Illusion of Luck 31

“I don’t know if I feel like watching a movie, Crow,” said Chaucey.

“Ah, come on—it’s supposed to be really funny.”

She sat down on his couch. “What’s the name of it?”

“Flushed Away. It’s animated.” He handed her the pizza box. “Here—dig in.”

“Thanks.” She took out two slices and put them on her paper plate.

“So, they got your door fixed?”

“Yeah.”

“How much did they charge you? I want to pay for it.”

“That’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

“Hey, I’m the one who busted it.”

“Yeah, but you did it to save me. There’s no way I’m letting you pay for it.”

Crow slid four slices of pizza onto his plate. “Did you get any work done today?” He took a big bite out of a slice. “Or did you rest all day?”

“I worked for a little while, but I had trouble concentrat­ing.”

“You’ll feel better tomorrow. I’m sure your bed is lot more comfortable than mine.”

“It was fine, Crow. And you were so sweet, letting me have your bed while you slept here on the couch.”

“Happy to do it for you.”

He took a sip from his Dr. Pepper and then clicked the remote to play the DVD.

Just as the movie as started, he heard Chaucey sniffling. “You okay?”

She nodded.

But Crow noticed that her eyes were puffy. “Are you sure?”

She broke down and wept.

He stopped the movie, sat his plate down and slid across the couch to her.

“What’s the matter?” He put his arm around her.

She dropped her plate on the coffee table and put her head in her hands and cried.

“He gave me nightmares last night.”

“I’m sorry, Chaucey.”

“And I was so tired all day, but every time I tried to take a nap I saw his face.”

“I just want to break his face,” said Crow.

She looked at him and smiled for a brief moment, and then started crying again.

“I just don’t understand how you got involved with the guy.”

“It was stupid. He’s writing a novel online and I was read­ing it, and I thought it was really good. So, I left a comment and he responded.”

“Okay. So, how did that lead to you meeting him in a motel room?”

She cried louder. “I was an idiot. He could have raped me and killed me right there. I was lucky to get away.”

“It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

“I don’t know what I was thinking. And he had that other woman with him—it must have been the redhead from the novel. Apparently, his book is not fiction. No wonder it sounded so real when he talked about the main character poisoning his girl­friend and burning up her body in a barbecue pit. He must have really done that!”

“That’s awful.”

“And if he murdered his girlfriend, he wouldn’t have hesi­tated to kill me—at the motel or in my apartment. I’m telling you, Crow, you got there just in the nick of time.”

Crow felt a sudden rush of anger. He wanted to take Barry out into the woods, grab him up in his powerful, big hands and break him over his knee like a skinny, dried-out tree branch. Then he would use his body for kindling to build a roaring campfire.

Having those thoughts made Crow think he was no better than Barry. He couldn’t really do that, could he? But it was painful to see Chaucey hurting so much. And would she ever really feel safe, knowing Barry was still out there somewhere? Crow wouldn’t necessarily have to kill him. He could just tor­ture him for a while and then turn him over to the police. But first he’d have to find him.

Then he had an idea. “What was that man’s name who came by with his friends last night, asking about his wife?”

“The redhead’s husband.” Chaucey had a talent for remem­bering names. “It was Greg…Tenory. No—Tenorly. Greg Tenorly.”

Crow said the name in his head repeatedly. “I’ll be right back. Gotta go to the ‘little boy’s room.’”

He walked to the bathroom. Once inside he pulled out his cell phone and recorded a voice memo: Greg Tenorly. Greg could probably give him some clues to help him find that sleaze, Barry.

When Crow walked back into the living room he could see that Chaucey had pulled herself together.

She said, “Now, what’s this movie about?”

“Let’s see.” Crow picked up the DVD box and read the blurb. “It says it’s about this well-to-do mouse living in London who gets flushed down the toilet to the world of the common mouse.”

“Gee, I don’t know, Crow…”

“It stars the voice of Hugh Jackman.”

“Okay. Sounds good.”

“I knew it.” He pointed at her, grinning. “I knew you were hot for Hugh Jackman.”

She tried not to smile, but couldn’t stop herself. “Okay, yeah, I like him. But who’s the leading lady?”

“Kate Winslet.”

“Your girlfriend,” she teased.

His face turned red. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Do you dream about her?”

“Maybe. Do you dream about Hugh Jackman?”

“Just day dreams.”

Crow thought a second. “So, you’re gonna be getting all turned on hearing his voice in this movie?”

“Well, that’s not so bad. ‘Cause maybe when it’s over I’ll let you kiss me.” She couldn’t believe she had just said that.

Crow couldn’t believe she had said it either.

She slapped him on the arm. “I’m just kidding. Start the movie.”

But he wasn’t absolutely sure she had been kidding. Maybe she really did want him to kiss her. But he wouldn’t try it unless he was sure.

How could he be sure?

**********

It was 8:20 PM, and Greg and Cynthia were sitting in their robes, enjoying a room service meal.

“I have never slept that sound before in my entire life,” said Greg.

“Me either. It was fantastic. And I’m so hungry. I’m afraid I’m going to eat too much.”

“It’s our honeymoon. Enjoy it. Quit worrying about your weight.”

“Okay.” She smiled.

He stopped eating and just watched her.

“What?” She put down her fork. “Why aren’t you eating?”

“I was just enjoying the view. Loving the view, actually. Loving you.”

“You loved me very well this afternoon. I think I may have underestimated your level of endurance.”

“That’s because I can’t stay up with you when it comes to jogging. But when it comes to sex—well, you just make me go crazy.”

“Now that’s the kind of crazy I like.”

“I just hope I can walk tomorrow.”

She giggled. “What you mean? You seem to be getting around just fine.”

“Yeah, but we’re not done…are we?”

When she saw the look in his eyes, she forgot about the food. She stood up, seductively removed her robe and laid it across her chair. Then she rolled onto the bed and smiled at him.

It was the first time he had seen her completely naked in the light. Amazing, he thought. But, his body was far from per­fection, so he began to turn off all the lamps. He was about to click off the last one.

“Leave that one on,” she said. “I want to see you.”

“You sure about that? You know it’s too late to get out of this thing. We are married.”

“Take off your robe and come here, Silly.”

“Well, okay.” He pulled his robe off and threw it toward a chair. It landed on the floor instead.

“Now, get over here and kiss me,” she said.

Greg’s cell phone rang. He wanted to ignore it, but ans­wered it anyway. “Hello?”

There was no answer—just somebody breathing.

“Hello?”

Still just the sound of someone breathing.

Greg hung up.

“Wrong number?” said Cynthia.

“I guess so. I don’t recognize the number or even the area code.”

“Maybe you should turn it off. We don’t want any more interruptions.”

“Good idea.” He turned it off. “In fact, I think we should leave both of our phones off the whole time we’re here.”

“Fine with me. Of course, I don’t even have mine. Larry took it from me.”

Great, thought Greg. Now she’s thinking about Larry. That can’t be good just before we make love.

Cynthia quickly added, “Forget I brought him up.” She paused for a moment, and looked as though she was solving a math problem in her head. “There—forgotten. Now come here and make love to your wife.” She shot him a very sexy smile.

He instantly forgot about Larry too. “Yes, ma’am, I’m com­ing—literally.”

He got down on hands and knees and crawled across the bed to her. Then he bent down and kissed her passionately.

She said, “You have wonderful lips, Honey.”

“Well, I’m glad you said that.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m about to use them on every inch of your glo­rious naked body.”

“Ooh, that gave me tingles in all the right places,” she said.

He started kissing her on the neck. “Good.”

Next, he began to slowly walk his wet lips down the middle of her chest. “Now let’s see if we can work those tingles into tremors.”

“Mmm,” she moaned.

“Then I’ll build the tremors into full-blown throbbing.”

“Oh, yeah.”

He gently kissed along the underside of her right breast.

She lay in a hypnotic state as she softly said, “I’m all yours, Baby. Do whatever you want with me.”

**********

It was nearly 9:00 PM, and Larry was dying for a big, juicy steak and fries. He exited Interstate 10 to find a restaurant in Pensacola. He would easily make it to Orlando in time for a nap before the Disney World parks opened.

He had finally checked the results of the Texas Lottery drawing from Saturday night and found that he had lost! It had been quite a shock when he realized that his $45 million would be going to someone else.

Perhaps he had somehow disappointed his God of Luck. Maybe he was being punished. Or, more likely, he was being protected. Because if he tried to collect the money, the police might be waiting there to arrest him for the murder of his girl­friend, Erin, or that lawyer, Melanie Maylin, or that old lady in the parking lot.

And because the authorities were probably looking for him, he couldn’t take a chance on using one of his credit cards. Yet he now had less than $100 cash in his wallet. He needed money for gas, a motel room, park tickets, meals, etc. Where could he get some?

He spotted a steakhouse across the street from a conven­i­ence store. The 24-hour store had two ATM machines—one inside, one outside.

Larry had plan. A perfect plan.