Chapter 5

As I stepped around the front fender of the car, I felt the quick surge of dizziness. The next moment I bounced against it, my hand gripping the rear view mirror. She was at my side, gripping my arm, holding me and steadying me.

"Are you all right?" she asked. I caught the note of concern in her voice. Even with the frown on her face she was cute.

I was honestly all right, the wave of dizziness having passed but I decided to fake it. "Oh, sure," I said. "I think I'll be able to make it."

Shoving myself away from the side of the car I began to walk unsteadily. She remained at my side, with her hands grimly holding my arm. I liked that. I liked the way she was repeatedly glancing up at me as we headed for the elevator. I liked the smell of her perfume. It was an expensive scent, with just enough spice in it to tingle my nostrils.

After the elevator doors closed and we began to ascend, she finally let go of my arm. "There," she said. "Just lean up against the wall."

"Oh, yes," I agreed. "That's much better."

Her glance locked on mine. "I think you've been faking it ever since I told you that I was Lee Harmon's wife."

"Let's forget about him. What's your name?"

"Bonnie."

The elevator had stopped, and now she was stepping out into the hallway. She walked to a door a short distance from the elevator and dug a key from her coat pocket. While I was brushing some of the parking lot dust off my clothes I told her my name. The lock clicked and she shoved the door open. "I don't remember his ever mentioning your name, Lincoln."

"He will," I said.

After I'd followed her inside the apartment, she closed the door. "He never discusses his business problems with me."

"I didn't realize I was a problem."

"I didn't mean it that way," she said. "Please take off your coat."

While I shrugged out of it she asked, "What do you take with your aspirin? Water, or something stronger?" Her hand came out to take my trench coat. Again the humor was visible, little sparks dancing in her dark eyes.

I decided to play it straight. "Whenever I take scotch, the aspirin doesn't upset my stomach."

"You should write copy for aspirin ads." She took my coat and headed out of the room. "Be a dear and light the fireplace will you?"

I didn't do it immediately. First I glanced about, noting that the apartment was furnished in ultramodern. Apparently Lee Harmon had a few bucks. The view to the south was excellent, I was sure, had it not been raining. As it was, the darkness and rain clouds had closed in, moving the mists into the streets and there weren't any lights visible. It was a good night to spend by the fire.

The gas fireplace was huge, with three large fake logs. In front of it was a polar bear rug. The real McCoy. That figured. I could just imagine Harmon up in the Artic, stalking the beast at temperatures of about, eighty below. But somehow I couldn't imagine him married to either Sarah or Bonnie. But you never know.

After I'd touched the match to the gas and adjusted the flame so that the tips were curling around the logs, I straightened up again. I'd noted that the fireplace had been hot, as though the gas had been turned off recently.

"Oh, that's nice," Bonnie said.

I turned around and saw her coming towards me. She'd taken off her hat and rain coat and she was now wearing a coolie-type jacket and a pair of silver capris. With high-heeled pumps. She was carrying two glasses in her right hand. Her left hand was closed in a fist.

She'd remarked that I should write copy for aspirin ads. I told her, "You should model capris, Bonnie. On you they're delightful."

She smiled as she held out her left hand. "Thank you. Care for an aspirin?"

"Thanks." I let her dump them into my hand and then I took one of the glasses of scotch. She kicked off her pumps. In her bare feet she was about four inches shorter but still tall and very slender. Not too much weight at her chest, but all of her was supple and there were a lot of curves.

While I was popping the aspirins into my mouth and washing them down with scotch, she settled down on the bear rug. Her hand patted the spot next to her. "Come on, there's lots of room."

After I'd settled down beside her and we were both sitting on the rug and facing the fireplace, I said, "I feel better already, Bonnie."

"You can be honest with me, Lincoln. I don't think he hurt you that badly."

There was still a little pain at the back of my head.

"All right. Let us bare our souls."

"Bare," she said.

"Where's Lee?"

"By now he should be in San Francisco. I already told you that he won't be back until tomorrow."

"How did it happen that you found me, down on the cement floor, inspecting the treads on those front tires?"

"I was on my way out. I saw you snuggled up against the wall, in front of my car."

"Don't let me keep you from your appointment."

"I had nothing planned. I was going to a movie. By the way, your shoes need a shine."

"I never get a shoeshine when it's raining."

She turned her head to look at me. Her lovely face was relaxed, and the eyes were twinkling. "I suppose you think that I pickup every man that comes along."

"No. Only those that need shoe shines."

"I like you, Lincoln. You're exactly what I need on a lonely and dreary rainy night."

She set down her glass; and then she stood up in one smooth and fluid motion. She went to the couch, picked up two of the pillows and tossed one down to me.

"Live," she said.

She was back on the rug again, sliding down with her feet towards the fire while she shoved her pillow under the back of her head. I did the same and we were lying on our backs, on the white rug, looking at the flames curling around the logs. I could hear the ice cubes tinkling in her glass as she took a sip.

There wasn't any music in the background and the apartment was very quiet. The wind must have shifted at that moment because I could now hear the rain splattering against the glass on the south side of the apartment. And Bonnie wasn't saying a word as she kept sipping at her drink. It was a time for thoughts.

First of all, I thought about Lee Harmon. He'd jumped me without provocation, as the Russians say. He hadn't even known my name. Nor had he known what I wanted to talk to him about. When I regained consciousness, his wife was there and she brought me up to her apartment. She'd made sure that I knew that he had gone to San Francisco and that he wouldn't return until tomorrow. She'd also given me the impression that she'd found me after Lee had departed and that she'd been on her way to a movie. Conclusion: I was exactly what she needed on a lonely and dreary rainy night. As she'd told me.

Suddenly she said, "I thought this was a time for baring the soul."

"It is."

"No questions? No third degree? No pass at the hostess?"

"Which do you prefer?"

"A pass at the hostess."

"How long have you been married to Lee?"

"Too long."

"Why?"

She laughed softly. "The drive to make a buck. The nights without him. All alone. The nights with him ... When he plans his next hunting expedition. The smell of cigar smoke in his mouth, in his clothes. The way he coughs at night."

"It's a nice place you've got here, Bonnie."

"I'm twenty-one years old. Maybe I wanted too much too soon."

"I know a couple of dozen girls that would be eager to trade places with you, Bonnie."

"Have them call him tomorrow night. He'll be back by that time."

"Did you know his first wife, Sarah?" I sneaked it in.

"No."

"Did he ever talk about her?"

"Negative." She sat up quickly and then her hand was extended. "You need another drink, Lincoln."

She departed after I'd handed her my glass. Again the apartment was quiet with only the rain gushing against the window's glass.

Next step. Lee was gone until tomorrow. Until them I wouldn't be able to talk to him about Sarah. Apparently Bonnie knew nothing about Sarah or Lee's relationship with her. Maybe Lee had killed Sarah, and at this moment be was getting out of town, out of the country. But that was Jenks' job. My job was to take care of Bonnie.

At that moment she returned with two fresh glasses of scotch. After she'd handed me my drink she settled down onto the' rug again, with her bare feet stretched out towards the fireplace.