Susan had been forced to talk with Max on the telephone when Silk Weaver refused to give her permission to go home. It was a lie, her being ill, but she had to say something. After Jamey's visit, she knew that she couldn't go on again. Maybe, if she were more seasoned, could adopt that philosophy of 'the-show-must-go-on'… but in truth, she knew she would never be stage-people. She was proud of her acceptance by the audience, still, she was not about to try and fool herself… she was not for this existence. If she hadn't been forced into… Oh, what was the use of thinking about it!
She manipulated the Ford toward home, pleased in her mind that Max had shown compassion. She really hadn't expected that either, anymore than what she'd received from Silk, but the blind-man had surprised her… just as he'd surprised her yesterday afternoon, when… when…
Her face flushed in the darkness of the automobile at her own thoughts. She hadn't been able to sleep too well last night, either. The fact that Max Bovino had brought her sex fulfillment like she'd never dreamed of in her entire lifetime had been working on her internally, much as an upset stomach might, only in this case, she knew no medical cure. Dear God, how had she ever gotten herself into such a position? Jamey hated her, Max wanted her and Nadine needed her. With one wrong move, she could place both Jamey and Nadine, forgetting herself, in jeopardy. Oh Cal… why? Why did you leave me? Why wouldn't you recognize my love for you? Could that girl… that Shelly creature possibly have meant that much to you? Weren't you aware that I knew all along? Don't misunderstand… I knew you'd come back to me; you always did… but I was afraid that Jamey'd find out and there'd be a terrible fight.
Why, Cal? Why did you have to take your life?
By the time Susan reached home her cheeks were wet with tears. It wasn't uncommon, not since his death, but now the distances were less than when they still lived on Jamey's estate; hence, her tears didn't have the opportunity to reach their fullest capacity.
Susan parked the car, climbed the stairs and was surprised to find their apartment empty. It was ten-thirty and Nadine hadn't asked to go any where. Of course, she had been at the school for rehearsal, but that was long over with. Had they not had an understanding which both of them in variably adhered to, Susan wouldn't have thought another thing of it, but they did.
She dialed the Trent residence and Ann answered.
"Hi Ann… have you seen Nadine tonight?"
"No, Mrs. Sheldon. I've been home all evening."
"You didn't go to the rehearsal, then?"
"Un unh. I'm not in the pageant, you know."
"Yes… yes, I know, Ann. Well, thank you anyway."
"Of course. 'Night."
"Bye."
Momentarily, Susan sat silently thinking. She dialed a second number. A woman answered and Susan identified herself. Momentarily, Rickie Thompson's unmistakable voice spoke.
"Rickie, do you know where Nadine is?"
"No. How would I know? That creep, Jamey Halo picked her up. I… I guess Nadine and I won't be seeing each other very much any…"
"You say, Jamey Halo?"
"Yeah. He come by after rehearsal with his Porsche and she climbed into that heap like it was the only one in the world."
"She didn't say where she was going, Rickie?"
"Say… She didn't even tell me good-bye. I've had it, Mrs. Sheldon! Nadine's pushed me around too many times! That's what my mom says."
"Well, your mom's right, Rickie," Susan said, trying to keep her poise. "A young man of your caliber shouldn't take that from any girl. Of course, you have to remember that Nadine is just a little girl…"
"Crap! Excuse me, Mrs. Sheldon, but I mean it. If she's a little girl, I'm Tarzan. You ought to see the way she was playing up to that TV dude tonight. I mean…"
"Yes, well, I can imagine, Rickie… and I'll speak to her about it. Thanks for the information. Good-bye."
Susan hung up and leaned back momentarily in the chair. Her mind was immediately flooded with a mirage of visions that she didn't want to accept. She'd never blinded herself to the fact that Nadine had a crush on Jamey; nor had she ever ignored the way that he looked at her, their age closeness, nor the reality that Jamey Halo was a juvenile lecher. But because of their feelings, her own and Jamey's toward one another, she had never entertained a belief that he would… he would try to touch Nadine.
Dear God…! She had to be sure! He'd take her to Quarrysite, wouldn't he? What was it he had said in the dressing room? "… Bitch! You'll be sorry, damn you! You hear, Miss China-doll… more sorry than you ever dreamed…"
Nadine hardly felt him slither down her, rolling her gently over onto her back and spreading her thighs as he crawled lower and placed himself between them, his face hovering just above her moist and excited loins. The room was dark and her mind was glazed in its rapture. She felt large flat masculine palms of warm hands pressing against the softness of her inner thighs, holding them wide apart, and her breath bubbled in her chest as she waited in mounting desire for what would happen next. Ann Trent had done it to her… would he?
"Oooohhhhh!" Nadine lurched, as his hot, moist lips closed over the soft pubic mound at the base of her belly. Then, she sensed liquid, tantalizing kisses being lavished on the hair-lined slit of her wildly palpitating pussy… just as he had promised, his tongue flicking snakelike at the soft, quivering opening. Every muscle in her body tautened at the insanely pleasurable licking of her still-closed vagina while uncontrollable groans of ecstasy rolled from her lips. My God, be had said it… said he would lick and suck her cunt… but… oh God…
The lights went on, then!
The room was like a stage with her laying there obscenely, her legs spread wide while he kneeled between them, his mouth glued to her cunt and her mother stood before her!
"Stop! Stop it, damn you!" Susan screamed. "Stop, or I'll kill you, Jamey!"
Nadine gaped at her mother, unable to speak. She held her father's pistol in her hand and it was pointed right at Jamey's back. Dear God in heaven! She had never felt so utterly despicable in her life! If she'd had any feeling of elation, and Lord knows, she had, it was rapidly disintegrating at that very moment! The very deathlike, frozen expression on her mom's face was fusing her bones together!
"Get off her, you little bastard!"
Jamey did, getting to the floor and slowly turning to look at her mother. Dear God, he wasn't afraid. He was smiling, his… his prick still standing magnificently right out in front of him. Nadine couldn't believe it.
"Well… surprise," said Jamey, for some reason not caring… almost hoping she'd pull the trigger. "Su Lyn, isn't it? The China-doll?" he said, taking two-steps toward her, then reaching down to take hold of his prick right before her eyes. "What can I do for you, Su Lyn? Want me to spread this around…? Or, would you rather shoot me, and maybe your daughter because we were making love? I wonder…? Is that any worse than what you were doing on that fucking stage tonight?"
"You conceited bastard!" Susan spat at him. "What I was doing was partially for you… so that Max Bovino wouldn't twist your neck to get the money out of you that you owe him… but that's unimportant now." Susan moved forward, edging around the bed. "Did… Did he put his thing into you, Nadine?"
"N-No… but I wanted him to."
"I'm sure you did," Susan spat. "Now; get up and get dressed."
Nadine didn't move. She stared at her mother, then at Jamey, amazed at the still hardened thickness of his shaft. "No," she answered. "I'm going to stay here with Jamey. We're either going to make love… or you can shoot us, Mommy… and I love you, honest, I do."
Susan gaped at the magnificent nude figure of her voluptuous daughter, yet unmoved from the lewd position she had found her in with Jamey between her thighs, his face buried… and all of the misery, frustration, and rage she had ever known bubbled up inside her. She raised the weapon in her band, leveling at Jamey's stomach.
"Damn you!" she blurted. "Damn you."
But she never got to pull the trigger, even if she might have. The pistol was snatched from her grasp by Silk Weaver who stood there with Lou Freed and another cohort named Burke.
Silk smiled slowly. "You're sick all right, bitch. You've got a sick family, too. I don't think Max is going to like it… but I'll bet my ass he likes that daughter of yours." He smiled lewdly at the young frightened girl on the bed. "Come on, baby, get some clothes on. And don't worry. You want to fuck…" he laughed, "the night's just begun, kid. Out on the farm, sometimes, we fuck for days and days. Now, get moving… Max is going to love this episode."