He's going to be strictly the family-sedan type from now on.,,
"I know," I said. I'd been the pickup-truck type for years, with the same motives, but it hadn't taken. But I didn't say that. "Tell him I wish him luck," I said.
"And me?" she asked.
"You too," I said. "Naturally."
She smiled. "You were pretty disgusted with me there for a while, weren't you? I don't really blame you. I didn't behave very well, by your standards. Fortunately, Larry's more interested in a wife and companion than in a hunting partner, if that's the right word. And I'm a pretty good wife and companion, Matt, even if I'd make a terrible secret agent."
I grinned. "Terrible is right. Well, anyway, it's nice we both know for sure, isn't it? There was a moment when I first saw you, a few weeks back…
"Yes," she said, "if the boys hadn't interrupted…" She shivered slightly. "Thank God they did!"
I said, "You don't have to be so emphatic about it. You might hurt my feelings."
She laughed. She wasn't worried about my feelings. After watching me shoot Martell through the head, she probably wasn't too sure I really had any. She picked up her big hat. "Well, I'd better…
I said, "Just one thing, Beth."
She turned at the door. "What's that?" she asked.
"Those two men," I said, "the ones who tried to perform a kidnapping and got eaten by a dog, remember?" I wouldn't have brought it up, if she hadn't laughed like that.
She licked her lips. "How could I forget? Why. why did you mention it?"
"Because you sent them," I said. I waited, but she didn't speak. I said, "I've been thinking about the times and mileages involved, and there's no other answer. Larry was already well on his way to the Mexican border, he had to be, when those men came for Moira Fredericks; and Larry isn't the kind to run off and leave his wife to supervise a kidnapping alone. He wouldn't have let you have any part in it, assuming that he'd pull a stunt like that in the first place. It's my feeling that, unlike some people we know, Larry's really too much of a gentleman to use a young girl he knows and likes as a weapon against her father."
She said, "You're calling him Larry now. You used to insist on calling him Duke."
"He's earned the right to be called what he wants by me," I said. "And you're changing the subject. My guess is that your quarrel with Larry was much earlier in the day than you let me think, maybe right after he'd sent the kids up into the mountains that morning. You got into an argument about how safe they'd be there, probably; and that's when he stalked to the phone and called up Fredericks and drove off mad. Then you started feeling guilty about being the cause of his giving in like that. He'd left a couple of tough boys to look after you, telling them to take orders from you. And you had this bright idea, only it didn't quite work out."
She licked her lips again. "I was only trying to… to help. To make it unnecessary for him to go through with… I thought, if we had the girl, we could make some kind of deal when he got back…" She drew a long breath. "You're right, of course. It was a crazy, terrible thing to do. I still wake up at night, seeing.
What are you going to do about it, Matt?"
"Does Larry know?"
"Of course he knows."
I said, "Don't worry about me. I just thought I'd set the record straight, between us. May I ask a question?"
"Yes," she said. "Of course."
"Think hard now. Would you ever have dreamed of sending some men to kidnap anybody for my sake?"
She hesitated. Then she said in a small voice, "I don't think so, Matt."
"Then everything is fine the way it is, isn't it?"
She nodded. "Everything is fine."
"Well," I said, "give my love to the kids. I'll try to remember their birthdays from time to time."
"Larry says… he says his objections are withdrawn, of course, and you're welcome at the ranch any time."
"Sure."
She hesitated, but we'd said just about everything necessary, and she turned and walked out of the room. I lay back and thought about the kids I wouldn't be seeing much of. Well, I'd never been very active in the papa department, anyway. Logan would probably work much harder at it. I guess I must have gone to sleep, because suddenly the kid was standing at the foot of the bed, looking at me.
She was wearing a black linen suit and black shoes and gloves and she looked smart but rather subdued, for her. Her red-gold hair was just as smooth and bright as it could be, not a tendril out of place. Maybe she'd stopped outside to fix it, and maybe she was just growing up. Maybe she really had it licked at last. Her sea-green eyes said she'd done some growing since I'd seen her last.
"Hello, Moira," I said.
"Hello, baby."
"I thought you were mad at me."
"That was a couple of weeks ago," she said. "I don't stay mad that long." After a moment, she said, "You certainly look helpless in that bed." Then she said: "My mother died the other day."
"I'm sorry."
"Cut it out," she said. "Why should you be sorry? She was just waiting, I guess. She was going to outlast him. When she heard about him, there wasn't anything else to keep her, and she just went, I guess." She made a gesture towards her somber clothes. "Mourning. Corny, huh?"
I said, "I thought it was for-"
"For him? I wouldn't change my socks for him." After a moment, she said, "Did you have to do it?" Then she glanced at the bulk of the bandages under my hospital gown. "I guess that's a silly question. But-" She drew a long breath. "You know what I mean."
"Yes."
"Well, it was pretty good for a little while," she said flatly. "Choice."
"Yes," I said. "Choice."
"I could bring you flowers or candy or something. Should I?"
"I kind of thought that's what you'd say."
I said, "They tell me young Logan is down the hail. He's still on the critical list. A little incentive might help."
She looked at me without expression. "You may be a pretty good whatever you are," she said. "But you're a hell of a lousy matchmaker. Why don't you mind your own damn business?"
"It was just a stray thought."
"No wonder it strayed. Nobody'd bother to round up one like that." She drew a long breath. "What room?"
"A hundred and thirty-four."
"I'll see how he's getting along. Just to please you." She studied me for a moment longer. "You know, the old man never did anything right in his life, did he? He couldn't even shoot straight! If he'd killed you, I could grieve for you. It would be a damn sight easier than.
Good-bye, baby."
"Good-bye," I said, and watched her go out of the room quickly, noting that a little wisp of red-gold hair was coming down over her right ear. She hadn't grown up quite enough to lick it, after all. Well, she had lots of time.
I could have told her that I hadn't actually killed her old man, of course, although I'd been working at it hard. I might have kept her around for a while, that way. It would have been nice; but it wasn't my secret, and there was nothing I could give her of much value, compared to what she had to give to somebody, now that she was free. I was being noble, I guess. As usual, it made me feel lousy, and I was glad when the telephone rang; but when I heard the voice at the other end, I was less glad than I had been.
Mac's voice asked, "How are you, Eric?"
I said, "For an accurate diagnosis, check with the attending physician."
"I have. He says you'll live."
"Well, I'm glad he's finally made up his mind," I said. "When you're well enough, I'd like a full report," Mac said. "There seem to be a few matters requiring detailed explanation. In the past fortnight I've had to think up stories to account for two juvenile delinquents with damaged right arms, six dead human bodies, one dead canine body, one irate young woman held prisoner against her will, three badly wounded men, and a lady without a shirt on."