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sex. "But I think he will not return today," he said reassuringly. "He knows that we will be alert for that."
"Yes he will!" she exclaimed. "I know him! He can't stand to let me live my own life." She turned huge
dark eyes on him. "Officer, what will I do? The law isn't protecting me! I mean, you're here, you're a
good man, but you can't stay, and then he'll come back!"
"I really don't think " Walter started.
"Test it, Officer Toland!" she pleaded, standing close. Her nice bosom heaved, causing an illicit thrill to
run through him. If only this were a real situation, just the two of them, instead of a grubby routine police
call! But he had no business even imagining anything of the kind. "Drive away, circle the block, come
back, see if he isn't right back here! He's watching, waiting for you to go, so he can have time to get me.
He knows you can't stay here forever. He doesn't care about anything else, just so long as he gets me."
It really hadn't seemed that bad before; Conway Minke had been relatively polite. But it was never
possible to tell. Walter couldn't be sure she was wrong. The best thing to do was to prove it, and get on
about his business.
"All right, Mrs. Minke," he said. "I will depart, and return quietly in a few minutes. If he is here, I will
deal with him." This might be unprofessional, but he wanted to please her, because of his foolish private
fancy.
"Oh, thank you so much!" she exclaimed, squeezing his hand gratefully.
He returned to his car, made some notes, then drove away. He gave it a reasonable interval, then returned
along another street. He expected to reassure her about her fear, and that would be it.
But Conway Minke was there. This time he had gotten halfway smart, and was bashing in the window.
Lori had been right!
Walter turned on his siren as he came up, giving warning. The man stopped immediately and ran for his
car. Walter turned on his loudspeaker. "Halt!" he said.
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Of course it did no good. The car's tires squealed as Minke drove away.
Walter should have radioed so that the fugitive could be intercepted, but he didn't. What was holding him
back?
The door opened and Lori came out. "See? See? I told you! He doesn't care about the court or the law or
anything. He just wants to get me, and he will, he will, if he isn't locked up!"
"We can't keep him locked up," Walter said. "He'll be out on bail in an hour. Perhaps you should go to
stay with a relative, until this can be straightened out."
"I don't have any relatives," she said. "Not that I could go to. That's why I couldn't leave him before. Now
it's out in the open, and there's nothing holding him back."
"Then maybe I can get you a referral for a home for battered women."
"It's full," she said. "I checked. Anyway, he knows where it is. He'd go there, and they couldn't stop him."
She was right; he remembered now. Such facilities were always overcrowded. That said something ugly
about the priorities of society, but didn't do her any good. "Maybe we could take you into protective
custody," he suggested, though he wasn't at all sure that a judge would go along with that. He was acutely
aware of his inability to help her in any significant way.
She smiled brilliantly. "Yes! Oh, yes, that's wonderful, Officer! I'll go with you right now. Is your house
nice?"
"I didn't mean "
But she was already running back into her house to fetch her things. Helplessly he followed her in. This
was, he realized belatedly, why he hadn't radioed to intercept Minke: he had wanted to deal with Lori
directly. Privately. Just the two of them, in her house, for just a few minutes. So that he could fancy that
there was something more than a routine call. That wouldn't have happened if he had gotten involved in a
run-down.
Soon she reappeared with a suitcase. "I'm ready, Officer Toland. Take me away."
"I meant to the police station," he said lamely. "To see where you might go."
She met his gaze. "No you didn't."
Oh, God! She had seen through him! She knew how she appealed to him. She was desperate, so she was
using him, but he was helpless against it.
Wordlessly he led her out to his car. He took her the short distance to his apartment. "You know this isn't
according to the book," he said.
"It's the only way I can be safe," she replied firmly.
"Maybe tomorrow we can find a better place for you to stay," he said.
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"Maybe," she agreed in a tone that indicated her willing disbelief.
He left her there, gave her a key, and resumed his rounds. He knew he was crazy to do this, but he
couldn't help himself. He'd never had a woman truly interested in him before, and though he knew this
was disaster, he couldn't help himself. The thought of her in his apartment thrilled him.
He reported that Conway Minke had attacked his wife's residence twice, and fled when challenged. The
wife was all right. They would assume that she remained at the house, and that things had settled down.
The judge might revoke Minke's bail and confine him to jail temporarily. But things were so busy that the
judge probably wouldn't get around to it. The case would be lost in the shuffle. No one cared where Lori
Minke was. No one except Lori and Walter. For now.
When he finished his shift and returned home, he found a meal waiting for him. Lori had made herself
busy in his bachelor kitchen, doing a better job than he ever had. But he hardly noticed the food. He was
too distracted by Lori herself.
She was in a sheer negligee, and looked breathtaking. He had thought she had a good figure; he had
underestimated the case. She had a perfect figure, for his taste.
But he was not so dull as not to challenge it. "What are you up to, Mrs. Minke?"
She was helping him out of his jacket, brushing close. "Lori," she corrected him.
"Lori," he agreed numbly. "I I said you could stay the night. For protective custody. Only "
"Only it's not official, Walter," she said. "I have a better way. Let me just move in with you. I don't have
money, but I can pay." She opened her negligee to show her bare breasts.
No doubt now: she was trying to seduce him. So that she would have a place to stay. It probably didn't
mean anything to her, emotionally; she was just doing what she had to, to achieve comfort and safety. He
knew it was wrong, and that he was a fool to allow it. But he also knew he couldn't turn it down.
She took his silence for the assent it was. She continued to undress him, until he had to respond. Then she
pulled his head down and kissed him. Then she led him to the bed, and drew off her negligee.
That was the beginning of the best night of his life. They had hot, fast sex. Then they dressed somewhat
and ate. Then they made love. When he woke in the night, and found her still with him, close, he felt
desire again, and immediately she accommodated it. The whole thing was a glorious experience.
But in the morning some semblance of reality tried to intrude. "You must find a better place to stay," he
said.
"There is no better place," she replied.
"But you're a married woman!"
"Not any longer than I can help it." She approached him. "Do you want me to seduce you again?"
"They'll think I took advantage of your situation."
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"Who needs to know, Walter?"
"This isn't right!"
"But is it wrong?"
He couldn't argue with her. "You are free to go whenever you want. You know that."
"But I don't want to go, Walter. You're a much better man than my husband, in every way."
He didn't believe her. He did hope he was better than her husband, because he wasn't an abuser. But he
didn't trust her belief. She was just using him as a convenient haven, and forthrightly paying for it in the
coin she possessed. As a married woman who had dealt with a difficult man, she had a pretty good notion [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]