Free Someone Is Bleeding by Richard Matheson

had my knee on the mattress beside her.
    In the light I saw her face. It was blank. That headlight was like a spotlight of revelation on those expressionless features.
    Her cheeks were shimmering with tears.
    “Audrey.”
    My voice was broken. Something cold billowed up in my body freezing everything as violently as it had come. I got off the bed and stumbled to my closet. I stood there, trembling, putting on my robe. I stayed there a long time, fumbling with the sash.
    Then I went over to the bed. I reached down and pulled the blankets over her nude body. Without a word I bent over and kissed her forehead.
    I was afraid to say anything. I was about to straighten up when she put her arms around my neck.
    “I’m sorry,” she whispered, “I tried to believe it was right. But . . .”
    * * *
    I almost fell out of the chair in shock when the knocking came on the door. A loud knocking, hard.
    I leaped up, wincing at the stiffness in my back and neck. My heart was pounding. My head ached a little.
    Suddenly I remembered Audrey with a gasp. My eyes ran over to the dark outline of her body in my bed. Lying there naked, asleep.
    I didn’t know what to do. I just stood there shivering, staring stupidly at the bed, then at the door. I felt myself jump as Audrey stirred restlessly. She moaned a little and turned on her side. I think I was paralyzed. All I could do was visualize Peggy standing out there. My claims of innocence would mean nothing to her.
    I started for the door.
    “What is it?” Audrey asked in sleepy fright. She was propped up on one elbow.
    “Shhh!” I said anxiously.
    Then I leaped back as the door was shoved open violently and I saw a figure in the doorway, lit by the hall light. A tall figure, square, powerful.
    Steig.
    He came in and flicked on the light switch.
    I don’t know what I felt in those first moments. Shame, fear, anger. But I exploded in his face.
    “Get out of here!” I almost yelled. Wondering suddenly if other tenants in the house were awake by now.
    My words were hacked off as Steig drove a violent right into my stomach which doubled me over.
    All the night seemed to flood in on me. I was bent over, gasping for air. The floor ran like water to my eyes.
    Another blow on the side of my head. Like a cast iron mallet it felt. It drove me into the table and sent me and the whole business crashing over onto the floor.
    I was helpless. I’ve read of men who fight back after being struck like that. But how can you fight back when you can’t breathe or see?
    I felt one of his beefy hands grab my upper right arm.
    “Stop it!” Audrey screamed, “Stop it, Steig!”
    I was dragged up. Then a rock exploded in my face and I felt hot blood spurting out of my nose and sharp pain in my head.
    “You stay off!” Steig snarled. “Stay off!”
    I think he might have beaten me to death if Audrey hadn’t jumped up and grabbed his arm. She was Vaughan’s wife, Mr. Vaughan’s wife. He couldn’t afford to harm her.
    He had to let me go. His way of letting go was shoving me across the room. I crashed into the partition that separated the room from the kitchenette. Then I slid down and crumpled into a heap on the rug
    “Let me go!” I heard Audrey screaming.
    I couldn’t help. I was gone. Falling through a black pit that hurt. And hurt. And hurt.

Chapter Four
    I felt lousy for a couple of days after that. Nothing seemed right.
    Jones stopped around to tell me it was dangerous business getting mixed up with Jim’s crowd. He was a little late with that information, and I just grunted.
    I told him I wanted to prefer charges against Steig but he said that was just a lot of trouble for nothing.
    Nothing?
    Yes, he said. How could I prove anything?
    I pointed out that Audrey had been a witness, and Jones pointed out, not very gently, that Audrey herself was always being hauled in on drunk charges and that her testimony wasn’t worth anything. He also told me that Steig was bad business, as if I didn’t