Read Online Case of Lucy Bending by Lawrence Sanders - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lawrence Sanders
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keeps a dozen or so in her diaphragm case. She'll never miss a couple. This is top-grade grass, the real stuff. We'll fly."
"Sounds good," Wayne Bending said. "When?"
"I'll give you the signal and we'll cut out."
"Whatever you say, Eddie."
They opened their second beers. They watched Teresa Empt walk slowly along the beach in her two-piece suit. Her
long black hair swung loosely down her back. She didn't turn her head to look at them.
"You gotta admit, Eddie," Wayne said, "it's not a bad piece."
"Good lungs," Eddie admitted, "but who needs it? I wonder if she gives head?"
"Would you like a little of that?"
"Depends," Edward Holloway said judiciously. "Maybe once. For laughs."
"I gotta pee," Wayne said.
"Let's take a swim and you can piss in the ocean. The fish won't mind. Then we'll go around to the pool and see what the old farts are up to."
Adults began gathering about 3:00 P.M . in the pool and patio area between the Holloway home and highway A1 A. A rank growth of tropical foliage hid the party from the road. By 4:00 P.M ., there were eight cars parked on the crushed shell driveway, and there were a dozen people in the pool.
Maria, who had not been fired, was serving, along with John Stewart Wellington, the Empts' black houseman who had been borrowed for the occasion and who insisted on being addressed by his full name.
By 5:00 P.M ., most of the kids had moved around to the pool from the beach. Jane Holloway had invited twenty adults and had ordered enough food to feed thirty, knowing how friends liked to bring friends. Some of the guests also brought bottles, and some brought chilled mangoes, melons, or pastries.
The bar, set up under a big umbrella on the patio, had the usual selection of whiskeys, mixers, and soft drinks. Beer and wine were also available, and there was a large pitcher of Strawberry Pina Colada and one of Banana Daiquiries. Bill Holloway served as bartender, and was his own best customer.
Some of the adults who had been in the pool went into the house to change back into slacks or shorts and shirts, but many men and women continued wearing their bathing suits. The bar began to get a big play. A few of the men clustered around a portable TV set to watch the last quarter of the Hurricanes' game.
There were bowls of potato chips, salted peanuts, chunks of sharp cheddar, and a tub of iced olives, radishes, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, cucumber chunks, peppers, celery stalks. At 6:00 P.M ., John Stewart Wellington brought out an enormous platter with five pounds of boiled and peeled shrimp on a bed of crushed ice.
A caterer had been hired to prepare and serve the dinner, which would consist of broiled New York strip steaks, baked yams, and a mixed green salad with hearts of palm. The caterer's truck arrived at 7:00 P.M . The chef, wearing a high toque blanche, began to spread charcoal in the Hollo ways' brick barbecue.
Jane Holloway, having planned and arranged for all this, left the work to the hired hands and mingled with her guests on the patio, in the pool, at the bar. She detested domestic chores and intended to enjoy her own party.
She was wearing a maillot of black stretch nylon, cut very high on the thighs and very low in back. She was sleek and shiny as a seal. During the afternoon she drank Perrier water with a lime squeeze. Then she switched to white wine.
About 5:30, Ronald Bending sought her out and held a light for one of the thin brown cigarillos she habitually smoked.
"Good party," he said.
"Is it?" she said, looking around. "I guess. Thanks for bringing the shrimp. Was that Grace's idea?"
"That's right," he said, smiling. "I wanted to bring booze. How about you and me taking a walk down to the beach?"
She looked at him with wide, unblinking eyes. "Why would I want to do that?"
"Something I want to talk to you about," he said. "Won't take long. A few minutes."
She considered a moment. "All right. It'll give your wife something to worry about."
He followed her along
"Sounds good," Wayne Bending said. "When?"
"I'll give you the signal and we'll cut out."
"Whatever you say, Eddie."
They opened their second beers. They watched Teresa Empt walk slowly along the beach in her two-piece suit. Her
long black hair swung loosely down her back. She didn't turn her head to look at them.
"You gotta admit, Eddie," Wayne said, "it's not a bad piece."
"Good lungs," Eddie admitted, "but who needs it? I wonder if she gives head?"
"Would you like a little of that?"
"Depends," Edward Holloway said judiciously. "Maybe once. For laughs."
"I gotta pee," Wayne said.
"Let's take a swim and you can piss in the ocean. The fish won't mind. Then we'll go around to the pool and see what the old farts are up to."
Adults began gathering about 3:00 P.M . in the pool and patio area between the Holloway home and highway A1 A. A rank growth of tropical foliage hid the party from the road. By 4:00 P.M ., there were eight cars parked on the crushed shell driveway, and there were a dozen people in the pool.
Maria, who had not been fired, was serving, along with John Stewart Wellington, the Empts' black houseman who had been borrowed for the occasion and who insisted on being addressed by his full name.
By 5:00 P.M ., most of the kids had moved around to the pool from the beach. Jane Holloway had invited twenty adults and had ordered enough food to feed thirty, knowing how friends liked to bring friends. Some of the guests also brought bottles, and some brought chilled mangoes, melons, or pastries.
The bar, set up under a big umbrella on the patio, had the usual selection of whiskeys, mixers, and soft drinks. Beer and wine were also available, and there was a large pitcher of Strawberry Pina Colada and one of Banana Daiquiries. Bill Holloway served as bartender, and was his own best customer.
Some of the adults who had been in the pool went into the house to change back into slacks or shorts and shirts, but many men and women continued wearing their bathing suits. The bar began to get a big play. A few of the men clustered around a portable TV set to watch the last quarter of the Hurricanes' game.
There were bowls of potato chips, salted peanuts, chunks of sharp cheddar, and a tub of iced olives, radishes, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, cucumber chunks, peppers, celery stalks. At 6:00 P.M ., John Stewart Wellington brought out an enormous platter with five pounds of boiled and peeled shrimp on a bed of crushed ice.
A caterer had been hired to prepare and serve the dinner, which would consist of broiled New York strip steaks, baked yams, and a mixed green salad with hearts of palm. The caterer's truck arrived at 7:00 P.M . The chef, wearing a high toque blanche, began to spread charcoal in the Hollo ways' brick barbecue.
Jane Holloway, having planned and arranged for all this, left the work to the hired hands and mingled with her guests on the patio, in the pool, at the bar. She detested domestic chores and intended to enjoy her own party.
She was wearing a maillot of black stretch nylon, cut very high on the thighs and very low in back. She was sleek and shiny as a seal. During the afternoon she drank Perrier water with a lime squeeze. Then she switched to white wine.
About 5:30, Ronald Bending sought her out and held a light for one of the thin brown cigarillos she habitually smoked.
"Good party," he said.
"Is it?" she said, looking around. "I guess. Thanks for bringing the shrimp. Was that Grace's idea?"
"That's right," he said, smiling. "I wanted to bring booze. How about you and me taking a walk down to the beach?"
She looked at him with wide, unblinking eyes. "Why would I want to do that?"
"Something I want to talk to you about," he said. "Won't take long. A few minutes."
She considered a moment. "All right. It'll give your wife something to worry about."
He followed her along
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