Chapter 13
Frieta did not hesitate to phone Thomas McShane, who she found at his home on Waterway Drive. McShane informed her that he would be out to the apartment just as quick as he could locate Duke Wayne.
While Frieta waited for the detectives, she took a seat on the divan beside of Charley. She could find no words to speak her feelings, neither could he. They just cuddled and kissed between intervals, until they heard the police sirens outside.
Frieta opened the door for the cops. Wearing heavy black slickers, McShane and Wayne entered the apartment and Frieda closed the door.
"What's happened, Frieta?" McShane asked, speaking politely to Charley Boyles.
"It's Alice, McShane," Frieta said nervously. "She's taken the gun, and I assume she's out hunting for Eddie LaRose. She swore she was gonna kill him!"
"Why?" the cop asked.
"Because of me," she said shamefully. She dropped her head. Charley rose from the divan, moved over beside Frieta and steadied her. His presence seemed to add strength to her weakened constitution.
"What do you mean?" Duke asked.
"Eddie ... oh, this is awful. Eddie ... he ... please. Don't question me so. Just find Alice."
"We have to know what's happening here, Frieta," said McShane. "If you don't tell us, how will we know who to look for and why?"
Charley kissed Frieta's fingers, pressing them hard against his full lips. She seemed to be encouraged enough to make the unchaste statement.
"I'm carrying Eddie's baby!" she confessed openly. 'That's why Alice wants to murder him!"
Duke Wayne frowned. McShane studied Freita. Then both men obviously sensed the entire picture as it had been, as it had undoubtedly occurred.
"Thanks Frieta," McShane said to her. He gave her a consoling pat on the shoulder and turned quickly on his heels. "Come on, Duke. Let's go. We'll put out a quick flash to look for them. Eddie's hangout shouldn't be very hard to find. If they've left there, it's no telling." He went to the door. Duke Wayne followed him. McShane turned at the door and said, "Will you stay with her, Mr. Boyles?"
"Of course I will," Charley replied. "We're going to be married. Frieta and I are about to become engaged."
"Good," said Duke. "Congratulations." Then he followed McShane down the stairs.
Frieta was very upset by Alice's disappearance, and she did not have much desire to sleep. The rain did not let up, and she felt that it just might be a long vigil before the detectives returned or phoned of any results. She certainly did not want anything to happen to her mother, not after ah which she had been through with Eddie LaRose. In a sense, she didn't care if Alice did kill the bum, whom she now loathed and despised. How foolish she had been not to have accepted Charley's proposal weeks ago. All her weeks of sufferings could have been sweet sensual moments of blissfulness.
By midnight when no word had come, Frieta pulled Charley into her bedroom. If anybody came she could easily get up and let them in. She did not have to coax Charley into imagining what she wanted. His intimate kisses had sparked the flame in her belly again. She was suddenly blind as to her troubles. Only her soul must be appeased.
In the bedroom, she removed her clothes. Naked, she flung herself upon the bed. Charley crawled into bed with her. Instantly her thighs tightened round his body. His contact made her give a wild sigh of sweetness. Then her body became a wild coiling creature which he could not halt. The more he took her, the more she gave and moaned and shimmied herself up to him with all the energies that her body possessed.
"I need you terribly ... so terribly bad."
"You're wonderful, Frieta. Oh, baby, you're worth a fortune in gold. Do it to me!"
His soft whispers intensified her wild energies. And while he teased her, telling her how good it felt and how she knew how to undulate her hips, and how the sensation pleased his soul, she responded with a freshness which he could hardly match.
When she felt the urgency of release about to happen, she flung her arms over her head and screeched so loudly in his face until she was ashamed of herself afterwards.
When they lay beside each other, smoking, in the dim glow of a table lamp, she looked into his loving eyes. Her voice was as primitive and lost as were her sexual desires.
"Do I make crazy things to you, Charley?"
"You're mad, baby," he grinned. "But, you know, I want you that way. Your passions are insatiable. Are you ready again?"
She looked at him, then felt along the lower part of his body. Indeed that sweetness on him was apt to respond again to her wishes.
"Charley, my God!" she groaned, throwing herself back upon her back and pulling him over her again. The contact pulsed her soul. She dimpled and clutched. She reeked with sweat, and twisted herself in all her remaining energy.
"Charley, please ... please!" she begged. His own vitality increased, developed, grew in leaping bounds. She could not fight with his violent pace. "Charley ... my heavens ... you'll kill me ... please ... no ... no ... God ... yes ... yes it's yes ... it's....now....now ... Oh!" Her energies failed and she fell back exhausted and spent, much too sapped to make herself respond within the next few hours. The feeling was still with Charley, and she sensed it as he rose from the bed to go to the bathroom. She could only gasp at a man at his age who was always in such a condition. She knew, however, she would not have to worry about being unfaithful to a man of his respect. Charley was more animal when it came to sex, than human. But he was a sweet animal whom she was never going to let go.
When he returned to her, she looked to see how he felt again. The same potent responsiveness of his pestering device met her gaze.
Charley smiled at her, noticing her amazed expression.
He crawled into bed with her again. Instantly her hot breasts intensified him into virility. She felt him a fourth time, and a fifth, and a sixth during that first night. By morning she was unable to leave the bed. She couldn't have if she had wanted to. Her pregnancy had made her deathly sick again.
Charley was bathing Frieta's forehead when the knock sounded on the door. He left her and went to the front room. At half past six A.M., he did not imagine who it could be.
As he opened the door, in stepped Duke Wayne. "Any news?" Charley asked. "Nothing," Duke replied. "Where's Frieta?"
"In bed. She's having a sick spell. Her pregnancy, you know."
"I must have a word with her," Duke said.
Charley nodded and led the way into the girl's bedroom where they found her seated up in bed. Her questioning eyes studied Duke Wayne.
He held his felt hat. The rain had stopped, so he didn't wear a slicker. The sun was apt to shine.
"Well, any news of her?" Frieta asked before Duke could speak.
"Some, but not the people. At least we know she's with Eddie. The bartender at Cowboy Inn told us that they left there together around seven last evening. We've checked all hotels, no luck. We can't even locate that green car of Eddie's. That's why I'm here to see you, Frieta. Thought maybe you might give us a lead."
"What can I do?" she asked. "What can I say or tell you?"
"You stated yesterday that you and Eddie were intimate, somewhat. Just that he might have driven you some place during the course of your moments together?"
"Of course he did." she said.
"Any particular place away from town?"
"Yes. Once, I remember he drove me out on 32 Highway, and he parked the car along a gravel road just south of the highway and we talked."
"Do you remember the name of the road?"
"I didn't notice any name."
"Near the Kaw River?" he asked. "Was it near the Kaw River, Frieta?"
She nodded. "Yes, we have a nice view of the river. In fact, that was one of the main reasons why he drove out there, so we could watch the high river. Do you imagine he drove her out there?"
"It's a hunch," said Duke. "Thanks, Frieta. Well shake out there. And see." He wheeled towards the door and they heard him slam the door and hurry down the stairs.
By eight A.M. Frieta's morning sickness had abated, and she motioned Charley into bed with her.
"I've got to have it," she whispered.
He removed his trousers and moved into bed beside of her. His lips went to her thrusting breasts. He suckled and teased her until she could not stand off his titillations any longer. Then she flung herself on her back and elevated her flanks.
"Take me. Take me, Charley. Please ... please, take me." He crawled over and took her madly. Afterwards, she fainted, but the sensation was to appease her soul's endless desire for him.
Alice was found. Thomas McShane phoned just before noon to make the announcement to Frieta and Charley. They had carried her on to the St. Margaret's hospital. She had a nasty wound in her right shoulder, had lost considerable blood and suffered from hysterical shock and exposure. Other than that she would recuperate. Alice had been conscious enough to tell them where Eddie was lying dead in the corn stalks. Eddie's body had been taken from the cornfield. The weapons had been recovered. A picture of Alice's half nude body and the wild scene around the car had been made. It was of little doubt that there had been a savage struggle before the fatal shot had killed Eddie LaRose.
Alice recuperated rapidly. In a few days she was able to leave the hospital. She was happy upon hearing that Frieta and Charley had gotten married a few days before she had left the hospital. Duke was a constant visitor. She felt that Duke and McShane might be able to get her off with a light sentence.
The trial was held three weeks later. McShane presented evidence which showed she had suffered rape, and attack, and finally tried to halt Eddie's mad desire to murder her. The fight in her apartment was brought into the arguments. Alice told how she had left the car to return back to town, and how Eddie had forced her back to the car, to finish ravishing her.
The trial lasted two days. When the jury returned with the not guilty announcement, Alice broke into tears.
Her killing of the hoodlum was in self defense. The entire courtroom was in her favor. She was appeased.
Duke Wayne accompanied Alice and Charley and Frieta back to the apartment after the trial. They had a fine dinner-party, somewhat of a celebration. Afterwards, Duke announced his intentions to marry Alice. She accepted him. And while Duke and Alice left the apartment to take in a fine motion picture, Frieta pulled Charley back into her bedroom and they went to bed.
Both naked, the bed whined and shook with their sexual delight. Frieta did not think she ever wanted to be cured of her morbid sex ailment, not as long as she had such a pleasuring device as Charley Boyles.