Chapter 15
Then Tad noticed that the tape recorder had been moved several feet. Then he saw his father's cigar band in the ashtray. Racing to open the machine, he played back the tape to where he had recorded Laura's story of the murder.
There was nothing. The tape had been completely erased. John must have stumbled on him and Laura as they lay together naked on her bed. The sight of his beautiful bride lying there, legs spread open for the act of sex, must have made him flip. He had probably gotten the Beretta and discovered the tape machine. After lolling Laura he had cleaned the tape.
Tad knew why. Without the taped confession, Tad would have to face a murder charge of killing Laura. His father had probably cleaned his own prints off the gun and would see that the police found the murder weapon. He had to get as far from the house as possible. He was certain that John would send the police looking for him there.
There was no time to lose. In half an hour or even less cops might barge in or road blocks might be set up to intercept him. He had to hide out till he could pin Laura's murder on her husband where it belonged.
Poor Lama. Now that it was all over, he felt sorry for her. She was probably a born victim. He had met a lot of girls like her: beautiful women with gorgeous tits and an ass that acted on men like a red flag on a bull. He had got a hard-on himself for her the first day he saw her. And despite his anger at her, he had enjoyed screwing her. She had a great body and in bed she had performed like a trouper. That was her trouble, he thought. Men had screwed her all her life, literally and figuratively. She had served both as a sex object and a useful if somewhat naive tool.
It was early morning. Driving quickly away from the house, he zigzagged through the residential district till he reached a drugstore and called Dr. Johnson. His nurse said he would be out all day on calls. He groaned.
"What's the matter, Tad?" she said, worried. "Are you in some trouble?"
"Yes. Someone's trying to pin a murder rap on me. It's crazy, Mary. But I've got to stay out of sight for a while till I can prove I'm innocent. I thought I'd use Dr. Johnson's place."
"Use mine," she said quickly.
"Yours?" he said, surprised.
She gave him the address and told him the key was under the doormat. "I'll be home a little past five."
"Mary, I don't know how to thank you."
"Get going. I've got a patient waiting," she answered. You might make a pitcher of martinis for us. All the bottles are in the cabinet over the refrigerator. Bye."
The drive to Mary's place left him tense, but to his relief no one stopped him. She lived on a little hilltop street high above Sunset Strip. Once he arrived, he felt much more at ease. The apartment had a wonderful frilly, feminine look. It made him feel as if he had blundered into a harem. Though she was very neat at the office, she was very lackadaisical at home. Books were strewn all over tables and couches, records were on the floor, and, most amusing to him, her brassiere and panties were on the couch in the living room. He grinned and pressed his nose to her pink, silky panties. He could smell a rich, sexy melange of odors: the scent of some heavy perfume, and her natural skin odor. At the crotch, the heavy perfume and the scent of her pussy was so pungent it almost gave him an erection as he sniffed it.
The next several days were the easiest he had ever spent. Mary enjoyed having him as a guest, fussing over him and cooking. He could have made love to her, too, he was convinced. She made no effort to disguise her interest in him, and she did not lock her bedroom door. But though he was tempted, he left her alone. He had too much to worry about with the police on his tail, and he was afraid of involving her too deeply in his affairs. Finally, the fear that the cops might discover his hiding place made him decide after lying low a few days, that he'd better move to Jill's apartment.
By then the papers had already carried the story that the police were looking for him out of the state. A police lieutenant investigating the case said he had been seen in Dallas and Houston and that Texas police had been warned.
It was time, he decided with a sigh as his cock twitched, that he get close to Jill fast. As long as the cops were looking for him in Texas, he might as well find his place with Jill again. And his favorite place was that lovely slit between her gorgeous thighs.