Kitten with a whip (3 page)

It wasn't so funny when he saw a flash of brown hair in his rearview mirror. Over his shoulder, he snapped, "What are you up to? Squat down, I told you."

"It's like an oven down nere,'* Jody complained. 'Who's to see me?"

"Everybody and his brother is out today. You don't know how this bunch likes to gossip." But by now they were down the hill and turning onto the freeway and David wasn't reaUy worried. At sixty miles per hour, faces became just a blur, even if anyone should be interested enough to dare take his eyes off the traffic. When they reached the tumoff that led to Citrus Grove and its four blocks of shops, he warned Jody again. "Now, remember—stay out of sight. It's for your own good."

"Yes, David," she said obediently.

He drove around the small town for a few minutes, hunting a parking place removed from the flow of pedestrians. He found a spot on a side street, under a drooping pepper tree. The sticky leaves would do the station wagon's paint no good but it was relatively cool there and somewhat screened by the feathery branches.

As he got out, a green prowl car bearing the sheriff's emblem came cruising slowly by and he froze awkwardly, holding the door half-open, one leg in the street, one leg stiU in the car. But the deputies gave him only a casual glance before rolling on. David shook with relief. For the first time in his lire, he reahzed, he had stood in fear of the pohce. He didn't like it, the cold sweat, the bottom-dropping-out-of-everything moment, the reversion to childhood and its terror of punishment. The law was implacable and impersonal just as the spanking in the bathroom had been in those dim days, and it made him smaller and helpless to be wholly in the wrong. No, he didn't like the feeling at aU.

Jody whispered, 'What gives? What's gone wrong?"

As a matter of fact, what was the penalty for harboring and aiding a fugitive and conspiring to obstruct justice?

"Nothing," he said, and his voice was steady. He might not like it, but he always finished what he started. "You keep your head down, kid, I'll be back as soon as

can.

He strode away from the car before his resolution

took a turn for the worse. In a short tiine, half an hour at most, the impulsive episode would all be over and he would once again return to being David Patton, law-abiding citizen. And what he was doing wasn't wholly wrong, after all. There was, he reminded himself vigorously, sometimes a higher morahty than that contained in tne statute books.

By habit, he entered the small department store where his wife did a certain amount or her shopping. The air conditioning embraced him like a rain or ice water. Saturday morning had crowded the store with intent counter-caressing housewives, those stranded without a car through the week, and high-pitched chatter and racing chfldren and the ring or cash registers. David drifted toward the rear of the store where he saw the dress racks. Almost surreptitiously, he began to examine the size nines.

At once, a gray-haired saleslady was at his elbow, a sweet-faced creature with a put-upon look. "May I help you find something?^

*Tm looking for a dress. Well, I guess that's obvious. Size nine?''

"This is what we have right here. Any particular color in mind?"

"Oh, it doesn't matter. Something cool. Maybe blue."

The saleslady eyed him kindly, long tolerant of men buying women s clothes. "I personally think this one is very nice. It's dacron, needs no ironing."

It looked all right to David, with its white piping and two Uttle pockets in front, and the no-ironing factor should appeal to a girl on the run. "Okay. Thatll probably do.

"Of course, if you'd like something a Httle more dressy, this one here—"

"No, I think the first oneTl do fine." His hands were beginning to sweat despite the air conditioning; he had a feeling of being watched by every customer in the store. As the saleslady removed the blue dress from its hanger, he lowered his voice. "I need some other things too. Lingerie?"

"Of course. If you'll just step over this way . . . Do you know your wife's size?"

Threading after her through the store, David dug

out the paper on which Jody had scribbled her measurements. The saleslady listened, nodding. "Quite a small girl, isn t she?"

"More or less. And TU need a pair—make it a couple pair—of socks to match the dress. Those ankle-high things, size eight. Do they still caU them bobbysox?''

"Davel" The bubbly feminine voice rang out behind him and he whirled around. "What are you doing here?'*

His heart began thudding heavily again, as if giving its last few beats. He swallowed. "Hi, Peggy," he managed to say.

Of aU the people he had to run into, his wife's sister-in-law was probably the worst, a cheerful chubby matron, a few years older than he, who existed on the latest reducing compounds and the latest talk. She was the very one who could be counted on to spread the word. Guess who I ran into today in Citrus Grove, buying undies of aU things . . .

"Doing a Httle shopping?" Peggy asked, her busy eyes running over the dress and the other items which the saleslady was spreading out on the counter before him. "A surprise for Virginia, Til bet."

"Sort of," David muttered.

"WeU, don t worry. I'll keep your secret," Peggy said with a laugh. "When does she get back from Frisco? Monday, according to the note she wrote Hugh. It's certainly nice that their mother's feeling so much better, isn't itr

"It's still Monday." He half-turned away from her to nod approval at the lace-trimmed slip the saleslady was holding up. It was part of a pale blue set with brassiere and panties to match. It was undoubtedly expensive, but at the moment David didn't care. All he wanted was to finish buying and escape.

Peggy showed no signs of departing. She fingered the blue (u-ess appraisingly. "Um, very smart. Was this on sale?" Then she raised her eyebrows. "Oh, for goodness sake, Dave—size nine? Virginia'll never squeeze into that in a miUion years. She's been a twelve ever since I've known her."

He couldn't think of a reply. The saleslady was regarding him questioningly, saying, "I believe we have uiis same dress in a larger size . . ."

'^o, it's all right She can always exchange it if it doesn't fit."

"But, Dave, you can believe me—*

"I want this one," he said, fuming at her interference, so well-meant, so hellishly timed. Will you wrap this stuff up for me, please?"

Peggy shrugged good-humoredly. She never took offense. "You ana Hugh are just alike, buy the first thing that hits you in the eye. It's gotten so I won t let Hugh shop for me on a bet ..."

Sne kept on chattering at his side. He refused gift-wrapping, learned the total bill came to twenty-six something, and began to deal money out of his wallet. "Hey, you carry a wad like a gambler, don't you? Hugh never carries more than ten, a five and five ones. I think it's some land of fetish . . ."

At last his package was ready. He said to say hello to Hugh, said it was good to see Peg again, promised they'd all get together real soon. With tms final He, he made his escape. One thing he knew—he had to keep the two women apart until this incident had faded from Peggy's mind. Thank God she had a short memory.

Still perturbed, he made one more stop, at the shoe store on the comer. There, after some inner debate, he decided that high heels wouldn't be practical in Jody's circumstances. He found a pair of low-heeled shoes, blue loafers that matched the dress, and bought those. Then, furtively, he returned to the pepper tree where he had left the car.

Jody was lying on the rear seat on her stomach. David could see her bare feet sticking up, playing with each other, as soon as he ducked into me ticldisn shelter of the tree. She was reading one of Katie's comic books, moving her lips. She had hitched the nightgown up above her knees and her thighs were lush and honey-colored. Cant blame her, David thought, it's hot in the car. But he slid behind the wheel without looking at her again.

"You took forever," Jody said. "Did you really get me everything you said? I was beginning to think—what if you never came back?"

'You don't trust anybody, do you?"

"I trust you, David. But you know."

He handed the two parcels back over his shoulder. He heard her rip into them, then the gasps of dehght. The station wagon swayed gently as she bounced up and down on the seat. She was so plainly pleased mat it seemed worth the nasty moments in the department store. "Oh, tiiese are wonderful! I never had anything so delicious in all my hfel All matching, blue, blue, blue—and look at all that lace. David, sweet, I could kiss your'

"Never mind that. The important thing is, do they

fitr

'*Well, I can't strip right here, can I? People have been coming along the sidewalk and if—"

"Okay. Hit the floor again." He started the car, wondering where he might take her. He drove about aimlessly but relentlessly in search of seclusion, a spot where a girl could dress from the skin out. Every street he turned onto was lined with homes, children playing, cars passing, husbands pushing power mowers, wives watering pet plants. Wryly, he thought, I haven't come up against this problem since my dating days. The easy way out would be to take her back home for a few minutes, but ... As the incident wore on, he was beginning to feel constantly more uneasy about his rash offer to help Jody. What did he think he was, a knight or something? And what he wanted most of all was to see her safely on her way, mission accompUshed. And out of his life forever. No, he wasn't going to take her home again.

At last he discovered a hideaway they could use, a dead-end street that wound to a halt between a pair of brush-covered hills. Not a house was in sight behind them and at the dusty turn-around nothing stirred in the midday heat. He stopped the car. "Okay, Jody. It's safe here."

"Coming up. Don't you peek now." She giggled happily. "I guess I couldn't complain, though, you being so nice to me."

He didn't reply but sat staring straight ahead at the brown weeds. He heard the insioious rustle of fabric as she wriggled out of the nightgown and into the clothes he had bought. He grimaced as the idea—/ler idea; she'd

Dlanted it. It sprouted in his mind. What did she look ike naked? And once, inadvertently as he lit a cigarette, le glanced in the mirror and saw a flash of bare arm and shoulder before he looked quickly away.

He nearly jumped when she tapped him on the neck.

"Would you zip me up?'* She had her back to him, the dress parted to the waist of the blue sHp. He did the job without touching her and she tmned to face him, smiling. "Say something nice now. About how good I look."

"Darn good," he said slowly. They began to beam at each other. It was quite a transformation. In the nightgown she had been a frowsy youngster; in the blue outfit, hair straightened as best she could, Jody had turned into a sleekly mature young woman, with a definite bosom and waist and hips. He floated on an access of

gride. She was something he had created. "Damn good," e mmmured. "Everything fits all right, then?^

''You bet. Except the bra's a httle snug. I guess Tm taking a bigger size now, huh?"

He didn't comment on this but started the car. "I'm going to take you to a bus stop. From there, you're on your own."

"Ill make out." She slid into the front seat beside him, erect and proud. "Oh, I'm feehng terrific, Davidl All new clothes, riding in a big car ... I wish it didn't have to end, ever.

He said, "Here's ten bucks. That's enough to get you out of the county."

She took it and patted his hand. "But I don't want you worrying about me getting by," she annoimced serenely. "Just tell me how much you spent at the store. You're going to get paid back some day, you know."

"Forget it."

"No, I mean it in big red letters. Some day when I'm rich I'll pay it all back."

"The best thing for both of us is to forget it." He pointed ahead at a row of regal palm trees. "There's the bus^^ stop. They run about everv fifteen, twenty minutes." He braked the car beside tne waiting bench and, reaching across her, opened the door.

Jody put her hand on the back of his neck so he couldn't straighten up completely. First came her husky murmur, "I wish I could do more for you right this very minute/' then came her full Ups, moistly, gently, pressed to his. "Thanks, David sweet. Thanks for everything." She kissed him again and this time her warm tongue slid gently across his mouth. Then she let him go.

He sat straight, amazed. She was smiling as she stepped out of the station wagon and slammed the door. She was smiling as she said, "Good-by now."

He nodded his good-by. He swung the car around in a circle on the highway, pointing it toward Knoll Valley. As he passed Jody, she waved gaily, no sadder than he at the parting. David rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth. What do you know! he wondered. A guy your age getting kissed by a youngster and—well, tefs face it—sort of enjoying it. She kissed you like she meant it, too.

He raised his eyes to ^the rear-view mirror but Jody Drew was gone, vanished with the bus stop around a bend in the road. David gave an amused grunt and pushed harder on the accelerator, headed home. The adventure was over.

Chapter Three

He didn't go directly home. To his surprise, he found in himself still too much exhilaration, a longing to fly, to roam, to mingle. Certainly he was glad to be rid of Tody Drew but me risks and alarms of her predicament nad stirred him up so that the last thing he wanted to do was return to nis empty house. "Glad to know IVe got some adrenalin left in me.'* David chuckled. "Been keeping myself cooped up too much, I guess. Let's see . . ."

He turned on the next cloverleaf and took the broad road up to Mesa Gardens, an immense tract area of flat-roofed homes that looked Hke a wilderness of tree stumps, each sprouting a television antenna. He got lost the usual couple of times before he came to Sid Wright's house.

He knew Sid fairly well, from playing handball together and from occasionally seeing him at the plant. However, they had made social calls on each other-meaning complete with dressed-up wife—only once a-piece; for some reason that hadn't panned out. The fact that Sid's plant badge was a yellow one signifying that he was on an hourly wage ana that David carried a candy-striped, or annual wage, badge might have made a social difference under other circumstances, but not in this case. When it came down to cases, Sid probably made a Uttle more per annum than David did. And Sid, a skilled mechanic in Final Assembly, had offered to repair David's power mower. So Davia had at least one reasonable place to go and be gregarious at this hour on Saturday morning. David's own skills and training were such that although he was helping design a rocket that—on paper—would be able to circle the moon, he still couldn't master the whims of the gasoline engine.