Read Online Night Show by Richard Laymon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Richard Laymon
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blessing.’
‘Yes it is,’ Linda said.
‘You have a good day, now, and don’t make yourself a stranger.’
‘Thanks, Elsie,’ She took the bag. With a wave, she turned away and headed for the door.
Outside, the heat wrapped her like a blanket. She stayed close to the store fronts, welcoming the shade of their awnings as she walked up the block.
Charles Leland. He’d been two years ahead of her in school, and she knew him only slightly. He wasn’t the one who’d come after her with the ax, though. Not unless he’d been wearing weird makeup or a mask. That was too bad. She would’ve liked to burn up that man along with the house.
She realised she ought to feel guilty. Maybe she would, if she’d known him. But Elsie was right: he had no business being there. It was his own damn fault. Nobody to blame but himself.
Must’ve used a key from his father. That’s why the back door wasn’t locked.
Linda hoped the girl wasn’t anyone she knew.
At the corner, she slipped the paperback out of its bag. She crumpled the bag and receipt, and tossed them into a trash bin marked KEEP CLAYMORE BEAUTIFUL.
Walking along, she creased the book’s cover. She opened it to the middle and flexed the halves backwards. Turning to other sections, she bent the book again and again. By the time she reached the corner, the spine was streaked with white veins as if the book had been read more than once.
For good measure, she turned down a point of the cover. Then she slipped the book into her purse.
She turned at Craven Street. Passing Hal’s house, she kept her eyes on the sidewalk.
If he’d shown up at the library that night . . .
But she couldn’t blame him. He had no way to know she was waiting for him, wanting him.
A door banged shut and she halted, her heart racing. He’d seen her pass by! I’ve wanted you so long, Linda . His embrace would wash her clean and take away all the pain and she would be as she was before the Freeman house.
‘Hi Linda.’
She whirled around. Hal’s smile pierced her. He was tanned and handsome in his T-shirt and faded cut-offs, a lock of golden hair falling across his forehead. ‘Hi Hal,’ she said.
‘How’s the leg?’
‘Fine, thank you.’
With a wink, he turned away. He hurried around the front of his Z car, and climbed in.
Linda’s smile fell off.
The car lunged away from the curb. At the end of the block, it turned left and vanished.
Linda took a deep, shaky breath. She gritted her teeth to stop the trembling of her chin. The sidewalk blurred. She wiped the tears out of her eyes, but new ones came.
‘Who needs him,’ she muttered. She’d hardly given him a thought since the accident. If she hadn’t been stupid enough to walk by his house . . .
He could’ve stopped all this.
He doesn’t know. He’ll never know.
Linda wiped her eyes dry and put on her sunglasses.
Two blocks later, she reached Tony’s house. She turned up its walkway. A cat hopped onto the porch glider, setting it into creaky motion. From the back yard came the chatter of a lawn mower.
She walked in the shade between the side of the house and its garage. The air smelled of cut grass. She plucked her clinging blouse away from her back, but it stuck again. She wiped a hand on her skirt, then took the paperback from her purse.
From the rear corner, she saw a young man striding behind a mower. He appeared to be about twenty. He was taller than Tony, lean but not emaciated. His bare torso was glossy with sweat. His jeans hung below the band of his white underwear, and looked as if they might drop off.
Turning the mower for another sweep, he briefly faced Linda. His frown changed to a look of vague curiosity. He finished the turn and started away, his head swiveling to keep an eye on her.
Linda waved the book. ‘Hey!’
He shut off the lawn mower, but didn’t let go of it. He squinted at Linda over his shoulder.
‘I’m looking for Tony,’ she called.
‘He ain’t here.’ Turning away,
‘Yes it is,’ Linda said.
‘You have a good day, now, and don’t make yourself a stranger.’
‘Thanks, Elsie,’ She took the bag. With a wave, she turned away and headed for the door.
Outside, the heat wrapped her like a blanket. She stayed close to the store fronts, welcoming the shade of their awnings as she walked up the block.
Charles Leland. He’d been two years ahead of her in school, and she knew him only slightly. He wasn’t the one who’d come after her with the ax, though. Not unless he’d been wearing weird makeup or a mask. That was too bad. She would’ve liked to burn up that man along with the house.
She realised she ought to feel guilty. Maybe she would, if she’d known him. But Elsie was right: he had no business being there. It was his own damn fault. Nobody to blame but himself.
Must’ve used a key from his father. That’s why the back door wasn’t locked.
Linda hoped the girl wasn’t anyone she knew.
At the corner, she slipped the paperback out of its bag. She crumpled the bag and receipt, and tossed them into a trash bin marked KEEP CLAYMORE BEAUTIFUL.
Walking along, she creased the book’s cover. She opened it to the middle and flexed the halves backwards. Turning to other sections, she bent the book again and again. By the time she reached the corner, the spine was streaked with white veins as if the book had been read more than once.
For good measure, she turned down a point of the cover. Then she slipped the book into her purse.
She turned at Craven Street. Passing Hal’s house, she kept her eyes on the sidewalk.
If he’d shown up at the library that night . . .
But she couldn’t blame him. He had no way to know she was waiting for him, wanting him.
A door banged shut and she halted, her heart racing. He’d seen her pass by! I’ve wanted you so long, Linda . His embrace would wash her clean and take away all the pain and she would be as she was before the Freeman house.
‘Hi Linda.’
She whirled around. Hal’s smile pierced her. He was tanned and handsome in his T-shirt and faded cut-offs, a lock of golden hair falling across his forehead. ‘Hi Hal,’ she said.
‘How’s the leg?’
‘Fine, thank you.’
With a wink, he turned away. He hurried around the front of his Z car, and climbed in.
Linda’s smile fell off.
The car lunged away from the curb. At the end of the block, it turned left and vanished.
Linda took a deep, shaky breath. She gritted her teeth to stop the trembling of her chin. The sidewalk blurred. She wiped the tears out of her eyes, but new ones came.
‘Who needs him,’ she muttered. She’d hardly given him a thought since the accident. If she hadn’t been stupid enough to walk by his house . . .
He could’ve stopped all this.
He doesn’t know. He’ll never know.
Linda wiped her eyes dry and put on her sunglasses.
Two blocks later, she reached Tony’s house. She turned up its walkway. A cat hopped onto the porch glider, setting it into creaky motion. From the back yard came the chatter of a lawn mower.
She walked in the shade between the side of the house and its garage. The air smelled of cut grass. She plucked her clinging blouse away from her back, but it stuck again. She wiped a hand on her skirt, then took the paperback from her purse.
From the rear corner, she saw a young man striding behind a mower. He appeared to be about twenty. He was taller than Tony, lean but not emaciated. His bare torso was glossy with sweat. His jeans hung below the band of his white underwear, and looked as if they might drop off.
Turning the mower for another sweep, he briefly faced Linda. His frown changed to a look of vague curiosity. He finished the turn and started away, his head swiveling to keep an eye on her.
Linda waved the book. ‘Hey!’
He shut off the lawn mower, but didn’t let go of it. He squinted at Linda over his shoulder.
‘I’m looking for Tony,’ she called.
‘He ain’t here.’ Turning away,
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