Read Online Case of Lucy Bending by Lawrence Sanders - Free Book Online
Authors: Lawrence Sanders
Ads: Link
wait.
He watched his brother and sister wander over. Harold, five, was carrying his newest electronic game. It was programmed with song melodies, and the crazy kid stood in the middle of the beach punching buttons like mad.
Lucy stepped delicately down to the water and stuck in a tentative toe. She turned toward Wayne and did a burlesque shiver. Which was a lot of bullshit, Wayne knew; the water still held its summer heat.
Wayne Bending acknowledged his sister's physical beauty. He also knew she was as nutty as a fruitcake. And so was his kid brother, Harry. And so were his mother and father. The whole Bending family, Wayne reflected mournfully, was nutty—and that probably included him.
He looked up the beach and saw Mrs. Empt come out on her terrace. She was wearing a white two-piece bathing suit. Not a bikini, but her belly button showed. It was, Wayne knew, an insy.
When he looked in the other direction, he saw Eddie Holloway coming toward him, trailed by his kid sister, Gloria. She was only a year older than Lucy, but she was wearing the world's smallest bikini; the bottom part looked like an eyepatch.
Gloria went down to the water to join Lucy who, at her mother's insistence, was wearing a modest one-piece suit in a peppermint stripe. The two girls immediately began whispering and giggling. Wayne looked away in disgust.
Edward Holloway came up and leaned his surfboard next to Wayne's.
"Doesn't look fabulous," he said, jerking his chin toward the ocean.
"Not what I'd call incredible," Wayne agreed.
Eddie sat down alongside him and took a pack of cigarettes from the hip pocket of his surfing trunks. They lighted up and puffed importantly. Wayne craned around to stare at the Empts' terrace.
"She's there again," he reported. "Mrs. Empt. Looking at you with binoculars."
"Silly bitch," Eddie Holloway said, combing his long blond hair with his fingers.
"She's hot to trot," Wayne assured him.
"If her brain was as big as her tits," Eddie said, "she'd be a genius."
The two boys laughed and pushed each other. They finished their cigarettes, watching the other kids come straggling from homes up and down the beach. They inspected the girls coldly.
"Who do you like, Eddie?" Wayne asked.
"Barbara Fleming. That diaper suit turns me on. She's ripening nicely. Give her another year ..."
"How about Sue Ann?"
"All ass, no jugs. Jesus, this is going to be a dull day with all those brats around."
"Imfuckingpossible," Wayne said, nodding.
"Let's give the drink a try," Eddie said, flicking his cigarette butt away. "It looks like shit, but you never can tell."
They carried their boards down to the ocean and paddled out. But the waves were too short and choppy for a decent ride. So they came back to their palm tree. They grabbed a Frisbee away from one of the younger kids, spun it back and forth for a while, then gave up.
"Wait here," Eddie Holloway said. "Be right back."
He went to the rear of his own home and returned in a few minutes with four cold cans of beer wrapped in a towel.
"I say, old boy," Wayne Bending said. "Good show."
"Any experienced cat burglar could have done it," Eddie said, shrugging. "The drunks are beginning to gather back there."
They popped the tabs, and sipped their beers solemnly, belching occasionally. Most of the kids had gathered on the Holloway terrace, and were wolfing hot dogs and stuffing their mouths with potato chips, cheese crisps, and cream-filled cupcakes.
"Wanna frank?" Eddie asked. "There's plenty. With pickles, onions, relish, and all that crap."
"What're you having tonight?" Wayne asked.
"Steaks."
"I'll wait for that. I'm not hungry right now. The beer and all . . ."
"Yeah," Eddie agreed. "Beer bloats you. I prefer a good scotch and Pepsi any day, but I've got to sneak it. Listen, kiddo, this day is going to be a disaster; I can feel it. After dinner, suppose I clip a couple of joints and we turn on?"
*'Suits me. Can you get them okay?"
"Sure. When my mother is busy with the party. She
He watched his brother and sister wander over. Harold, five, was carrying his newest electronic game. It was programmed with song melodies, and the crazy kid stood in the middle of the beach punching buttons like mad.
Lucy stepped delicately down to the water and stuck in a tentative toe. She turned toward Wayne and did a burlesque shiver. Which was a lot of bullshit, Wayne knew; the water still held its summer heat.
Wayne Bending acknowledged his sister's physical beauty. He also knew she was as nutty as a fruitcake. And so was his kid brother, Harry. And so were his mother and father. The whole Bending family, Wayne reflected mournfully, was nutty—and that probably included him.
He looked up the beach and saw Mrs. Empt come out on her terrace. She was wearing a white two-piece bathing suit. Not a bikini, but her belly button showed. It was, Wayne knew, an insy.
When he looked in the other direction, he saw Eddie Holloway coming toward him, trailed by his kid sister, Gloria. She was only a year older than Lucy, but she was wearing the world's smallest bikini; the bottom part looked like an eyepatch.
Gloria went down to the water to join Lucy who, at her mother's insistence, was wearing a modest one-piece suit in a peppermint stripe. The two girls immediately began whispering and giggling. Wayne looked away in disgust.
Edward Holloway came up and leaned his surfboard next to Wayne's.
"Doesn't look fabulous," he said, jerking his chin toward the ocean.
"Not what I'd call incredible," Wayne agreed.
Eddie sat down alongside him and took a pack of cigarettes from the hip pocket of his surfing trunks. They lighted up and puffed importantly. Wayne craned around to stare at the Empts' terrace.
"She's there again," he reported. "Mrs. Empt. Looking at you with binoculars."
"Silly bitch," Eddie Holloway said, combing his long blond hair with his fingers.
"She's hot to trot," Wayne assured him.
"If her brain was as big as her tits," Eddie said, "she'd be a genius."
The two boys laughed and pushed each other. They finished their cigarettes, watching the other kids come straggling from homes up and down the beach. They inspected the girls coldly.
"Who do you like, Eddie?" Wayne asked.
"Barbara Fleming. That diaper suit turns me on. She's ripening nicely. Give her another year ..."
"How about Sue Ann?"
"All ass, no jugs. Jesus, this is going to be a dull day with all those brats around."
"Imfuckingpossible," Wayne said, nodding.
"Let's give the drink a try," Eddie said, flicking his cigarette butt away. "It looks like shit, but you never can tell."
They carried their boards down to the ocean and paddled out. But the waves were too short and choppy for a decent ride. So they came back to their palm tree. They grabbed a Frisbee away from one of the younger kids, spun it back and forth for a while, then gave up.
"Wait here," Eddie Holloway said. "Be right back."
He went to the rear of his own home and returned in a few minutes with four cold cans of beer wrapped in a towel.
"I say, old boy," Wayne Bending said. "Good show."
"Any experienced cat burglar could have done it," Eddie said, shrugging. "The drunks are beginning to gather back there."
They popped the tabs, and sipped their beers solemnly, belching occasionally. Most of the kids had gathered on the Holloway terrace, and were wolfing hot dogs and stuffing their mouths with potato chips, cheese crisps, and cream-filled cupcakes.
"Wanna frank?" Eddie asked. "There's plenty. With pickles, onions, relish, and all that crap."
"What're you having tonight?" Wayne asked.
"Steaks."
"I'll wait for that. I'm not hungry right now. The beer and all . . ."
"Yeah," Eddie agreed. "Beer bloats you. I prefer a good scotch and Pepsi any day, but I've got to sneak it. Listen, kiddo, this day is going to be a disaster; I can feel it. After dinner, suppose I clip a couple of joints and we turn on?"
*'Suits me. Can you get them okay?"
"Sure. When my mother is busy with the party. She
Similar Books
