Kelly was totally panicked, lost.
Her knockings on the door had a dull, booming sound, as though there was no one and nothing inside.
What would she do now?
Maybe she should turn herself in to the police before the body was found and the hunt for her commenced.
They would have doctors who could tell if she had been raped or not, and she would be able to plead self-defense, and…
Even as Kelly's mind picked over her limited options – all equally unpleasant – a new factor entered the picture.
The door on the opposite side of the hall opened, and a head was cautiously stuck out into the hall – the head of a woman.
"Psssst!"
Kelly was startled to realize that the woman was signaling her.
"Yes, you," Claudia said, "come here, dear!"
Warily, Kelly approached the stranger.
Claudia asked, "Do you know who lives – lived – in that apartment?"
"Yes… Laurel Wilson."
"Are you Kelly?"
Kelly said nothing.
"Come on, girl, don't delay! Are you Kelly? You must be!"
"How do you know?" the girl asked suspiciously.
After all that had happened and been done to her in the last week, Kelly was determined to be nobody's fool from now on.
"Because I'm a friend of Laurel's, too," Claudia said, "and I have a message for Kelly Kane from her!"
"I'm Kelly!"
"Yes, I was sure you were – I've seen you here before. Come in, girl!"
Kelly entered the apartment. It was richly, ornately furnished in Italian Provincial, with much overstuffed furniture and bric-a-brac.
Claudia closed the door and locked it.
She introduced herself, as she ushered the girl into the kitchen.
"Where – where's Laurel?" Kelly dared ask.
"Out of this state – thank heavens! For her, I mean… at least now she's far beyond the reach of her tormentors."
Kelly burned impatiently for information, but Claudia was not to be rushed.
She sat the girl down in the kitchen and prepared some food for her.
Kelly learned that Claudia was a very good neighbor and friend of Laurel's, and had been entrusted with a message for Kelly.
Laurel had left the area, having been warned by the local law that she had better get out fast, and not come back, if she knew what was good for her.
But she had left a way for Kelly to contact her, through Claudia.
"I expected to see you sooner," Claudia said.
Kelly confessed that she had been locked in the house and kept prisoner.
Claudia was shrewd, and discerned that there was more to Kelly's story than the girl was giving out.
Presently, Kelly, unable to bear the strain any longer, told her tale.
All of it.
Claudia did not condemn, did not view the teen murderess with horror.
"Killing was too good for the son of a bitch," she stated.
Kelly gave way to a fit of hysterical sobbing.
Claudia enveloped the sobbing girl in her arms, pressing Kelly's head to her more than ample bosom.
Kelly's tears fell on Claudia, dampening her breasts.
Claudia held and rocked the girl until her fit of sobbing had subsided.
"I-I guess you'll have to turn me in," Kelly whimpered.
"What?! Never! We both know that you acted only in self-defense! I won't throw you to the wolves of the police!"
"After all, Kelly, we girls have to stick together!"
Kelly looked at Claudia with comprehension dawning in her moist eyes.
"Are you… I mean, do you know about, well, Laurel and me?"
"I know everything, dear – everything!"
"Oh!"
Claudia reassuringly patted Kelly's shoulder.
"Don't you worry about a thing, little lady! You're perfectly safe with me! I won't let them get you! And your secrets are safe with me, too!"
Claudia took over then.
Kelly was herded into the bathroom, where a hot tub awaited. Claudia left the girl to wash up and clean herself.
Kelly left the bathroom door open, listening to hear if Claudia would try to call the law, but she heard nothing.
Even if Claudia had turned her in, Kelly was just too tuckered out to try and escape. Her strength was at low tide.
But Claudia was as good as her word.
Finally, scrubbed clean, Kelly somehow dragged her aching form from the tub, to don an oversized terry robe which Claudia had left out for her.
Since the robe was Claudia's, it was very short on Kelly, with its hem coming to the middle of Kelly's taut pink thighs.
But it also was very big on her, with lots of ample folds of fabric billowing around Kelly's much more slight and slender form.
Kelly's slim form was wrapped up in the absorbent folds of pink terry cloth, as she huddled in the robe.
"You just rest here in bed," Claudia declared, "while I prepare you a good, hot meal!"
Claudia hovered solicitously over the famished girl, anticipating her every need and hastening to carry it out.
Kelly was in Claudia's boudoir, a lush and lovely realm of satin and silk, all pink and gold and white, soothing to her spirit.
Kelly finished the meal, holding a mug of hot tea in both hands.
Putting the mug down, she declared, "Honest, Mrs. Moravia, I don't know what I would have done without you!"
"Think nothing of it, Kelly."
"Nothing? Why, you've been so good to me, I could cry!"
"If you want to thank me, dear – call me Claudia, not Mrs. Moravia. I haven't been a Mrs. for some years – thank heavens!"
"I will… Claudia."
"Feel better now, dear?"
"Oh yes, much!"
Claudia sat down on the edge of the bed. Kelly sat there with her back against the headboard, and her legs extended.
Claudia said, "The police will never look for you here! And tomorrow, I will personally drive you to meet Laurel!"
"Now I will cry, you're being so wonderfully kind! But really, I can't let you take the risk of helping me any more than you already have."
"Don't talk nonsense, dear. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't give you a helping hand in your time of trouble."
"You see, Kelly, Laurel is a very dear friend of mine, as she is of yours."
"I-I don't know how to thank you!"
Claudia's eyes shone their brightest.
"Don't you, Kelly?"
"You mean…"
"I mean that Laurel, myself, and you, are three of a kind, when it comes to how we like our loving!"
Claudia took hold of Kelly's hand and gently squeezed it.
"Yes, Kelly, if we put our heads together – not to mention other parts of our anatomy – I'm sure we can think of some way for you to show your gratitude."
"Anything, Claudia – anything you ask."
"It's my delight to give you a hot bath, a hot meal – and a bed to spend the night. This bed, dear girl… my bed."
"You flatter me, Claudia. I'd love to share your bed."
"It's you that flatters me, my girl! It's not every day that so lovely, and so young a girl, turns up on my doorstep!"
Claudia rose, to smile down at Kelly.
"But there's no rush, dear. You just relax, while I clear away these dishes and pop them in the washer."
"Then we'll see if we can reach Laurel by phone tonight, at her new number. Apparently she's staying with some good, trustworthy friends."
"And after that, dear – we'll go to bed!"
"I'm yours whenever you want me, Claudia," Kelly said softly.
"Which is the most tempting offer I've had in years, dear! I'll hurry to take you up on it! In fact, I'll be right back!"
As Claudia bustled out of the room, Kelly slumped back into the pillows, allowing herself to relax at last.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Claudia put out all the lights but one, and went to bed… where a grateful Kelly waited, to demonstrate her thanks.
The small lamp on the night table shed a soft, warm, intimate glow, where round forms of flesh were made even softer and rounded.