Free The Lonely Lady by Harold Robbins Page A

were different.”
    Marian and the two boys were out of the car. “Come on.” Marian laughed. “Don’t be a party pooper.”
    “Just one drink, then I’ll take you home. I promise,” Walt said.
    Reluctantly she got out of the car and followed them into the house. They went right through to the pool. With a loud whoop the boys dropped their clothes and dived into the water. “It’s great,” Mike shouted. “Come on in.”
    She turned, looking for Walt. She saw a light go on in the house as he went into the kitchen. A moment later music came from the portable radio on the table near the pool. Marian was dancing by herself to the music.
    Walt came out with a tray of Cokes and a bucket of ice. He picked up the bottle of rum near the radio and quickly mixed the drinks. He held one toward Marian. She took it and began to drink it quickly. He held one out to JeriLee.
    “No, thank you.”
    “You’re not much fun, are you?”
    “I’m sorry. I told you I wanted to go right home.”
    “Well, you can damn well wait until I have a drink,” he said angrily, raising his glass.
    “Come on, JeriLee,” Marian said. “Don’t be a pill. You’re among friends.”
    “No, thank you,” she said again. She started toward the house.
    Walt put a hand on her arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”
    “I can get the bus on the highway,” she said levelly.
    “I said I’d take you home,” he snapped. “Isn’t my word good enough for you?”
    Before she could answer him, she felt a pair of hands grab her ankles and her feet went out from under her as she was dragged into the pool. She came up sputtering and angry and striking out at the boy nearest her.
    “She wants to play,” she heard one of the boys say. Then two pairs of hands grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down into the water again. She tried to wriggle free and she felt her dress rip as their hands caught her. Then she went under again. She came up gasping and held on to the side of the pool.
    She looked up at Walt through eyes burning with tears. “Please take me home,” she cried.
    “I will,” he said, raising the glass to his lips. “As soon as your clothes are dry.”

Chapter 10
    Bernie came up to Fred on the terrace. “Is JeriLee out here?”
    “No.”
    “If you see her, tell her that her father called. He wants her to bring home a quart of ice cream.” Bernie started back.
    Fred stopped him. “When did he call?”
    “Just now. I picked it up in the bar.”
    “That’s funny. How long does it take from here to her house?”
    “About ten minutes by car, half hour by bus.”
    “Then she should have been home by now. She left more than an hour ago.” A curious feeling of dread came over him. “You know where the Thornton kid lives?”
    “On the other side of the Point. Why?”
    “He was supposed to drop her off home. But he was higher than a kite and so were his two friends. I saw them inside knocking back rum and Cokes like water. He wanted her to join him at a beach party but she said she wanted to go home.”
    Bernie stared at him. “I saw Marian Daley leave with those two boys. She was trying to get another girl to go with them but the girl wouldn’t.”
    “I don’t like it. JeriLee should have been home by now.” He looked at Bernie. “You got a car?”
    The two boys stared at each other. “I’ll get the keys and meet you in the parking lot,” Bernie said.
    ***
    She was crying, lying huddled and naked on the grass beside the pool, trying to cover herself. She sensed a movement and looked up.
    Joe was bending over her. “Stop bawling,” he said in an annoyed voice. “It isn’t as if you never did this before.”
    “I never—”
    “You did,” he said positively. “Walt told us about the time you came here with him.”
    “Nothing happened,” she cried. “Honest, nothing happened.”
    “You never stop lying, do you?” He turned and shouted at Walt. “You better get over here and do something about this cunt or