Hard Case Crime - 39 - A Diet of Treacle by Lawrence Block

Author:Lawrence Block
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Mystery
Published: 2011-06-03T13:51:44+00:00

Chapter 7

Party time.

Judy Obershain had money. Her father, a well-to-do Boston businessman, sent her a healthy check once a month to keep Judy out of Boston. He loved his daughter—reservedly, but sincerely—and he knew well enough it would be better all across the board if he and Judy saw each other as little as possible. So the small, gaminish girl used her monthly manna to inhabit an apartment in the West Village and to experience all the kicks available, with the exception, oddly, of the act of losing her virginity. Long ago, when Judy’s mother had been among the living, that good woman had explained again and again to Judy how terrible it would be to cease being a virgin. Judy’s mother, a frigid witch if there ever had been one, had succeeded admirably. Judy, as promiscuous and perverted a girl as one could hope to find anywhere, had remained a virgin.

Now Judy’s four-room apartment was being devoted to a party. The party was moving nicely. Several gallons of sour red wine were being passed from person to person, and the twenty or so people present were busy getting as high as they could. Judy was happy. The marijuana, purchased from Shank at a cost of a hundred dollars, would soon be brought out and consumed. And from there on the party would become a real blast.

Nothing could have pleased Judy more. She liked a party that moved.

She was sitting on the couch now. Next to her a boy and girl were busy with a gallon of wine; periodically, the boy’s hand would fondle her breast. Judy was pleased. The sexier a party became, the better it was.

Judy closed her eyes, remembering one magnificent party where everybody had gone shriekingly high on mescalin. That particular blast had been an orgy that would have delighted Nero. It had certainly delighted Judy. At one superb point she and another girl had delighted a particular boy—and the effect had been exhilarating.

Thinking about that began to warm Judy. Here we go again, she thought. Life is just a bowl of cherries. And I am one of them.

A boy passed. He had a full beard, long hair, rather wild eyes. His name was Nick Long and his prowess was legendary, and Judy was intent either on proving or disproving it.

She caught at his arm. “Sit down,” she said. “I’m lonesome.”

Nick looked at her, considered, sat down.

“You and I,” she said, “really ought to get acquainted. You’ve got to pay attention to the hostess. It’s the first rule of genteel party-going.”

“If we were in a room all by ourselves,” he said, “then I could really pay attention to you.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh-huh. You look nice, baby. I could ball with you and enjoy it. We could both enjoy it.”

“You’re hot stuff, huh?”

“The best.”

She grinned like a monkey. “There are ground rules,” she said. “Rules of the house.”

“I’ve heard.”

“The word is rather widespread,” she admitted. “The rules suit you?”

“They might,” he said. “I hear you’re a woman of the world.”

“Then let’s go.

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