Part 24 (1/2)
”Safe,” Frank said. ”She got away and called me, and I came out. She would have helped you herself, but didn't know where you were, and couldn't find you in the dark. I think she got lost on the way; took her hours to find the house.”
”The firefly,” Cyrano said.
”The monster? It got Bull Shauer. I don't know where it is now.”
”Thank G.o.d I gave her that hypo!”
”Thank G.o.d you did!” They both knew it would have been May, otherwise. ”Look, we can't advertise that body. I don't think anyone knows where Bull went. As far as the law is concerned, he left town. But the bones-”
”I'll take care of them. My pleasure. Maybe there'll be more to show how it happened, this time.”
”His clothing's on, but his fly's open. But he had it open to rape May, she says, so that doesn't mean anything.”
”Maybe. But the thing uses pheromones. He could have thought it was a woman.”
”Do you have any idea what it looks like?”
Cyrano shrugged. ”Maybe like a woman.”
”But doesn't it take females too?”
”Female animals. When I catch it, I'll let you know what it looks like.”
”It affects human females too. May said it was so strong, she almost wanted Bull Shauer.”
Cyrano grimaced. ”Which must be about as strong as anything gets. I wasn't nearly as close, but I got a whiff of it, and that was enough.”
”But hardly any remained by the time I saw the body. The firefly must turn off the pheromones once it catches its prey.”
”For sure. Why waste them?”
”You've had a bad night out here. Will you be okay?”
”I'm alive. That's good enough.”
Frank had to agree. If the firefly hadn't fed on Bull Shauer, it would have come for Cyrano.
”Then I'll leave the bones to you. Just so there's no trace. This never happened.”
”Don't tell me my business,” Cyrano said gruffly. He headed for his van.
Frank went to his car. He paused only long enough to make sure the van was operative, then turned his car around and went back down the trail toward the main house.
”Cyrano's taking care of it,” he announced. ”None of us ever saw Bull Shauer out here. Agreed?”
They nodded together: Geode, looking the same as usual; none, looking surprisingly radiant; and May, with a s.h.i.+ner, welts, and ill-fitting dress.
”For all we know, or care, he got disgusted because May escaped him, and left town. So there's no mysterious disappearance and no body.”
They nodded again.
”And you can stay here, May, until you recover.”
”No,” she said. ”Now that Bull's gone, I can return to my room in town, and resume my activity.”
”But you look a sight-no offense.”
”None taken,” she said, smiling. ”But there's no mystery about that. Bull was in town and did beat me up. I hid, but returned when he left town. There'll be some talk, but nothing dangerous. I'd like to get my car.”
”I don't think you'd better go out there again.”
”We can do it,” none said. ”Geode and I.”
Frank nodded. ”And take her stuff out of the cabin; better if there's no evidence she ever was there.” He held out the keys to May's car, which he had taken from the bones.
none smiled in agreement. The two of them went out.
Alone with May, Frank found things suddenly awkward. ”I guess you'll be okay, then. You'll want to rest before you drive in.”
”It has been a difficult night,” she agreed. ”But are you in a hurry?”
”At this hour? No.”
”Bull freed me of a double burden,” she said. ”First, of himself; that is a phenomenal weight off my mind, quite overriding the shock of the manner of his death. Never again will I have to hide. I'll remain nominally married to him, of course, since I can't prove he is dead, but that is no concern to me. Second, he rea.s.sured me that he didn't have AIDS. When he raped me, I was afraid-but he said he didn't have it, and in that I believe him. I will survive.”
He hadn't realized that she suffered from that particular fear. ”I'm glad.”
She hesitated. ”This-may not be appropriate. But I would like to be in your arms.”
”What?”
”You are not like Bull.”
His surprise became understanding. He went to her and took her in his arms. She clung to him, and put her head on his shoulder, and he felt her crying. She was in desperate need of comfort, despite her businesslike att.i.tude.
”Oh, the h.e.l.l with this!” he said.
Now she was surprised. She lifted her face. ”I'm sorry. I'm not normally like this. I-”
He kissed her.
At first she responded diffidently, fl.u.s.tered. Then she coalesced and came back with full strength. The lingering barriers came down, and only understanding, need, and pa.s.sion remained.
They broke, partway, in due course. ”Yes, exactly,” she said. ”I know I'm not much at the moment, but last night when the firefly approached, and its pheromones-I thought of you. I wanted you in a way I have not wanted any man before. I realize that this puts an ugly face on the situation, but for the first time I truly understood s.e.xual pa.s.sion, and I have not forgotten. So if you-”
”I'm married. No disrespect to you.”