Free Sex and Violence in Hollywood by Ray Garton

again.
    “What did you say?” he said.
    “I asked if he was that way with your mother.”
    “My dad? Oh, yeah. Yeah, he...he was.”
    “The whole time they were married?”
    “No, just toward the, um...the end.” An ache filled Adam’s chest, and he suddenly missed his mom deeply. If he told Gwen the rest—that his dad had started beating his mom shortly before he killed her—she would not rest until he gave her a complete explanation. But he had no solid proof, not even passable circumstantial evidence. Just that feeling in his gut. Suddenly, Adam wanted to be alone.
    “What’s the matter,” Gwen said. “Something wrong? We can stop talking—”
    “No, it’s not that, it’s just been a rough day, you know? I think I should get to sleep.”
    “Are you trying to kick me out?”
    “Speaking of kicking...Dad’s car was in the driveway when I got home earlier. Where’d he go?”
    “Nowhere. He’s in bed asleep.”
    Dragging on the cigarette, Adam coughed out a mouthful of smoke. “He’s home? In the house?”
    “Don’t worry. He’s snoring out both ends. We ate Mexican tonight.”
    Adam rested the cigarette on the ashtray’s edge and got out of bed. “Look, Gwen,” he said, “you can’t be here in my bed when Dad is home, he might wake up, wonder where you are, come looking for you, I mean, God, what is it with you women?”
    “Women?” Gwen got off the bed and stood in front of him. “What women?”
    “It’s just that...do you know what would happen if my dad found out we’ve—”
    “Are you referring to my daughter?” Gwen said, suddenly sounding very much awake.
    Adam froze. “I-I-I...what?”
    “Have you met Rain?”
    Adam nodded, fought to keep his voice steady. “Oh. Yeah. We met in the hall. Earlier. Didn’t have much time to talk, but she seems like a nice gir—”
    “Be careful.” Her mouth turned down slightly at each corner. “She’s my daughter and I love her, but she’s nothing but trouble, Adam.”
    He tried to change the subject. “What if I’d had somebody in here with me tonight?”
    “Then I would’ve left you alone.” She sniffed. “Why? Do you have someone else?”
    “Well, I...I think so.”
    “That’s nice, I’m glad. I’m serious about Rain, though. She makes trouble. I doubt she’d try anything with you, though. You’re too close to home. In fact, she could use a friend like you. Somebody levelheaded and mature. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all. You hanging out with her, I mean.”
    “You don’t know me very well, do you?” Adam said with a Bela Lugosi lift of his eyebrow.
    Gwen put her arms on his shoulders. “Oh, I know you better than you think I do.”
    Adam kissed her, held her a moment. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” he said.
    “Sweet dreams.” She gave him a peck on the cheek and left the room.
    In bed, thoughts ricocheted around in his head like bullets in a western movie saloon. Was Gwen serious about killing his dad? Would Rain claim he had raped her if he told her to go screw herself? What was it about Alyssa that made her so different? Her eyes? Yes, maybe something about her eyes.
    Adam drifted off to sleep, and sometime during the day’s first light, he dreamed of Alyssa.
     
     

 
    EIGHT
     
    Mrs. Yu had a big greasy breakfast waiting for Adam when he entered the kitchen yawning the next morning.
    “You trying to kill me with all this cholesterol, Mrs. Yu?” he asked as he took a seat in the breakfast nook that overlooked the garden.
    She laughed, patted the top of his head. “You sirry.”
    While Adam was eating, Gwen entered the kitchen, joined him in the breakfast nook. She wore denim shorts, a white T-shirt with James Dean on the front. “Any later and you would have missed lunch,” she said, smiling. She had a cup of coffee with her and sipped it. “How are you?”
    “Tired. I needed the sleep.” He sipped his coffee, passed a napkin over his mouth. “How about you? Feel any better