Read Online HELLz BELLz by Randy Chandler - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Randy Chandler
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it might be bad luck to hang up on an unlucky number. A silly superstition, sure, but on a crazy night like this, anything seemed possible. Whatever
could
go wrong, probably
would
go wrong.
As he made his way back to the table, he tried in vain to come up with a reasonable explanation for why Sara wasn’t answering the phone. Worry was turning to raw fear, and the scotch in his stomach was turning sour and giving him a bad case of heartburn. He belched and the burning in the back of his throat backed off a little.
Suzie looked up at him. The worry lines in her forehead deepened. “No answer?”
“No. I’ve got to go home and see what’s wrong.
Something’s
wrong. Nothing else makes sense.” Swaying with a wave of dizziness, he rested his hands on the back of his chair and leaned forward.
Suzie stubbed out her smoke and stood. “I’ll go with you.”
“That’s not…”
She held up the palm of her hand, angled her head and cut her eyes at him. “It’s not open for discussion. You stuck by me, now it’s my turn. If something
is
wrong, I’ll be there to help.”
“I…okay. Thanks. But you might as well sit down. I’ve got to call a cab, so we’ll be here a while longer.”
“Or we could go back and get your car. The cops probably won’t even notice us.”
“I don’t know. I parked right in front of the store. That psycho cop could recognize me and come after us. The last thing we need is a high-speed chase.”
“But if something’s wrong at home, shouldn’t you get there as soon as possible?”
Joe massaged his forehead. “Yeah. Shit. I don’t know what the hell to do.”
“Give me your keys,” she said. “I’ll get the car and pick you up a block away. They didn’t get that good a look at me. Those cops were looking at my tits, not my face.”
“They’ll remember that fire-engine-red halter-top.”
“I’ll wear your shirt over it.”
“And I’ll go bare-chested?”
“Why not? Lot of guys do in this kind of heat.”
“Yeah, rednecks mostly.”
“You want to see if your wife’s all right, or not?”
“Of course I do.” Joe shrugged. “Okay. What the hell.”
“Let’s go.” She took his hand and pulled him toward the door.
They stepped out onto the sidewalk. The heat hit them like a blast from a blazing furnace. The church bell was still going strong. Sirens wailed in the distance. A sound like firecrackers popping rattled somewhere in the night.
“Was that gunfire?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I hope it was firecrackers.”
“Me too.” Still holding onto his hand, she guided him to the right. “Better go this way. We don’t want to take a chance on running into Gary again.”
“I doubt he’s still there. Unless he hit his head on the sidewalk when he fell. Christ, what if he’s still out cold? What if he’s in a coma or something?”
“That hard-headed son of a bitch? No way. He’s probably back at my apartment, nursing his wounded pride and scarfing down more suds and plotting his revenge.”
“You don’t think he’d be driving around, looking for us?”
“Nah. He can’t afford to get caught drinking and driving again. They’d yank his license for sure. That’s why he sent me for the beer in the first place. Lazy bastard.”
“He didn’t seem that worried while ago. Didn’t seem like a guy who thinks before he acts.”
She tucked his arm between her arm and the side of her torso as they rounded the corner. The soft mound of her breast pressed against his elbow. “Think positive,” she said. “All that worrying gets you nowhere. There’s such a thing as thinking
too
much.”
“Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
She patted the back of his hand with her free hand. “I’m right about a lot of things. I’m just usually wrong in my choice of men. Present company excepted.”
He tried to laugh. “You didn’t exactly choose me. More like fate threw us together.”
“Yeah, but I chose to
stay
with you. ’Cause you’re a
could
go wrong, probably
would
go wrong.
As he made his way back to the table, he tried in vain to come up with a reasonable explanation for why Sara wasn’t answering the phone. Worry was turning to raw fear, and the scotch in his stomach was turning sour and giving him a bad case of heartburn. He belched and the burning in the back of his throat backed off a little.
Suzie looked up at him. The worry lines in her forehead deepened. “No answer?”
“No. I’ve got to go home and see what’s wrong.
Something’s
wrong. Nothing else makes sense.” Swaying with a wave of dizziness, he rested his hands on the back of his chair and leaned forward.
Suzie stubbed out her smoke and stood. “I’ll go with you.”
“That’s not…”
She held up the palm of her hand, angled her head and cut her eyes at him. “It’s not open for discussion. You stuck by me, now it’s my turn. If something
is
wrong, I’ll be there to help.”
“I…okay. Thanks. But you might as well sit down. I’ve got to call a cab, so we’ll be here a while longer.”
“Or we could go back and get your car. The cops probably won’t even notice us.”
“I don’t know. I parked right in front of the store. That psycho cop could recognize me and come after us. The last thing we need is a high-speed chase.”
“But if something’s wrong at home, shouldn’t you get there as soon as possible?”
Joe massaged his forehead. “Yeah. Shit. I don’t know what the hell to do.”
“Give me your keys,” she said. “I’ll get the car and pick you up a block away. They didn’t get that good a look at me. Those cops were looking at my tits, not my face.”
“They’ll remember that fire-engine-red halter-top.”
“I’ll wear your shirt over it.”
“And I’ll go bare-chested?”
“Why not? Lot of guys do in this kind of heat.”
“Yeah, rednecks mostly.”
“You want to see if your wife’s all right, or not?”
“Of course I do.” Joe shrugged. “Okay. What the hell.”
“Let’s go.” She took his hand and pulled him toward the door.
They stepped out onto the sidewalk. The heat hit them like a blast from a blazing furnace. The church bell was still going strong. Sirens wailed in the distance. A sound like firecrackers popping rattled somewhere in the night.
“Was that gunfire?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I hope it was firecrackers.”
“Me too.” Still holding onto his hand, she guided him to the right. “Better go this way. We don’t want to take a chance on running into Gary again.”
“I doubt he’s still there. Unless he hit his head on the sidewalk when he fell. Christ, what if he’s still out cold? What if he’s in a coma or something?”
“That hard-headed son of a bitch? No way. He’s probably back at my apartment, nursing his wounded pride and scarfing down more suds and plotting his revenge.”
“You don’t think he’d be driving around, looking for us?”
“Nah. He can’t afford to get caught drinking and driving again. They’d yank his license for sure. That’s why he sent me for the beer in the first place. Lazy bastard.”
“He didn’t seem that worried while ago. Didn’t seem like a guy who thinks before he acts.”
She tucked his arm between her arm and the side of her torso as they rounded the corner. The soft mound of her breast pressed against his elbow. “Think positive,” she said. “All that worrying gets you nowhere. There’s such a thing as thinking
too
much.”
“Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
She patted the back of his hand with her free hand. “I’m right about a lot of things. I’m just usually wrong in my choice of men. Present company excepted.”
He tried to laugh. “You didn’t exactly choose me. More like fate threw us together.”
“Yeah, but I chose to
stay
with you. ’Cause you’re a
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