she’ll—”
I grabbed her and shook her. “How’d it go!” I said.
“All right.”
“Nobody noticed anything?”
“I don’t think so.”
I shook her again. “Don’t guess at it. Are you sure?”
“Y-yes. I’m sure.”
“Then we’re okay.”
She started for the door and I grabbed her arm.
“Where you think you’re going?”
“I want to see if she’s all right. Maybe I can loosen that rope a little—”
I walked over to her and slapped her in the mouth.
“No you don’t. I explained how you can’t go out there. I’ll see that she gets along. You got a job to do, remember? Hop into the john and get busy with that hair-dye.”
“Steve, you hurt me.”
“Steve, you hurt me.” I imitated her whiney voice. “That’s only a sample of what you got coming if you get any more ideas. Now get moving, quick. This isn’t a game—we’re playing for keeps, now. They hang you for kidnapping in this state.”
I thought for a minute she was going to pass out. I went over and grabbed hold of her just in time.
“Mary, I’m sorry. Honest I am. Look, I’m just as nervous as you are—maybe more. But I got to control myself. You got to control yourself. That’s why I said that, about what they do to you if they catch you. Only just remember one thing; you do what you’re told and nobody’s going to get caught.”
“Steve, I wish—”
“Never mind. I know what you wish. But everything’s fine so far. The kid isn’t hurt. In a couple days she’ll be back home playing in the yard. And we’ll be having our fun on a pile of twenty-dollar bills.” I kissed her, and it was like kissing a piece of ice. “That’s my girl! Now you run along and turn yourself into Marilyn Monroe or somebody, and I’ll go look after the kid.”
She went into the john and shut the door.
I walked out to the garage. I went inside and shut the overhead behind me, turned on the light.
The kid was still lying on the seat, wriggling around and whimpering. When she heard me come in, she began to get louder.
I climbed into the back seat and lifted her so that she was sitting up.
“Listen, kid,” I said. “Can you hear me?”
She nodded.
“Then stop crying, will you? Nobody’s going to hurt you. You’ll be all right.”
She made some sounds under the handkerchief and I could tell she was trying to say something like, “I want my Mamma.”
“Of course you want your Mamma,” I said. “And I’m going to take you back to her. In just a little while. But you’ve got to behave. No more crying, understand?”
She didn’t nod or anything, but she quieted down. I could feel how warm she was, sitting next to me like that.
It made me feel funny all of a sudden. I looked at her, and she was a mess. Hair all tangled, and this handkerchief over her eyes and another one over her mouth. Her blouse was torn, too. I reached down and looked at her hands. They were white and cold. They’d tied the rope pretty tight. Come to think of it, it must of been pretty bad for her, all this happening so quick. She was awful skinny. I noticed that again.
“Look, kid,” I said. “I’m fixing this rope so it’s a little looser. It won’t make your wrists sore then. That okay?”
She jerked her head up and down. I reached over and untied the knot, then tied it again after I moved the rope up a little. Her wrists were all red where it had cut in.
“That’s better now, isn’t it?” I asked. “See, nobody’ll hurt you if you behave. And if you’re a good girl, I’ll come out after a while and bring you some supper.”
She nodded again. She was getting the idea.
“Meanwhile,” I said, “why don’t you just lay down on the seat here and go to sleep? I’ll go and fix supper—don’t you worry, the door’ll be closed and nobody’s coming in to bother you. Just lay down and pretend you’re at home in your own bed. That’s a girl! Here, I’ll put this blanket over you. Now, go to sleep.”
Hell, you’d think I
I grabbed her and shook her. “How’d it go!” I said.
“All right.”
“Nobody noticed anything?”
“I don’t think so.”
I shook her again. “Don’t guess at it. Are you sure?”
“Y-yes. I’m sure.”
“Then we’re okay.”
She started for the door and I grabbed her arm.
“Where you think you’re going?”
“I want to see if she’s all right. Maybe I can loosen that rope a little—”
I walked over to her and slapped her in the mouth.
“No you don’t. I explained how you can’t go out there. I’ll see that she gets along. You got a job to do, remember? Hop into the john and get busy with that hair-dye.”
“Steve, you hurt me.”
“Steve, you hurt me.” I imitated her whiney voice. “That’s only a sample of what you got coming if you get any more ideas. Now get moving, quick. This isn’t a game—we’re playing for keeps, now. They hang you for kidnapping in this state.”
I thought for a minute she was going to pass out. I went over and grabbed hold of her just in time.
“Mary, I’m sorry. Honest I am. Look, I’m just as nervous as you are—maybe more. But I got to control myself. You got to control yourself. That’s why I said that, about what they do to you if they catch you. Only just remember one thing; you do what you’re told and nobody’s going to get caught.”
“Steve, I wish—”
“Never mind. I know what you wish. But everything’s fine so far. The kid isn’t hurt. In a couple days she’ll be back home playing in the yard. And we’ll be having our fun on a pile of twenty-dollar bills.” I kissed her, and it was like kissing a piece of ice. “That’s my girl! Now you run along and turn yourself into Marilyn Monroe or somebody, and I’ll go look after the kid.”
She went into the john and shut the door.
I walked out to the garage. I went inside and shut the overhead behind me, turned on the light.
The kid was still lying on the seat, wriggling around and whimpering. When she heard me come in, she began to get louder.
I climbed into the back seat and lifted her so that she was sitting up.
“Listen, kid,” I said. “Can you hear me?”
She nodded.
“Then stop crying, will you? Nobody’s going to hurt you. You’ll be all right.”
She made some sounds under the handkerchief and I could tell she was trying to say something like, “I want my Mamma.”
“Of course you want your Mamma,” I said. “And I’m going to take you back to her. In just a little while. But you’ve got to behave. No more crying, understand?”
She didn’t nod or anything, but she quieted down. I could feel how warm she was, sitting next to me like that.
It made me feel funny all of a sudden. I looked at her, and she was a mess. Hair all tangled, and this handkerchief over her eyes and another one over her mouth. Her blouse was torn, too. I reached down and looked at her hands. They were white and cold. They’d tied the rope pretty tight. Come to think of it, it must of been pretty bad for her, all this happening so quick. She was awful skinny. I noticed that again.
“Look, kid,” I said. “I’m fixing this rope so it’s a little looser. It won’t make your wrists sore then. That okay?”
She jerked her head up and down. I reached over and untied the knot, then tied it again after I moved the rope up a little. Her wrists were all red where it had cut in.
“That’s better now, isn’t it?” I asked. “See, nobody’ll hurt you if you behave. And if you’re a good girl, I’ll come out after a while and bring you some supper.”
She nodded again. She was getting the idea.
“Meanwhile,” I said, “why don’t you just lay down on the seat here and go to sleep? I’ll go and fix supper—don’t you worry, the door’ll be closed and nobody’s coming in to bother you. Just lay down and pretend you’re at home in your own bed. That’s a girl! Here, I’ll put this blanket over you. Now, go to sleep.”
Hell, you’d think I
Similar Books
