. Melanie appeared beside her.
A busy signal.
She hung up. 'It's busy.'
Melanie, closing her eyes, let out a long breath as if having the news postponed was a blessing.
Pen drew the girl gently against her. Melanie's arms went around her and she rested her forehead against the side of Pen's neck. Her breath felt hot through the blouse. 'Don't worry, okay?'
'I'm scared.'
'So am I.'
'What if he's dead?'
'He's not. Joyce would've said so.' But my phones were unplugged, Pen thought. Joyce might've tried to call back. 'Come on, Mel. Let's go.' She eased the girl away.
'Do you know where they took him?'
'The Beverly wood Medical Center.'
'Okay. It's not far.'
They hurried down to the front of the apartment building. Bodie offered to drive. His blue van was parked at the curb. Pen rode in the passenger seat and gave directions, while Melanie crouched behind the gap and hung onto the seat backs.
The numbness in Pen wouldn't pass. None of this seemed real.
'Make a right on Pico,' she said.
***
When Pen finally saw the hospital at the end of the next block, she felt as if she were in an elevator and its floor had dropped out from under her feet.
'That's it,' she gasped.
Bodie swung his van to the curb. 'Is this close enough?'
'Fine,' Melanie said.
It's as close as I ever want to get, Pen thought.
They climbed out. Bodie fed the meter. Melanie took his hand, and Pen led the way.
The morning sky was deep blue. The mild
The guy's time ran out, but he called again. 'Suck me, honey. Open up wide. Suck me off. I want to come in your mouth. I want to shoot my load down your throat. Come on, open up. Open wide, you whore. Yes, yes. Take me in, swallow my cock and- beeeeep.'
Three down, one to go.
Bodie took a deep breath.
The fourth message started.
'Pen, it's Joyce. Your father's been in a terrible accident. I'm at the emergency room of the Beverlywood Medical Center on Pico. You'd better get here as soon as you can.'
CHAPTER SEVEN
Pen struggled awake. Someone was knocking on her door. Why was her door shut, and who…? She remembered. Melanie's here. And her boyfriend, Bodie. The guy I stabbed .
What if I'd killed him?
She seemed to shrink inside.
The door opened and Melanie's face appeared in the gap. She looked hurt and confused. 'You'd better get dressed.'
'What's wrong?'
'We listened to the tape.'
Pen's throat went tight. 'Well, damn it, thanks a bunch. You and Bodie both?'
'Joyce was on it.'
'Huh?'
'On your tape. Dad's been hurt. They took him to an emergency room. Joyce didn't say how he was, just that he'd been in a terrible accident.'
'God. Oh, no.'
'We'd better get over there.'
'Yeah. Yeah. I'll just be a minute.'
The door shut.
Pen sprang from the bed. She flung her pajamas off.
An accident. Dad.
In a daze, she took panties from her drawer and stepped into them. She was still pulling them up as she rushed to her closet. She tugged a pair of white slacks off a hanger, put them on, and grabbed the nearest blouse. It was burgundy, silken, too dressy for the slacks. She didn't care. She put it on and pushed her feet into sandals while she fastened the buttons. She let the blouse hang out. She zipped her pants on the way to the door.
'… call her,' Bodie was saying as she entered the living room. 'She could tell you how he's doing.'
'I guess.'
'Call Joyce?' Pen asked. 'Yeah.' She turned back and went into the kitchen. Her disconnected telephone was still on top of the refrigerator. She pulled it down and plugged it into the wall. With a shaky hand, she dialed. Melanie appeared beside her.
A busy signal.
She hung up. 'It's busy.'
Melanie, closing her eyes, let out a long breath as if having the news postponed was a blessing.
Pen drew the girl gently against her. Melanie's arms went around her and she rested her forehead against the side of Pen's neck. Her breath felt hot through the blouse. 'Don't worry, okay?'
'I'm scared.'
'So am I.'
'What if he's dead?'
'He's not. Joyce would've said so.' But my phones were unplugged, Pen thought. Joyce might've tried to call back. 'Come on, Mel. Let's go.' She eased the girl away.
'Do you know where they took him?'
'The Beverly wood Medical Center.'
'Okay. It's not far.'
They hurried down to the front of the apartment building. Bodie offered to drive. His blue van was parked at the curb. Pen rode in the passenger seat and gave directions, while Melanie crouched behind the gap and hung onto the seat backs.
The numbness in Pen wouldn't pass. None of this seemed real.
'Make a right on Pico,' she said.
***
When Pen finally saw the hospital at the end of the next block, she felt as if she were in an elevator and its floor had dropped out from under her feet.
'That's it,' she gasped.
Bodie swung his van to the curb. 'Is this close enough?'
'Fine,' Melanie said.
It's as close as I ever want to get, Pen thought.
They climbed out. Bodie fed the meter. Melanie took his hand, and Pen led the way.
The morning sky was deep blue. The mild
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