Chapter 11
The phone was ringing as I unlocked the door and stepped into my apartment. Automatically, .I glanced at my wrist, wanting to check the time. My wrist was bare. My watch was still in the bathroom, coated with mud. It wasn't much past noon, however.
"Hello."
"The same to you, sleepy head." Honey oozed honey right over the phone. "You sure sleep soundly."
"I've been up for hours. I've been out in the rain, and I just got back.'
"Then you're probably ready for lunch. How about soup and a sandwich? That's all I can cook. There's even scotch left from last night. Lots of scotch."
Her voice was soft and sultry. Also very inviting. I suddenly decided that I couldn't stay in my apartment alone on Sunday afternoon. Now when I could spend the time with Honey.
"It sounds wonderful, Honey."
"Plus — I've got a fringe benefit. Just for you."
She had so many of those I couldn't guess which one she meant. "Tell me," I kidded.
"Last night — you were asking me about Bonnie and Lee. Remember? I might have some information that will help you. You know, the reason Sarah was murdered?"
"That's great; Honey. I'll be right over."
"Drive carefully."
I drove carefully through the rain. When L arrived at her apartment house I circled the entire block. I drove slowly and checked every car parked at the curb, and on both sides of the streets. I couldn't see anyone seated in the cars.
I didn't want to believe that Honey mist have baited me into a trap but after the night before, I was beginning to get spooky. Especially now that Honey had suddenly promised me information that she refused to divulge the night before. Why the sudden switch?
After parking my car I got out and ran up to the entrance to her apartment house. A moment later I was tapping on her door. It opened almost immediately.
Honey was radiant. There was a happy smile on her lovely face and she'd brushed her hair so that it was a golden mist around her shoulders. Tight black sweater and a dark miniskirt. High heels. The sweater was so tight it outlined her magnificent full breasts and the miniskirt was very mini — halfway up her wonderful golden thighs.
"Lincoln!" she squealed delightedly.
The moment I'd dosed the door behind me she'd thrown herself at me. With her arms around my neck she was willowing herself tightly against the front of me, her mouth hungrily taking mine and feeding on it.
A heated bolt slammed into the pit of my stomach and then it burst and lightning flickered through my limbs. My lungs were screaming for air and with great difficulty I pulled my mouth off hers.
After I'd gasped and caught my breath I said, "That was quite a welcome, Honey."
She rubbed the tip of her nose against mine. "It's because I'm so happy to see you, Lincoln."
We were standing close together; and I could feel the heat of her feminity searing me. I liked it; and I clasped my hands at the small of her back and snugged her even tighter against me. She was leaning back slightly so that she could look up into my face; but even with that, her lovely breasts were still socked against my chest.
"And I'm very happy to see you again, Honey."
"Do you know what?" she asked.
I shook my head.
"I'd like to stay like this for a couple of hours. But why don't you take off your coat?"
"All right," I said. "Why don't you fix the scotch?"
I felt her pressuring against my hands as she moved backwards; and reluctantly I released her. "You can talk me into anything, Lincoln."
And with that she turned and hurried over to the refrigerator. I took off my trench coat as well as my jacket and hung them up in her closet. It was a nice feeling, knowing where the coats belonged, and being greeted like that by her.
When I stepped up beside her I said, "Do you have a jealous boyfriend, Honey?"
She pulled the neck of the scotch bottle abruptly away from the rim of the glass. Somebody was getting a short drink.
"I don't even have a boyfriend, Lincoln!"
"Oh, come on, Honey. You can be honest with me."
"I am being honest with you, Lincoln! Sure, I've had a lot of dates, I've gone out with a lot of guys. But a steady — no." She was watching me closely. "Why did you ask that?"
I took the bottle from her hand, fed some scotch into the glass that she'd been working on, and then I dumped some into the other glass. "Because," I said, "last night your jealous boyfriend didn't appreciate the fact that I was here in your apartment."
"What in the world are you talking about?"
I handed her a glass. "Cheers, Honey." After we'd clicked and had a sip I said, "Two guys were waiting for me last night." And then quickly I told her the rest of it.
"Oh, Lincoln," she said her hand resting on my arm. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"
"Enough," I said. I felt the anger rising within me as I remembered the things they'd done to me. "Now you tell me why someone wants me to stay away from you and Bonnie."
I saw the hurt in her eyes and now I was sorry that I'd said it. But maybe it was best to clear the air immediately. She was staring at me, shaking her head slowly and disbelief was in her eyes. "Oh, no," she said. "You don't think that I —"
"No, I don't, Honey. I am convinced that you didn't know Sarah. But what about Bonnie and Lee?"
She took her drink and went over to the couch and sat down without saying a word. I took my drink sat down beside her.
"Lincoln," she said, "last night you asked me about my sister and Lee. I didn't tell you a thing. But I thought about it, after you'd gone."
She pulled her legs under her and then she was turned, looking at me. "I think I know who killed Sarah Leighton," she said.
I just stared at her, waiting for her to continue.
"It was probably Lee Harmon."
I nodded. "The motive?"
"Well," Honey said, "I remember a few things Bonnie told me in the past. You know, sister-to-sister stuff. Lee was married to Sarah before they got a divorce. He was supposed to pay her a lot of alimony every month. But you know Lee. He didn't. He was behind on his payments. It was quite a chunk. According to Bonnie, Sarah went to her attorney before she left — or was hoping to — leave for Europe. She was going to start legal action to get the money Lee Harmon owed her."
"How much did he owe her?" Honey shrugged. "I don't know. I'm sure Bonnie doesn't even know. He doesn't confide in her, really."
"Is Lee jealous?"
"Oh," she said, "they must have hurt you very badly, Lincoln." When she realized that I wasn't going to answer she said, "Things aren't the best — between my sister and Lee. He doesn't take care of her — sexually. Do you know what I mean?"
I took a long and deliberate sip of my scotch because I knew exactly what she meant but I didn't want to tell her that. Finally I said, "Oh."
But at the same time I was remembering the way Lee Harmon had jumped me beside his Caddie. Honey had called it, as far as Bonnie was concerned. Maybe she was batting a thousand when she pointed the finger at Lee. At that moment I was willing to bet that Lee Harmon was now out of the country.
Honey said, "Lee was flying back to Los Angeles this noon, Bonnie told me."
That shot a lot of holes in my theory. Now I didn't know what to think. Except that I wanted to talk to Lee Harmon. I really wanted to talk to him because I was positive that he'd hired the two guys the night before. I wanted to get even with Lee Harmon.
I stared down into my glass and saw there were a couple of good swallows remaining. I decided that I'd finish my drink and then I'd call on Lee Harmon. I tipped up the glass and finished my drink. Then got to my feet. Honey was also on her feet now, looking at me, her face framed by the waterfall of her golden hair.
"Lincoln," she said softly, "let's have another drink before you go."
For a moment I felt the quick surge of suspicion. It had sounded as though she wanted me to tangle with Lee. She had first of all explained why he was a prime murder suspect and now she'd-assumed that I'd run right over and see him. I didn't really want to go but I had to satisfy my own curiosity about him.
But I hesitated because Honey's wonderful hands were touching the sides of my face. As she looked into my eyes I caught sight of the wonderful tenderness and hunger lurking there, and quite naturally I leaned forward and let my hands rest on her hips.
"Oh, Lincoln," she murmured. "when you touch me, I melt."
Her mouth met mine, gently at first; and then it was mauling mine as she slammed herself against me. The heat and wanting sizzled down the front of me. I was holding her tightly, feeling her squirming under my hands.
I needed her bareness pinned against me. Furiously my hands were working at the back of her sweater. I pulled up the lower part of it, then remembered I'd noticed a zipper at the nape of her neck. It was open in a second; and now as I began working up the lower part of her sweater she was moving away from me.
As her lips left mine she stepped back and put up her arms. I skinned the sweater off her and flung it aside. Her hands flashed behind her back, unhooked the white bra and threw it away.
A lush and heavy golden breast was resting in the palm of each hand and she was looking at me, offering them to me.
"They're on fire, Lincoln. Do something!"
I did. Ravenously I leaned forward and fed on them. I was holding them in my hands as she began unbuttoning the front of my shirt. Her fingers moved rapidly as I drew her nipples deep into my mouth. They'd become extremely hard and the satiny skin of her breasts was taut. Panting quickly, I stepped away from her and shrugged out of my shirt while I was getting rid of my slacks she was wriggling out of the miniskirt. There was nothing underneath it, except the bare and golden Honey.
We crashed together violently and now it was rapturous because her heated nudity seared the front of me. She was surging erratically, giving me the same series of bumps that she'd used during her dance routine. And she was coming at me so strong that I felt myself being driven against the edge of the couch.
At the last second I whirled and then we fell onto the couch together. The moment she hit she became a golden animal, shifting and inviting. My lips were in the hollow of her shoulder, smelling her wonderful heat and perfume while the golden hair tickled the side of my face. She was rocking her shoulders violently and as I moved my mouth down to her breasts, they rubbed my nose and face.
I lingered there a moment, savoring them while my hand stroked her flaming flanks, then moved inward until I covered the spot where the bumps originated. That seemed to excite her even more.
She was shoving herself upwards against my hand. I drew a line of kisses down the heaving and convulsing flatness of her stomach and then I was kissing her avidly.
"Lincoln!" she screamed passionately.
The sound of her voice was abruptly shut off because her thighs were clamped tightly against the side of my head, coving my ears and I was pinned against the lovely soft and shaven spot, delving into the core of her honey.
The blood boomed and roared through me. It settled into my groin, huge and causing so much pain that I was groaning loudly. I wanted to stop and yet I wanted to continue and for several moments more I savored her exquisite delights.
Abruptly I broke away from her, saw her vaguely beneath me with her arms extended and inviting. I flung myself at her; and with the lovely breasts cushioned under my chest, I slammed against her.
She was shivering violently as she sucked in her breath, and then her arms and legs had enclosed me in her golden world. "It's so good!"
"Yes!"
"Make it feel better!"
"Like this?"
I drove myself forward, heard her agree that was what she meant, and then I repeated it again. We were both panting loudly as though we'd been running for hours but that didn't stop us. Together we were moving quickly, our drives and counter-drives becoming more powerful and violent.
The beautiful passions of our union mounted quickly. I felt myself filling up rapidly, the intensity of her heat drawing me deeper within her.
Suddenly it was the moment that we'd been waiting for; and through the blur of gold I drove and bored, and she convulsed spasmodically. I broke apart and fell into the lovely passionate world that she'd provided.