Hot Keys by R .E. Ward

Author:R .E. Ward [Ward, R.E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2022-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

“What should we do tonight?” Eva asked Betty.

They were sitting in her living room, still in their nightgowns, and they had at least a couple of hours before Betty had to be at the Trespass. They’d passed the day slowly, chatting and reading from Eva’s selection of books in her parlor, sharing the occasional kiss as the sun made its way across the sky.

“Oh, I know!” Betty said. She grinned mischievously and sat up from the chaise where she had been semi reclined, shaking her dark hair from her eyes. “Let’s nip down to the bar before it opens and liberate ourselves a bottle of the Trespass’s best.”

Eva grinned back. “I’m sure Leroy and Charlie won’t mind too much,” she said as she stood to offer Betty a hand up.

Giggling like schoolgirls, they left the apartment and snuck down the stairs. There wasn’t likely to be anyone in yet, but the back door was usually left unlocked. The whole errand had a deliciously secret energy—even if the risk of being caught was miniscule. And even if getting caught would get them nothing more than an amused glance and maybe a teasing talking to. They went around the back, with only a little embarrassment at being out in their nightgowns, only to find the door ajar. That silenced their giggling.

Betty had the sinking feeling that something bad was going on just inside.

“Would Leroy or Charlie leave the door open?” Betty whispered.

Eva shook her head. “Not since I’ve lived here.”

The sound of smashing glass made them both jump.

Someone was in there.

Someone none too friendly if the sound of another bottle smashing was any indication.

“We should go find someone,” Eva whispered, as another crash came from the bar.

Betty shook her head. It’d be too late by then. It sounded like someone was destroying the place. They didn’t have time to fetch one of the men. “Wait here,” Betty said. She grabbed the broken slat of a crate and wrenched it the rest of the way off, arming herself with a plank of wood.

“No. If you’re going in, so am I,” Eva said as she searched the ground for a weapon. She found only a broken bottle, which she picked up by the neck gingerly. “I wish I’d brought my heater, but this’ll do. Let’s go.”

Betty blinked. Eva had a gun? Well, that was interesting. Not that now was the time to discuss it. She nodded, then before she left the alley, she grabbed the metal lid of a garbage can. That should be good enough as a shield.

They crept through the door, Betty going first, to find a man with his back to them. He was smashing bottles of booze and muttering to himself, his white shirt baggy and torn.

“Damn stupid waste,” he said. “But when Zanetti says destroy the liquor you destroy the liquor.” He was taking his time, taking a swig from each bottle before he smashed it. What a fool. He could have just swept his arm across the bar and have been done with it.

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