The bruises and scrapes would fade away, in time. Tyler hoped the bite marks and claw scratches would leave no permanent scars. A shame on a girl so beautiful. But they looked shallow, as if the beast had been struggling with her, maybe trying to hold her still, not kill her. If she was lucky, they might go away, too.
Crouching, Nora soaped Janice’s legs.
“I’ve got a first-aid kit,” Tyler said. “Abe thinks we might take you to a hospital when he gets back.”
Nora looked up. “Where’d he go?”
“Back to the house. The Kutch place.”
Janice turned her head sharply and stared over her shoulder at Tyler.
“Jack and Hardy went with him. They’re planning to meet the police there.”
“Oh shit,” Nora said.
Janice frowned. Her eyes looked alert. “Police? They’re going in?”
“I guess so.”
The girl pushed herself away from the wall. She squinted as the spray struck her face, and turned around. Dropping the soap, Nora stood up. “What…?”
“I’m going.” She bent over and rubbed the backs of her legs to get the suds off.
“I think you’d better stay with us,” Nora told her. “You’re in no shape to…”
“I’ve gotta be there.”
Tyler grabbed a wet arm as Janice climbed over the side of the tub.
“I’m all right.”
The girl seemed steady on her feet. Tyler let go, pulled a towel off a nearby rack, and gave it to her. Janice started rubbing her hair furiously.
“The police will take care of it,” Nora said. “You ought to lie down in bed and wait.”
She shook her head. “It’s my parents. It’s me. I’ve gotta be there.”
Nora shut off the water. “You haven’t got any clothes.”
She dried her face. She winced, her face going tight with pain as she blotted water from a torn shoulder. “I’ve got clothes. In my room.”
“Or a car,” Nora said, climbing from the tub. “The cops impounded your parents’ car.”
“I’ll drive her,” Tyler said.
“Oh shit,” Nora said.
“You guys get dry. I’ll get Janice some clothes.”
She rushed from the bathroom. She grabbed her handbag off Abe’s bed and ran out the door. The cool breeze felt good as she raced across the courtyard.
This time, she thought, there won’t be any waiting, any stewing as she wondered if Abe was all right. In ten minutes, she would be with him. If he’d already gone into the house, she would go in, too. She would be at his side and know.
She shoved her key into the lock, twisted it, opened the door and swept a hand along the wall until she found the light switch. The lamp between the beds came on.
Her bed was still unmade from her afternoon with Abe, its coverlet on the floor where they’d kicked it down, the sheets rumpled. On the other bed was her open suitcase. Bending over it, she snatched out a neatly folded pair of blue jeans, the yellow blouse she’d worn on the tour, a pair of fresh pink panties and her sneakers. A bra? The straps might hurt Janice.
She considered changing herself. Not enough time. Clutching the clothes to her chest, she dashed from the room. The door smashed shut as she leapt off the stoop.
Except for Hardy’s Mercedes and her own Omni, the courtyard was vacant. She saw no one wandering about. The windows of the other bungalows were dark.
Stopping at her car, she pulled open the driver’s door. A shoe fell as she reached inside to flip up the lock button. She opened the back door, flung the clothes onto the back seat, and tossed the shoe in after them.
Then she rushed to Abe’s bungalow. She twisted the knob.
Locked. Of course.
She pounded the door.
Nora opened it. Her hair looked dark and matted as if she hadn’t taken time to dry it enough, but she was dressed except for her blouse. “I thought you were getting Janice some…”
“They’re in the car. She can dress on the way. Let’s go.”
Holding the blouse to her breasts, Nora leaned out the doorway and glanced around.
“It’s all right. Come on.”
Nora turned away. “Come on,” she called into the room.
Janice didn’t pause to question her. Nora stepped aside and let her pass. “This car?” she asked, nodding toward the Omni. She fingered scratches at her side, but made no attempt to cover herself as if unaware of her nakedness.
“I tossed some clothes in the backseat for you.”
With a nod, Janice started for the car. She moved stiffly, wincing as she climbed down the stairs, limping a bit as she stepped to the car. Nora, hurrying ahead of her, opened the rear door.
Tyler rushed to the driver’s side and climbed in. The car wobbled as Nora dropped onto the passenger seat. Tyler twisted the ignition key.
“Let’s take it easy,” Nora said. “We’ve got an injured girl with us.”
“Hurry!” Janice blurted from the back seat.
Tyler rammed the shift into reverse and hit the gas pedal.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Abe eased off the accelerator as a pickup swung in from a sidestreet. It sped down Front ahead of them. It didn’t stop for the blinking red traffic signal, and neither did Abe.
“Five’ll get you ten that’s the chief,” Jack said.
Just the other side of Beach Lane, it swerved onto the shoulder. Its tires kicked up dust as it lurched to a stop. Abe steered behind it.
“You lose,” Abe said as a stocky woman leapt from the pickup. Linda? No, Lucy, he recalled. She was out of uniform. She wore jeans and a flannel shirt. The shirt tail hung out, drawn in around her waist by her gunbelt. She glanced toward Abe’s car, then turned and jogged past the front of her truck.
Abe, Jack, and Gorman climbed out. Gorman followed a few steps to the rear. Abe raised an open hand as their approach caught the attention of the others.
Four others. Lucy, Chief Purcell, and two officers in uniform. They stood near the open door of a police car. Another patrol car was parked just beyond them. The flashers were dark.
“Abe Clanton,” Abe said. “This is Jack Wyatt, Gorman Hardy.”
Purcell nodded. “You should’ve stayed at the Inn. But since you came, I want all of you to keep your distance. Stay here at the road unless we tell you otherwise. We don’t want civilians getting mixed up with this.”
“Yes, sir,” Abe said. “It’s your ballgame. If you need a hand, though, give us a shout.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Purcell said.
One of the patrolmen knelt on the car seat and came out, a moment later, with a shotgun. Abe recognized it as a .12 gauge Ithica semi-automatic.
“There’s no rear exit to this place,” Purcell said.
“No windows, either,” Lucy added.
A quick flash of light made Lucy flinch. Purcell and the others frowned at Gorman.
Gorman snapped another photo. “Thank you,” he said, and lowered the camera.
Purcell shook his head. “Let’s go.” He walked up the dirt driveway toward the house, Lucy at his side, the other two following.
“Are we simply going to stand here?” Gorman asked.
“We’ll do as he said.”
Gorman took a step away, but Jack clamped a hand on the back of his neck. “Stay,” he ordered. He looked at Abe. “Do you think they am-scrayed?”
“Their pickup’s in front of the garage.”
“They must know the girl got away. They’ve got three stiffs in the basement, that woman and baby prisoners, and a beast in there. How’re they gonna cover up all that?”