Part 10 (2/2)
”Okay,” she said. She stood up.
”Good girl.” He held the knife out at his side. He unb.u.t.toned the bodice of her pantsuit and slipped his free hand under the thin material. ”Nice,” he said.
She closed her eyes as he moved nearer.
”I'll make it fun for you,” he said.
She drove her knee into his crotch.
Although the blow didn't land squarely, he staggered backward.
She grabbed a table lamp and threw it. Without waiting to see if it hit him, she ran into the bedroom and shut the door. Before she could lock it, he slammed against the far side and pushed the door open two or three inches.
She tried to force it shut again so that she could throw the lock, but he was stronger than she. She knew she couldn't hold out against him for more than a minute or two. Therefore, when he was pressing the hardest and would expect it the least, she let go of the door altogether and ran to the nightstand.
Surprised, he stumbled into the room and nearly fell.
She pulled open the nightstand drawer and picked up the gun. He knocked it out of her hand. It clattered against the wall and dropped to the floor, out of reach.
Why didn't you scream? she asked herself. Why didn't you yell for help while you could hold the door shut? It's unlikely anyone would hear you in soundly built apartments like these, but at least it was worth a try when you had a chance.
But she knew why she didn't cry out. She was Sarah Piper. She had never called for help in her life. She had always solved her own problems, had always fought her own battles. She was tough and proud of it. She did not scream.
She was terrified, trembling, sick with fear, but she knew that she had to die the same way she had lived. If she broke now, whimpered and mewled when there wasn't any chance of salvation, she would be making a lie of her life. If her life was to have meant anything, anything at all, she would have to die as she had lived: resolute, proud, tough.
She spat in his face.
14.
”Homicide.”
”I want to speak to a detective.”
”What's his name?”
”Any detective. I don't care.”
”Is this an emergency?”
”Yes.”
”Where are you calling from?”
”Never mind. I want a detective.”
”I'm required to take your address, telephone number, name-”
”Stuff it! Let me talk to a detective or I'll hang up.”
”Detective Martin speaking.”
”I just killed a woman.”
”Where are you calling from?”
”Her apartment.”
”What's the address?”
”She was very beautiful.”
”What's the address?”
”A lovely girl.”
”What was her name?”
”Sarah.”
”Do you know her last name?”
”Piper.”
”Will you spell that?”
”P-i-p-e-r.”
”Sarah Piper.”
”That's right.”
”What's your name?”
”The Butcher.”
”What's your real name?”
”I'm not going to tell you.”
”Yes, you are. That's why you called.”
”No. I called to tell you I'm going to kill some more people before the night's out.”
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