Chapter 11: Pamela

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon. I was sitting in an armchair, watching TV. Unexpectedly dull day. The rain had stopped but the sky was still overcast. I had planed to go out with friends. The rain ruined it all. Moreover, there was nothing interesting on TV.

The doorbell rang. I went to the front door supporting myself on the crutch. A tall woman was standing outside. She was blond and athletic, and looked to be in her late twenties. A pair of gray eyes was staring down at me. The left corner of her mouth twitched up in a wry smile.

"I am Pamela," the woman said.

"Pamela?"

"Dr. Steven Corbett was my husband once. Can I come in?"

I let her in. Her big cowboy boots clicked loudly on the tiles. I closed the door and followed her into the living room. She sat on the couch and crossed her legs. I slumped into the armchair opposite her.

"What happened to you?" she asked and pointed at the crutch.

"Car crash," I answered without hesitation.

"Did he treat you?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me where is he now. I can't find him."

"How did you find me? What makes you think that I know where he is?"

"Oh! This is a long story. His mobile is constantly switched off. I got anxious about him so I went to his house. It was locked. Steven has a friend in the village. He is mechanic. I asked him about Steven. He didn't know where he is but he remembered the registration number of your car. I thought that you are a friend of sorts, and here I am. I just want to know that he is OK. I am not interested in your relationships with him."

As Pamela was talking, something was bugging me. I couldn't determine exactly what it was. Maybe I simply don't like her. I had the feeling that I was missing something important.

"I don't know his whereabouts," I said.

"Are you dead sure?"

There was a hint of malice in her voice.

"Absolutely," I answered and stood up propping myself on the crutch.

Pamela uncrossed her legs and stood up too. She followed me down the corridor, toward the front door. Her boots were clicking behind me. In this moment, I understood. This woman is not Pamela. What a silly fool I am! I wore Pamela's green clog when I broke my leg. Steven gave it to me. This woman here has big feet. Suddenly, I lost my balance. The crutch slipped away from me and clattered on the tiles. She had viciously kicked it. I sprawled down heavily. Before I could react, she pressed me down. Her strong hands grabbed my throat, strangling me.

"Listen to me very carefully! I am gonna kill you if you do not tell me. I mean it. Where is he?" she cried into my face.

I could smell her foul breath.

"I don't know. Really. Ever heard of toothpaste?" I stuttered.

Her eyes popped out. She slapped me.

"You think you are very smart? I am gonna knock this stupid idea out of your pretty head," she said and slapped me again.

"Who are you?"

"I will tell you. Your friend betrayed us. The police killed my brother. Another man was arrested. Pamela already got what she deserved. She didn't tell me where Steven had gone and... Now it's your turn. So what?"

"I do not know anything," I cried.

She seized my left hand and twisted brutally. My wrist gave a crack. I tried to kick her but she pinned me down. I wondered if someone heard my cries. Then, I heard a growl. Buddy. I had forgotten about him. The dog barked and flew at the assailant. She lifted her arms to protect her throat and fell sideways. Buddy bit her. It was her turn to cry this time. I retrieved the crutch and managed to get up on my shaky feet. Meantime the blond bitch pushed Buddy away and rushed towards the front door. Making a couple of steps forward, I aimed carefully and kicked her ass. She howled, then fumbled with the lock as she was trying to escape. Her breathing was laboured. Buddy was still barking loudly. The bitch finally opened the door. I expected that she would run away, but she turned back. There was a gun in her hand. She fired at Buddy. The dog whimpered and stepped back. Then she leveled the weapon at me. Instinctively, I plunged backwards. Something buzzed beside my ear. I fell heavily on the tiled corridor. My injured leg bumped against the wall. The pain was so strong that I almost fainted. The bitch didn't soot again. She just slipped out and shut the front door. The dog was bleeding. He tried to reach the wound and lick it. It looked like the bullet had just grazed him. My wrist was swollen. I took the crutch. Leaning on the wall, I stood up with difficulty. My right leg was of no use. I was barely able to put weight on it. It hurt precisely at the spot of the fracture. I hopped to the living room and got to the phone. Then, I called 911. As I was talking, Buddy was staring at me pitifully.