Read Online The Beast House by Richard Laymon - Free Book Online

Bix. He peered inside as if sizing them both up, and one side of his mouth stretched over. “Ladies,” he said.
    “Hi. Fill it up with unleaded, please.”
    He gave the window sill a pat, then ambled around to the other side.
    “Guess I’ll make a pit stop,” Nora said. “Go while the goin’s good.” She left the car, eased past the pumps, and headed for the station building.
    Tyler climbed out. She stretched, feeling good as her muscles strained. The breeze off the ocean smelled fresh. Mixed with the subtle aroma of pines was a faint, pungent odor of gasoline. The breeze chilled the sweaty back of her blouse. Reaching around, she plucked the clinging fabric away from her skin.
    Abe was watching the pump as he filled his tank.
    She turned to Bix as he approached.
    “Check under the hood for you?” he asked.
    “Please.”
    He nodded. His eyes strayed to her breasts and paused there for a moment before shifting away. Then he stepped past her. He bent over the hood and felt under its lip for the catch.
    Tyler glanced down to make sure her blouse was buttoned. It was. “Is there a place to stay around here?” she asked.
    “A motel, like?”
    “Yes.”
    He licked his lower lip. He stared at her breasts as if the answer were written there. “Only one,” he finally said. “That’d be the Welcome Inn, about half a mile up the road, on your right.”
    “Thank you,” she said.
    He raised the hood. Tyler was glad to be hidden from his view. She considered asking the location of Seaside Lane, but wanted as little as possible to do with him. She could find Dan’s place without the help of this lech.
    Abe was still bent over the rear of his Mustang, pumping in gas. She walked over to him. He looked at her and smiled. “What’s up?” he asked.
    “The guy says there’s a motel about half a mile up the road.”
    “I was starting to wonder if we’d find one.”
    “Apparently there is only one. The Welcome Inn.”
    “Clever.”
    “He says it’s on the right.”
    “Fine. We’ll follow you in.” The feed clicked off. He pulled the spout out of his tank and stepped backward, holding it away from himself so gasoline wouldn’t drip onto his Nikes. He hung up the nozzle. Then he sniffed his fingers. He caught Tyler grinning. “Stinky,” he said.
    She laughed. “We’ve got some Wet Ones in the car.”
    “Thanks,” he said. “I’m a big boy. I can live with it.” He screwed the gas cap on.
    “Oil’s half a quart low,” Bix said, coming up behind her.
    “Thanks,” she said. “See you later,” she told Abe, and returned to her car. Watching from the window, she saw him pay cash. He pushed the wallet into his rear pocket. It made a small bulge. The other pocket apparently empty, curved smoothly over his right buttock.
    The passenger door swung open. “Hi ho,” Nora said, climbing in.
    “Everything come out all right?” Tyler asked.
    “Right as rain. Did you ask Clyde about a motel?”
    “Bix. Yeah. Dead ahead.”
    “Terrific.”
    Tyler found her credit card as Bix approached.
    “Eleven-fifty,” he said.
    She gave him the card. He left with it. “What a turkey,” she said.
    “Yeah?”
    “Like this.” She leered at Nora’s breasts, wiggling her eyebrows and running her tongue across her lips.
    “Ask him for a date. Definitely.”
    “Right.”
    A moment later, he stepped in front of the car. He jotted down the license plate number and came back to Tyler’s window. She took the plastic clipboard from him, and started to sign the receipt.
    “You with those guys?” he asked.
    Tyler didn’t answer.
    “They’re our Secret Service escort,” Nora said.
    “Yeah? Who you trying to shit?”
    Tyler plucked her card from its slot.
    “You don’t recognize Amy Carter when you see her?”
    She ripped off the top copy of the receipt.
    “Well, now,” Nora went on. “I guess you wouldn’t. She’s incognito.”
    Tyler handed out the clipboard. Bix yanked it from her hand. He crouched and