"Then, we'll just have more assignments," McGurk said with a harsh laugh. "But we're not going to bomb out. We're going to start in with a big flurry. We're going to announce a national war on crime, and guess what the first two cases are that we're going to investigate?"
There was no answer, and McGurk answered his own question.
"That smut king out West and that gun-runner from Massachusetts. You asked before, why the clues? That's why the clues. We've got the other half of the set and we'll use them to solve the case. That'll get the Men of the Shield off to a ripping start, and then watch our membership zoom. We're going to be the biggest thing in the country."
"You sure you're not running for president?"
"If I did, would you vote for me?"
"As often as they'd let me."
McGurk chuckled. "With that kind of backing, how could I refuse? Might be nice to have a cop in the White House anyway… just for four years to straighten this country out."
"Amen."
"At any rate," McGurk said, his voice settling back down to business, "next week O'Toole's going to send telegrams to all our members-you'll get one-to get you all off duty and here for the kickoff. I'll be seeing you then."
"Bill, it sounds like we gonna have us some fun."
"Yeah. And we gonna do our country some good," McGurk said, imitating the Southerner's accent.
"Ah never woulda guessed," the Southerner said, parodying himself, "that you was a kinsman. Now, Ah gotta buy you all a drink."
Remo heard the sound of a chair sliding back. They were getting up now, probably to go out. Then the door opened. He heard the girl's voice say something softly.
"What's in the package, Janet?" McGurk boomed.
"A birthday present for my dad. I was going to put it in the closet."
"Fine, fine. I'm going downstairs with my friend here to see him off. I'll be back later. You'll be all right?"
"Yes, Inspector, thank you." Her voice was tiny, almost apologetic.
Remo heard the front door of McGurk's office squeak. He heard heavy footsteps… the two men… moving across the rug toward the door. He heard the girl's softer footsteps moving toward him. The closet door swung open and light splashed into his face. Her hand reached up to the shelf, holding a package wrapped in foil. Across the room, Remo could see McGurk and Ransom just going out the door. Janet O'Toole saw Remo. Her mouth opened to scream. Remo reached down and put his hand around her mouth, sealing off her shout, and then with both hands pulled her up onto the wooden shelf of the closet.
The office door closed.
Remo said, "I'll do anything if you don't tell on me," and then began to sob softly.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
No one fears a weeping man. So Remo made real tears come and as he did he was able to slowly release his hand from Janet O'Toole's mouth, and she didn't even realize it. Nor, for that matter, did she seem to realize that she was lying next to him on the top shelf of an office closet.
"I'm so ashamed," he said tearfully.
"What are you doing here? You're that Mr. Bednick, aren't you?"
"Yes," he said. "Remo Bednick. I came to look at you. But they almost caught me while I was peeking and I hid up here so they wouldn't see me and then you caught me and I'm so embarrassed and ashamed."
"But that's so silly, Remo. Why did you want to see me?"
Careful now, Remo, not too fast. "I don't know," he said. "I just wanted to."
"Well, why didn't you just come in the front door and say hello?"
"I was afraid you'd laugh at me," Remo sniffled.
You are the rotten bastard to end all rotten bastards, Remo told himself. Chiun was right, you lack character. He ignored the tiny voice of self-rebuke. He noticed Janet was wearing another low-cut blouse and lying down, her head on his arm, the fullness of her breasts blossomed against the elastic of the blouse.
"Why should I laugh at you?" she asked.
"I don't know. Girls always do. Because I'm shy I guess, and I'm afraid of women."
"When you were in my office that day, Inspector McGurk came out, and he sort of hinted that you weren't afraid of anything."
"But that's men. I'm not afraid of men. Only women. Ever since I was a little boy." Her body touched his along its full length. The shelf of the closet was damned uncomfortable, but he did not want to move, did not want to remind her they were in the top of a closet. If he had to cure her, he'd do it here. Anything for mental health.
He sobbed again. He wished the closet door was closed, shutting out the light; so if he grinned, she would not see his face.
"Oh, you poor thing," she said. "Now, don't cry." She put her left hand up to the side of his face to pat it tenderly.
His left arm was under her neck. He held it there, waiting for her weight to eventually bring her neck down against it. There. She was touching his hand with her neck. His fingers found just the right place. Softly he kneaded the nerves in her neck, under and behind the jawbone, delicately, almost so that she would not feel the touch.
"You mustn't be afraid of women," she said softly. "They won't hurt you."
"I knew you wouldn't hurt me," Remo said. "That's why I sneaked up here to see you." His fingers were moving swiftly now on her neck, as if typing tapping typewriter keys.
"No, I would never hurt you, Remo," she said. "Not me. Not you."
She put her face closer to his. He slowed the sobbing. No point in getting ridiculous about it. She continued to pat his face and now she let her fingertips glide down the side of his face from temple to jaw, then back to temple, and did it all over again. The nerves in her neck were working.
"Do you feel better now, Remo?" she asked.
"I'm glad you're so understanding," he said,
"I do understand," she said. "I understand you and your problem too. Oooohhh. I just think you've met the wrong kind of women before. Women who expected you to be something you're not … who wanted you to push them around and demanded more from you than you were able to give." He had reached his right hand over her hip now and was touching the flesh of her back through the thin blouse.
He let her keep talking. "But I'm not that kind of girl," she said. "No man is going to push me around. Not any more."
She paused. Remo said, "I knew you'd understand."
"Understand? Of course, I understand. All you've needed all your life is a little control. Someone to guide you. Ooooohhhh." He was working both her neck and her back now. She moved her body closer to his on the shelf.
"I knew there was something wrong with you when I first saw you," she said. "You blushed and looked away when you spoke to me. I knew then that you needed a little discipline. Ooooooh. Open your belt."
He hoped McGurk would be kept busy downstairs. He removed his right hand from her back and opened his belt buckle.
"I'm tired of men who try to be bossy," she said, her voice no longer soft and pleading. "Women should rule the world."
"I've always known it," he said.
She opened his zipper. He kneaded her neck. "Ooooohhhh," she said. "Woman is the more important of the sexes. We are the ones who call the shots." He returned his hand to the small of her back. "Uuuummmmmm," she said. "Yes, women should be masters, not mistresses. Do you agree? Say you agree."
"I agree," Remo said, "I agree."
Then she was pulling up her long shirt and rolling over on top of Remo. "Even the position," she said. "Even in the position, the woman should be topmost."
"Oh, please don't talk like that," Remo said. "You frighten me."
She was on top of him now and both his hands were free and he worked both sides of her neck.
"I'll talk any way I wish and the sooner you realize it the better," she said sharply. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand." Enough. He gave the nerves in her neck short, brutal final twists, and suddenly, uncontrollably, she was on him, around him, smothering him, her mouth on his, her body swallowing him, her head softly thumping against the ceiling of the closet as she rocked up and down, her feet kicking hats onto the floor. "Oooooohhh. Uuuumrnmmm. Do as I say, not as I do. Up. Up and in. Over and out. No, not over and out. Up and in. More and More. Down with rape and up with humping. Up, up and away. Fly with me. Fly with meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."