So Willing by Lawrence Block

Author:Lawrence Block
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media LLC
Published: 2010-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

SEVEN

Vince was never quite sure how he did it. When he turned, slowly, in answer to that ominous question, and saw facing him a bald man wearing a pinstriped suit who could have been nothing in this world but a hotel manager, his blood sank to his shoes, his heart jumped up into his throat, and he went blank. And someone else, some total stranger, using his body and his voice, snapped with obvious irritation, “What is it?”

“About this bill, Mister Blue,” said the manager, holding up a squarish sheet of thin paper. “I hate to—”

“Bill?” snapped the person using Vince’s body and voice. “Bill? When my wife walks out on me, takes my car and goes God knows where, you come jabbering at me about a bill?”

The manager managed to back speedily away without moving a step. “Well,” he said, his face a symphony of sympathetic smiling, “well, I didn’t realize—of course, I had no intention—”

“You’ll get your money,” the genius in Vince’s body said contemptuously. “Let me worry about one thing at a time, will you?”

“Yes, of course,” said the manager. He was bowing from the waist now. “Of course.”

“I’ll straighten things out with you,” the genius in Vince said, “once I’ve found my goddam wife.”

“Certainly, sir,” said the manager. “Of course, sir.”

The genius who had control of Vince’s body glared with Vince’s eyes at the manager for a second longer, then spun Vince’s body on Vince’s heel and marched Vince the hell out of the lobby and out to the sidewalk. Then the genius went away to wherever he’d popped up from, and left Vince standing there, shaking like a leaf.

He’d gotten away with it. He’d gotten away with it! He’d gotten away with it!

Now, all he needed was a place to sit down for a while, until his knees could carry his weight again. Now, all he needed was a place to sit down and a strong black cup of coffee and a dime to pay for the coffee. And his father’s car back, so he could go home again. And Saralee standing in front of him, so he could beat her lovely face in.

It was so clear now, so goddam clear. She’d gotten up—it must have been seven o’clock or earlier, since the garage attendant said she took off with the car at eight—she’d gotten up, and she’d noticed Vince’s suitcase all packed and ready to go. And she had realized that Vince was on the verge of taking a fast powder. So she had decided that she would take that fast powder herself, before little Vince had the chance.

It was now just about noon. She had a four-hour start on him. She also had money, and he didn’t, not a dime. She also had a means of transportation, and he didn’t, not a pogo stick.

What Vince had been doing to her physically all week, she had just done to him figuratively. And she’d been a lot better at it than him. When she did it, she was thorough.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.