David slammed down his paper, glaring. “Well, damn it, you’re hardly being deserted if I take a couple of hours to play a few holes of golf!”
“I know what, dear. Why don’t Vera and I go along with you and Jack and swim in the pool?”
“Because Vera doesn’t want to go, that’s why! And if you’re going to make a federal case of it, I don’t, either!”
“Oh, no, darling. I wouldn’t hear of your staying home. I wouldn’t dream of standing between you and your golf. I’ll just take a nap or a nice walk or something else exciting.”
David said a four-letter word.
She began her walk by going into the bathroom. She came out, bathed and dressed, about ten minutes later and made a point of ignoring David, who had his still quivering nose deep in the book section and made a point of ignoring being ignored. He was already acquiring his martyred look, and Nancy knew that he would soon come looking for her and say that he had decided he didn’t want to play golf after all, whereupon she would be sweet and say that of course he must play, he had so few exclusively male pleasures. They would argue lovingly about this for a while, and eventually he would depart for the golf course happily, full of a big breakfast, and she wouldn’t really mind, although of course women had to make an issue of this sort of thing as a matter of principle. The truth was, she was feeling mildly guilty. David didn’t really get to play golf very often, not being able to afford the country club, which Jack Richmond could, and so when Jack invited David to play...
It was getting hot again, although not so hot as yesterday. Nancy went into the backyard and strolled about looking at this and that; then she went back inside and had another cup of coffee. Whereupon David came downstairs and kissed her and said he’d decided not to play golf after all, Nancy not failing to notice that he had dressed in clothes appropriate to golf just in case matters turned out as they were both quite sure matters would. And as, in fact, they did. She fixed the big breakfast, David eating heartily; and then off he went across the Connors’ backyard with his silly toys, leaving her to clean up the kitchen and consider what to do with her afternoon.
It kept getting hotter, a perfectly still heat, with not a breath of breeze. Seated in her kitchen under the window fan, Nancy began to feel sorry for herself all over again, especially when she thought of David after his golf having several cold beers in the country club bar. Nancy hoped she was a reasonable wife, but there was absolutely no reason why she should have to suffer from the heat. David couldn’t afford central air-conditioning, true; but surely he could manage another window unit or two, so that the downstairs could be cooled, at least part of it? She had even spoken to him about this. But David had said he didn’t see any sense in investing in more window units when maybe they could have it done right later, through the furnace ducts. This was sensible, she supposed — particularly if you could go off to play golf and drink cold beer in a cool bar.
Looking out toward the little terrace behind the Connors house, she began to think about Lila again, and suddenly it struck her that she had not seen a sign of Lila all morning. Even if Lila had slept late in her nice cool house, surely she was awake by now. It was after one o’clock. Probably, also, Lila needed cheering up, what with Larry having slept at the office and all, and would welcome someone congenial and female to talk with. In spite of what Larry said, Lila was good company at the times when she wasn’t giving people that sort of uneasy feeling, and anyway the chances were that Larry had exaggerated their fight last night, made far more of it than it really warranted. All in all, Nancy couldn’t see why it wouldn’t be all right to go over and visit, especially if she took something along. A pitcher of gin-and-tonic would be pleasant to share on an afternoon like this, and it would effectively mask Nancy’s ulterior motive, which was simply to spend the rest of the steaming afternoon in Lila’s lusciously air-conditioned house.
Carrying the pitcher, Nancy crossed her yard and stepped over the low hedge into the Connor yard.
She rang. She rang again. Again. No one answered.
Exercising the prerogative of a neighbor with a pitcher of gin-and-tonic to share, Nancy opened the front door and stepped inside.
“Lila?”
There was no reply.
Suddenly Nancy was aware of the oddest sort of feeling. Something was wrong. But what?
Of course! The house was hot — the air-conditioning was off. Lila must have gone out somewhere, and Larry hadn’t come home.
Still with the odd feeling, Nancy stepped outside, shut the door and went home again with her pitcher. Back in her kitchen, under the hot breath of the fan, she poured herself a glass of gin-and-tonic and began to drink it. Where in the world could Lila have gone? She hadn’t merely stepped out for a few minutes, or she wouldn’t have turned off the air-conditioning. Besides, the house was so hot that the air-conditioning must have been off for several hours, at least. Could it be that Lila had left for good? Last night, after Larry left the house? Or early this morning? But in that case, wouldn’t she have locked the door? Although it was true that if Lila were angry or very upset she might simply have walked out without thinking or caring about locking up.
Nancy suddenly recalled how Stanley Walters, last night in the alley, had stood looking up at Lila’s lighted window. Could Stanley have seen something that might explain Lila’s absence? It wasn’t likely; but if he had, he would unquestionably have told Mae, and Mae, of course, would be only too glad to repeat it on a worldwide broadcast — especially if it was about Lila, and most especially if it was something juicy. Nancy considered running across the alley to find out if Mae Walters knew anything, but not very seriously. It was too hot and too much trouble, Mae having nothing to offer in the way of central air-conditioning. It would be easier to telephone, Nancy decided. So she refilled her glass and carried it into the little front hall to the telephone. There was a small floor fan in the hall, and as she dialed, Nancy let the air blow on her bare legs and sort of skitter up onto her neck and face.
Across the alley, the Walterses’ phone rang once. It was promptly answered.
“Hello?” Mae said.
“Mae,” Nancy said. “Are you keeping cool?”
“Who is it?”
“Nancy.”
“I thought I recognized your voice. I’m hotter than hell, if you want the truth.”
“So am I. Maybe it’ll rain and cool off.”
“Well, there are some clouds over in the west.”
“There are? I hadn’t noticed.”
“I certainly hope it rains and cools off.”
“So do I. Oh, what I really called about, Mae, was to ask if you know where Lila is.”
“Lila? No, I don’t know, Nancy, and what’s more, I couldn’t care less. Isn’t she home?”
“No. I was just over there.”
“Well, I haven’t seen her since last night.”
“Mae, their air-conditioner is off. The house is so hot it must have been off a long time.”
“So what? Look, Nancy, I don’t know anything about Lila Connor, and I have no desire to know. Is Larry gone, too?”
“Yes.”
“I wouldn’t blame him if he’s walked out on her. Not that he would. He’ll prob’ly come crawling back to her on his stomach. Why don’t you ask him when he gets home?”
“Maybe I will. Well, I’ve got to hang up, Mae.”
“Goodbye, dear. Don’t worry about the likes of Lila Connor. That kind always know how to take very good care of themselves.”