Chapter 17d08

Chapter 17 (Draft 08)

Sally was up early the next morning and fixing breakfast for her sleeping housemates. She was thinking of Ethan's face as he lay sleeping beside her after the time they had shared together before Sally thought it best to leave his bed before Kari and Robert saw her sneaking out of his bedroom. She remembered how frightened and anxious she was as Ethan tenderly removed her clothes and then laid his body into hers. She smiled warmly. She couldn't help herself. He was beautiful both as a person and as a man.

It was surprising at how easy he slid into her. It had been more than forty years since she shared this kind of intimacy with a man, with only one other man, and yet she was startled to realize that after thirty years of marriage she couldn't even remember how Sam looked to her during sex. And yet she remembered the finest details of Ethan's face and his body as he moaned and smiled his pleasure at being with her. And while they were together, Sally felt something she had never felt before after all those years of marraige: She now understood the difference between a wife's carnal duty and making love.

"Good morning, Sal," came a sleepy voice behind her. Sally turned to find Kari, still in one of Sally's robes, leaning against the kitchen door with her eyes closed.

"My goodness, child, it's not even seven o'clock in the morning. Why are you up already?

Kari smiled. She loved the way Sally mothered her.

"I could ask you the same thing. How come you're up?" She straightened and then came forward to look in the pan. "Oh and you're cooking bacon too!" She tried to reach in, but Sally was ready with a wooden spoon.

Smack!

"Young lady, it's not even cooked yet. Behave yourself."

Kari giggled.

"Have some coffee if you can't wait," Sally scolded her.

As Kari looked through the cupboards for a cup, she said, "So… have you decided what you're going to tell Uncle Glad today?"

Sally slowed her poking in the pan, but didn't look up. "Yes, I think I've resolved things in my mind."

Kari didn't like the sound of Sally's voice. She knew what her friend was going to say. "Sally, please… I'm begging you. At least let Uncle Glad and the university take a couple of days to do the tests. If afterward you decide you don't want to go any further, we can talk about it when we have all the facts in front of us. You shouldn't deny yourself the chance for a normal…."

"I've decided to do all the tests Doctor Howard believes are necessary," Sally interrupted her.

Kari was surprised. "I… oh! Ah… that's great, Sal. That's wonderful! Oh — I'm so happy you've decided to do this. What changed your mind?"

Sally used a fork to flip the bacon and then she stopped. She removed the pan from the heat and then moved another in its place. She opened a carton of eggs and then looked up at Kari to smile.

"Ethan," she said.

Kari's eyes flashed and the smile curling her lips didn't hide her hidden delight. "Oh? Did you guys… ah… speak again this morning?"

"Yes, we did."

Kari poured herself a cup of coffee and then turned to stare at her friend. Although Sally was feeling somewhat guilty already, she knew that look well enough.

"What…?"

Kari sipped at her coffee, still staring at her. "What did he say to convince you? Did he repeat what she said last night here in the kitchen?"

"What he said in the kitchen?" Sally frowned. "I told you before… an old woman's memory can be a curse."

"Oh, that's crap, and you know it!"

Sally looked scornful. "What language is this, young lady? I might not look my age, but I still carry my mother's values. You mind your tongue," she said, raising the wooden spoon at her.

Kari set her cup down. "I'm sorry, but the man all but came right out and told you he loves you. And he did so right in front of me. You couldn't have mistaken what he said for anything else."

"I know he loves me."

Kari was surprised again. "You do? Well… finally… I was beginning to think you were as stubborn as a one legged dog."

"A what?"

"A one legged dog. You know the joke."

"What joke?"

Kari smiled. "What do you call a one-legged dog?"

Sally frowned.

"It doesn't matter, he won't come anyway."

"That's terrible." She went back to flipping the bacon and smiled. "So you're saying I'm both old and stubborn, then?"

"More stubborn than old. Did he tell you he loved you again this morning?"

"Yes, many times." Sally grinned again, but this time Kari saw it, the look of happy contentment.

"Ohhhh… really… now that sounds interesting. So… what happened?"

Sally leered back at Kari. It was there on her face, that look again.

"Nothing! Nothing happened," she said in an irritated tone. "I tell you, young lady, the way your mind works and concentrates itself upon sex, it's a marvel you're such a good and practiced nurse. Where you find the time to apply your trade with your mind living in the gutter half the time is a wonder to me."

Kari raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say anything about sex."

Sally's face flushed. "Oh… I thought… I thought you meant… oh never mind." She took an egg from its carton and cracked it angrily into the pan. Half the shell dropped in with the yolk.

"Damn! Now look at what you've made me do!"

"Something did happen this morning with Ethan, didn't it?" Kari said accusingly.

Sally looked at her again. "I…" she suddenly looked nervous, her face reddening, "I… I don't know what you mean. A lady doesn't speak of such things, even with those…"

Kari grabbed her by the hand, looked behind her to insure they were still alone, and then led them both to the table. She pulled out a chair.

"Sit!" she demanded, pushing Sally down before pulling up a second chair to face her squarely. "Tell me everything!"

Sally was dumbstruck at her friend's directness. She tried to stand. "I will not. Such conversation is completely improper!"

Kari pushed her down again. "I said — sit!"

She pointed her finger at Sally. "Now… there's one thing you've got to get straight, Sal. In this day and age everybody talks about sex. It's no longer the great taboo it was in your day. So… fess up… what happened?"

Sally was shocked. "I will not. A lady should never…"

"Oh… oh…I see," Kari moaned, falling back against her chair, "he must have been a really terrible lover. That's a shame."

Sally seemed ready to explode. "Ethan Dodge is not a terrible… anything!" she whispered as loud as she dared, glancing at the door again. "He's gentle and kind and brilliant. He's a wonderful and caring man. Any woman would be…" She suddenly halted. Kari was beaming with delight.

"Sally, this is wonderful! Oh, I'm so happy for the two of you!"

Sally looked mortified. "I… I didn't say… oh dear… what have I done." She covered her reddening face.

"What's the matter? You're not… embarrassed, are you?" Kari posed with a quirky grin, her tone inflecting upward.

"Yes, of course I'm embarrassed. In my day, women didn't speak of such things."

"Why not?"

"Because it's improper, that's why not."

"It's not 'improper' as long as you're talking with somebody you trust. Don't you trust me?"

"No! I don't!"

Kari looked hurt. "Why not?"

"Because — I know you, young lady, and it won't be a day before you're off scandalizing me to all your little friends. 'Oh — look at the old woman having…" Sally stopped to look cautiously around them again, "relations with a younger man!'" she finished in a whisper.

"I wouldn't do that! And besides… even if I did… all my friends would be thrilled to know you still had the ol' fire burning. It's inspirational!"

"FIRE BURNING!?" Sally shot back, standing to loom over her friend. "Is that what you think of me, as some kind of saucy, hussy-of-a-sexpot, looking to bed down with anyone who'll have her? Is that what you think?"

"Oh, of course not — don't be silly."

"Then why do you insist we talk about it?"

Kari pulled her back down again. "Because, Sal, I want to know that Ethan is treating you right. I love you more than anybody in the whole world, and while Ethan seems a nice enough guy, I'm just not going to assume you're happy being with him in that way."

Sally lowered her head. She looked confused.

"Let me ask you this," Kari continued. "Did you enjoy being with him?"

Sally didn't reply.

"Did he make you… you know… feel good?"

Finally, Sally lifted to look at her friend and mumbled, "He was wonderful."

Kari smiled broadly. "Yeah? So you did enjoy it?"

Sally covered her mouth and glanced around the kitchen again. She had to be sure nobody could hear them.

"What's the matter?"

Sally suddenly looked very nervous. "Yes, he was wonderful, but…"

Kari's face dropped. "But? But? But what? Did he do something to make you feel uncomfortable? Something weird? Tell me."

"No, no… he was very gentle, very kind, but…"

"Then… what?"

"I just don't know if what he was doing was… you know… normal."

"Uh-oh… what do you mean? He didn't try to bend you into a pretzel, did he?"

"What? Of course not!" Sally's angry expression immediately softened. "I mean… I don't know if… if it's normal for a man… I mean… you know… for other men… to be so…" she looked away again, embarrassed.

Kari leaned in to keep eye contact. "Say it, Sally. I can't help you if you don't say it. Is it normal for a man to be so… what?"

Sally drew in a deep breath and then leaned in to whisper, "Is it normal for a man to be so… attentive of me, of my… you know… my feelings?"

"Well, yeah, of course it is. If he's a good man and he cares about the woman he's with, absolutely yes. I don't understand, Sal. Why does that surprise you?"

Sally fell back to think. "I've… only ever been with Sam, and our occurrences were nothing like what I experienced with…" She hesitated once more.

"Really? So what did Sam do, just throw you down when he wanted you and jump your bones?"

Sally frowned. "Don't be vulgar."

"Oh, my God."

"And don't bring the Lord's name into…" she looked around fretfully again, "into sex talk!" Sally chided her in a whisper.

"Well if that's all this is — just a lot of sex talk — then I should think God would be very disappointed, because there's a big difference between having sex and making love."

Sally's face softened. She had only recently come to the same conclusion. She leaned in close again.

"But Ethan was nothing like Sam. He was very gentle and so… you know… focused on me, on my nervousness, the way I looked and the way I was feeling. I… never would have believed…"

Kari finally understood. "Did he, ah… you know…?"

Sally frowned. "What? Did he what?"

"You know," Kari smiled. "Did he, ah… ring your bell, curl your toes, send your head spinning," she leaned in close. "Did he… you know… get you off?"

Sally didn't understand her completely, but she could tell by the evil grin on her friend's face that she was probably being lewd again.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"No — no — no." Kari came closer still. "I mean… did Ethan... love you in a way that… ah… helped you to achieve an orgasm?"

Sally turned red again, but her mind was sent reeling backward to that moment when she was clutching Ethan tight while in the throes of her own ecstasy. A slight smile told the truth.

"All right, Sal!" Kari yelped loudly.

Sally jumped at Kari's outburst, frightened at the thought somebody might hear them. She stood. "Will you please keep your voice down, child!" she scolded her.

Sally returned to the stove and put the bacon back on the fire. "You will not speak a word of this to anyone, Kari. Not if you cherish our friendship. A lady does not impart another's privacies without consent."

Kari smirked and then stood. "Oh come on, I won't tell a soul." She took the spoon out of Sally's hand and then hugged her friend tight.

"I'm so happy for you, Sal. Ethan sounds like a wonderful guy.

Sally closed her eyes and hugged Kari back. "Bless you, child, for listening to an old woman's fears and silliness. I know you'll mind my confidence."

Kari smiled as they came apart. "Of course. Besides…who would believe me?" She leaned close again to whisper, "Who knew Sally Carmichael would turn out to be such a sexpot."

Sally yanked the spoon from Kari's hand and then slapped her on the rear with it. "You're terrible, but mind what I said, child!"

"Wow, that smells really good," Ethan said at the doorway. "You can smell the bacon cooking all the way upstairs."

Kari reached down to pick up her coffee. She looked at Sally as she took another sip. "Good morning, Ethan," she said in a sing-song voice. "How'd you ah… sleep?" Sally was glaring at her while Kari tired to good innocent.

"That coffee smells great too." he replied, pulling a cup down from the cupboard. "It took me a while, but I finally went down pretty hard."

Kari choked and almost spit her coffee.

Sally looked mortified and then angry. "Kari — why don't you take some coffee up to Robert and tell him breakfast is almost ready."

Kari turned toward the doorway. "Okay, I can't wait to tell him the good news."

"Kari?" Sally yelped.

Her friend turned to smile back at her. "About you going to the university, I mean."

Kari left the kitchen and headed for the stairs. As she rounded the newel post, she stopped to lean back and observed Sally and Ethan sharing a lover's embrace. He was holding her in his arms and gently kissing the side of her neck. Sally saw her friend spying on them over his shoulder and then waved a threatening spoon at her again. Kari laughed quietly to herself, pumped her fist in triumph, and then pounded up the steps.

Two hours later Robert, Kari, Sally and Ethan were pulling in front of Sally's apartment.

"Thank you for driving us, Robert," Sally said, opening her door. "I only need a couple of minutes to pack a few things for the university." Ethan got out of the backseat and escorted her across the street as Robert rolled down his window.

"Take your time. I have to make a few of calls anyway."

The couple waved back before disappearing inside the apartment.

"So…" Robert said, looking over at Kari, "the two of them are really together now."

Kari smiled and then nodded. "Can you believe it? Sally at ninety three, getting all frisky again. It boggles the mind, doesn't it?"

"You know, at some point, you're going to have to stop thinking of your friend as an old woman. She might be in her nineties on paper, but she's looking pretty damn good compared to a lot of other woman in their twenties and thirties."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kari shot back. "You getting the hots for Sally too?"

He smiled and then leaned over. "Not when I've got the hottest little hottie right here beside me." He kissed her, but her lips remained pursed as her stare deepened.

"Good answer, detective. You just keep those roving eyes front and center, if you know what's good for you."

He laughed. "What did your uncle say when you told him Sally was coming in this morning?"

Kari shrugged. "He was happy about it, of course, but it was kind of weird too."

"Weird? What do you mean?"

Kari looked up at the door where Sally and Ethan had disappeared. She was thinking. "I just don't understand what Uncle Glad is doing. There's still no word about Benny's disappearance, and yet he's going off to work like nothing in the world was wrong. It's a little strange, don't you think?"

Robert would never tell Kari that the FBI suspected her uncle's benefactor might have kidnapped her cousin. Everybody thought it best not to divulge anything outside the department.

"Yeah, maybe. What does your Aunt say about his working while Benny is still missing?"

"According to Julie, Aunt Liz is seriously pissed off about it; and who could blame her? The entire family is upset about his going off to work at a time like this. If it wasn't for the fact that he's helping Sally, I'd have a lot to say about it too."

Robert tried to create an excuse for her uncle's strange behavior. "Everybody handles stress a little differently," he suggested. "At times like this…people will usually do what's most comforting to them, something that gives them a better sense of control where they have none. Some will crawl into a ball and stop breathing; I've seen things happen in every way possible. It's obvious your uncle is trying to stay busy while he waits for news about his son. I can't say I'd handle the situation any differently if it were me."

"Yeah… maybe." Kari was rubbing her eyes. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Did you hear anything from that detective-friend of yours… what was his name again?"

"Bob Shoales?"

"Yeah, do they know anything about what happened to AJ yet?"

"Not yet. They're still gathering whatever information they can on that one. He did tell me they didn't get anything from the stairwell camera though."

"Really? They didn't see anybody heading downstairs that might have seen AJ in the basement?"

"Not exactly. They found the camera had been damaged around the same time they were looking for people traveling the steps."

"They found another damaged camera? Didn't the same thing happen when they went looking for the person who attacked Ethan?"

"Yeah, but this was a little different. The first camera had a damaged cable. The camera in the stairwell was smashed - like some kids might have taken it out with a baseball bat."

Kari wasn't a detective, but even she found this revelation hard to believe. "Well, that was rather convenient to whoever…" her words stumbled, "hurt… AJ."

Robert squeezed her hand and then looked up at Sally's building again. "I agree, sweetheart, but don't worry. We'll catch the assholes who did this."

Sally and Ethan were standing at the door of her apartment, working the key in the lock when a voice rang out.

"What in blazes do you think you're doing there?"

They turned to see an old man coming toward them. He looked angry, brandishing a metal cane like a weapon. Ethan could hear Sally groan under her breath as she worked the lock more hurriedly.

"I said stop that!" the man yelled out again.

Feeling frustrated, Sally finally turned to face the man. "Hello Mr. Hirch."

The man stopped in front of them. He looked a little surprised that the woman in front of him knew his name. "May I help you people?"

"No, I'm just coming home to see to a few things, that's all."

Sally's neighbor placed his cane at the door in front of her as if to stop her entry. "That there's Mrs. Sally Carmichael's place. She's a very good friend of mine and she's asked me to keep a watch over things while she's away at the hospital."

Sally suddenly looked angry. "I never asked you to do any such thing," she fired back.

The man frowned. "No you didn't. I said Mrs. Carmichael asked me."

Sally turned to face him squarely. "I'll have you know I am Sally Carmichael!"

The man seemed to lose his balance by her outlandish statement. "What the hell you talkin' about? My eyes ain't so bad that I can't recognize Mrs. Sally when I see her – and you ain't her, girlie."

Ethan stepped in quickly. "What my friend means, Mr. Hirch, is that she is Sally Carmichael's granddaughter, given the same name, of course."

The old man frowned again, looking very suspicious. "What the hell kinda' nonsense is this?" He fumbled with the spectacles perched upon the top of his head and lowered them to the bridge of his nose. The two watched as his eyebrows rise up in surprise.

"Well I'll be. Yes ma'am, I have to say you look at lot like our Sally. Granddaughter, you say? Mrs. Carmichael never mentioned she still had any family. Where you from, missy?"

Sally looked up at Ethan who gave her a quick wink and then seemed to relax her ambitions to tell the old man off. "Nebraska," she replied, annoyed but resolved to say no more.

The man stared at her closely. "You have your grandmother's eyes," he paused and then smiled, "and I'll have you know I take every pleasure in telling you that." He looked at Ethan again.

"You and I have already met, haven't we, son?"

Ethan smiled. "Yes, sir, we have. I stopped by to pick up Sally's prescriptions a couple of months back, remember?"

"Ah, yes. Dodge wasn't it?"

"Yes, sir. Ethan Dodge. It's nice to see you again." As he reached out to shake the old man's hand, Ethan could see Sally rolling her eyes. The neighbor finally seemed satisfied.

"So how's Mrs. Sally doing? She still down at the hospital? They better hope to God I don't find out they're treatin' her badly."

"They've released her, but she still has a way to go in her recovery. She'll be staying with her family for a while," Ethan explained.

"Oh, very good. Do you have a phone number where I can reach her?"

Ethan was trying to think fast before Sally exploded again.

"We'd… rather not give it out without the family's permission. I'm sure you understand. But we'll tell Sally you were asking about her. She has your number, right?"

"Of course she does, but I'd better give it to you again just in case." He repeated his number and Ethan wrote it down.

"Very good. Well thank you again, Mr. Hirch, and we'll be sure to tell Sally we saw you."

"You do that, boy. That there's a mighty fine woman. You take good care of her, miss," the man said, looking at Sally again.

Sally finally pushed the door open and then pulled Ethan roughly inside as Mr. Hirch turned to walk away. She then closed the door with a frustrated heave and quickly flipped the deadbolt.

"Ruddy-old-coot!" she blistered, fumbling to slide the chain across the latch as well.

Ethan laughed. "Oh he seems harmless enough to me. In fact, I thought it was nice of him to look after your place like that."

Sally scowled back at him. "That man has all but hit be over the head and dragged me back to his cave. He's nothing but a dirty-old coot," she said, adding a little kick to the bottom of the door.

Ethan came over to wrap his arms around her. "And who could blame him, huh?"

Sally immediately softened in his arms and then reached up to kiss him gently on the lips. He moaned at her touch and then ran his lips down to the nape of her neck. Her eyes fluttered as he pulled her tighter against him.

"Ethan…."

"Hmmmmm?"

"Ethan, dear," she sighed.

"Ummmm," he began kissing her the other side of her neck.

"Kari and Robert are waiting for us… and…" she moaned again. "I still have to pack."

He released her and grinned. "Okay… so how can I help?" He turned to look around the room, but Sally reached out to pull him back to her.

"Kiss me again…"

He placed his hands on both sides of her face and then lowered his gaze to her wanting lips. He kissed her deeper than she had ever been kissed before and it made her shudder against him.

"Sally?"

"Hmmmmm?"

"How can I help you?"

She smiled before opening her eyes. She took a deep breath and then looked to her right. "I have a suitcase in the top part of my bedroom closet. If you get it down for me, I'll take it from there."

Ethan looked at the door and then to her again. "Bedroom, huh?"

Sally rolled her eyes before opening the bedroom door. Turning to look back she said, "Perhaps I'd better just handle it myself." She smiled at the exaggerated look of disappointment on Ethan's face as she opened the closet.

The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving.

"No they're not."

The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving.

"No — they're not. No — they're not. No — they're not!"

Young Benny Howard was huddled alone in the corner of a dark room as he rocked back and forth,

"They're not — they're not — they're not!"

He peeked out from behind his fingers to look at the shadows stretched across the yellow light on the floor in front of him.

The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving.

"Stop it. They are not!" Benny covered his ears again and started to thump the back of his head against the brick behind him. "They're not — they're not — they're not!"

The yellow light on the floor disappeared as a very squat man, dressed in a black suit, looked into the room from a small hole in the metal door. He saw the boy was suffering again. The man turned to walk a few steps away before opening his phone again.

"Это - Igorek. Мальчик глуп снова. Что я должен сделать? ("This is Igorek. The boy is stupid again. What should I do?) "Да, да."

He closed the phone and heaved. "Трахнитесь!"

He snatched up a bottle of pills on the table and looked at its label.

"O-lan-za-peen… Что когда-либо трахание!"

He returned to the door and slid the bolt. The young man inside looked up at him with wide and frightened eyes.

"You is time to take." Igorek said in a deep voice, rattling the bottle of pills in front of him. The long scar running down the right side of his face was illuminated grotesquely in the light behind him. It looked like a snake traveling into his hairline

The boy jumped to his feet and ran forward, holding his hands out greedily. Igorek's fingers were almost too fat to pinch the pill over to his prisoner. Benny swallowed the pill quickly and then held out his hands again.

"Только один," said the man, holding up a single finger.

"No, no, no, I need to take three of them," the boy said, holding up the correct count.

"Нет, нет, нет - только один!" The man turned to leave and Benny started to panic.

"No, I need more—please!" He made a dash for the open door, but the large man grabbed him by the collar and threw him backward into the room again.

"Куда трахание Вас идет, голова дерьма?"

The guard stepped into the hallway and then slammed the door behind him.

Benny ran forward and started banging on the door. "Please, you don't understand. I need my medication. You're not giving me enough. Please!"

"Закройте испортить!"

Benny turned to look back in the room. There was a tray of uneaten food lying on a naked mattress. He frowned as the voice started again in his head. He covered his ears as he slowly slid into the corner again.

The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving. The shadows are moving.

"Shut up!"

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