Read Online Elizabeth Zelvin - Bruce Kohler 04 - Death Will Save Your Life by Elizabeth Zelvin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Zelvin
Ads: Link
Annabel, reassurances and exhortations to hang on to Bruce, and cries for help. Surely somebody would hear her.
Okay, I was stupid. I was just making conversation, talking about what had happened to deflect her from trying to get my shorts off. She thought I was accusing her of the murders and didn’t wait to check. I’d be jumpy too if I’d killed two people. Sitting on the edge of the raft while I treaded water, she scissored her long legs around my neck and squeezed. When I began to squawk and flail, she slammed the heel of one hand down hard on the top of my head. With the other hand, she chopped at whatever she could reach.
I clawed at her legs, but I couldn’t break her grip. Those lean thighs were tough as beef jerky. Water flowed into my nostrils in what felt like a tidal surge of duckweed, swan poop, and bacteria. The mix of high times and screwups that made up my life so far began to flash before my eyes. As I slid toward oblivion, a hand grasped my hair and yanked. My face burst out of the water. I gulped air into my aching lungs, retched, and heaved up about a gallon of lake. My scalp hurt like hell, but I was alive.
“Bruce! You idiot! You could have been killed! I’ve got you. Let go.”
“Let go and let God,” I giggled, still oxygen deprived and out of it. “One day at a time.”
Barbara clamped her arm across my shoulder and chest like an iron band.
“You are such a jerk! Lie back and float.”
Her hip dug into my back as she towed me through the water. She made for shore in a dogged sidestroke.
“Whasha got there?”
“You sound sloshy. Don’t wiggle! Lifesaving ring.”
“Shtill got lake inshide. Did you shave my life?”
Barbara snorted and spat water.
“Sort of. I whacked Annabel with the ring until she let you go.”
“Where she go?”
“Never mind Annabel, let’s get you to shore first. Come on, you can stand now.”
She bumped me with her hip and flipped me upright. The water was still deep enough that she could toss me around like a pancake. But I was able to stagger to shore, my toes digging into the muck.
Barbara tossed the lifesaver onto the beach.
“Go get dry. There’s a towel under the lifeguard chair.”
Suddenly, I couldn’t wait to wrap myself in a dry towel. My legs started to tremble.
While Barbara towed me in, Annabel had grabbed a canoe. It shot across the lake, leaping forward with each powerful stroke of the paddle.
“Where are the Marines?” I asked.
“We are the Marines. I’m going after her.”
“Don’t be silly, Barbara.” I tried not to let my teeth chatter. “Why don’t you just call the cops?”
“One, cell phones don’t work here, remember? Two, she tried to kill you. I don’t want her to get away with it, but I’m not so sure the cops would believe us.”
She had a point. I could picture Callaghan’s face when we tried to explain she’d tried to kill me with her legs.
“Three, she’d be halfway to Canada by the time they got here. I’m going.”
“Then I’m coming with you.”
“Dammit, I don’t need protecting. You look as if you’re about to throw up.”
“I’m not,” I lied. It felt like I’d swallowed the whole lake. There were probably Canada geese swimming around in my esophagus. “This is no time to go all feminist on me. She’s got muscles like Wonder Woman. We’ll go together. You really think we can catch her?”
“She’s made a mistake,” Barbara said. “The lake is ridiculously small.”
“It is?” Since I’d nearly died in it, the lake seemed plenty big enough to me.
“It’s the bend,” Barbara said. “The impression of limitless distance is deceptive. If we can get her before she can get to the road, we’ve got her.”
“Let’s go, then. Which one?” I nodded at the jumble of canoes pulled up on the beach.
“The Klepper kayak,” she said. “See? It’s wider and flatter than the canoes, and it’ll be faster. It’s the only way we’ll catch her.”
Barbara
Okay, I was stupid. I was just making conversation, talking about what had happened to deflect her from trying to get my shorts off. She thought I was accusing her of the murders and didn’t wait to check. I’d be jumpy too if I’d killed two people. Sitting on the edge of the raft while I treaded water, she scissored her long legs around my neck and squeezed. When I began to squawk and flail, she slammed the heel of one hand down hard on the top of my head. With the other hand, she chopped at whatever she could reach.
I clawed at her legs, but I couldn’t break her grip. Those lean thighs were tough as beef jerky. Water flowed into my nostrils in what felt like a tidal surge of duckweed, swan poop, and bacteria. The mix of high times and screwups that made up my life so far began to flash before my eyes. As I slid toward oblivion, a hand grasped my hair and yanked. My face burst out of the water. I gulped air into my aching lungs, retched, and heaved up about a gallon of lake. My scalp hurt like hell, but I was alive.
“Bruce! You idiot! You could have been killed! I’ve got you. Let go.”
“Let go and let God,” I giggled, still oxygen deprived and out of it. “One day at a time.”
Barbara clamped her arm across my shoulder and chest like an iron band.
“You are such a jerk! Lie back and float.”
Her hip dug into my back as she towed me through the water. She made for shore in a dogged sidestroke.
“Whasha got there?”
“You sound sloshy. Don’t wiggle! Lifesaving ring.”
“Shtill got lake inshide. Did you shave my life?”
Barbara snorted and spat water.
“Sort of. I whacked Annabel with the ring until she let you go.”
“Where she go?”
“Never mind Annabel, let’s get you to shore first. Come on, you can stand now.”
She bumped me with her hip and flipped me upright. The water was still deep enough that she could toss me around like a pancake. But I was able to stagger to shore, my toes digging into the muck.
Barbara tossed the lifesaver onto the beach.
“Go get dry. There’s a towel under the lifeguard chair.”
Suddenly, I couldn’t wait to wrap myself in a dry towel. My legs started to tremble.
While Barbara towed me in, Annabel had grabbed a canoe. It shot across the lake, leaping forward with each powerful stroke of the paddle.
“Where are the Marines?” I asked.
“We are the Marines. I’m going after her.”
“Don’t be silly, Barbara.” I tried not to let my teeth chatter. “Why don’t you just call the cops?”
“One, cell phones don’t work here, remember? Two, she tried to kill you. I don’t want her to get away with it, but I’m not so sure the cops would believe us.”
She had a point. I could picture Callaghan’s face when we tried to explain she’d tried to kill me with her legs.
“Three, she’d be halfway to Canada by the time they got here. I’m going.”
“Then I’m coming with you.”
“Dammit, I don’t need protecting. You look as if you’re about to throw up.”
“I’m not,” I lied. It felt like I’d swallowed the whole lake. There were probably Canada geese swimming around in my esophagus. “This is no time to go all feminist on me. She’s got muscles like Wonder Woman. We’ll go together. You really think we can catch her?”
“She’s made a mistake,” Barbara said. “The lake is ridiculously small.”
“It is?” Since I’d nearly died in it, the lake seemed plenty big enough to me.
“It’s the bend,” Barbara said. “The impression of limitless distance is deceptive. If we can get her before she can get to the road, we’ve got her.”
“Let’s go, then. Which one?” I nodded at the jumble of canoes pulled up on the beach.
“The Klepper kayak,” she said. “See? It’s wider and flatter than the canoes, and it’ll be faster. It’s the only way we’ll catch her.”
Barbara
Similar Books
