Free Kill Jill by John Locke Page B

“What made you ask that?”
    She shrugs. “Your name’s Jack. At least that’s what you told me.”
    “It’s Jack. So what?”
    “We passed Jackson a while ago. Made me wonder. You know, Jack’s son ?”
    He says nothing.
    Jill says, “Not a fan of word play, I take it.”
    “Why’d you run off?”
    She groans, rolls her eyes. “ Seriously , Jack? You’re smart enough to track me down, but don’t know why I left?”
    “Your husband, Bobby Dee. The mobster.”
    “ Monster’s a better description.”
    She sees him glance at her, so she adds, “You’re wondering how bad it could have been. And I’d tell you if I thought it would change your mind.”
    “Can’t hurt,” he says.
    “Yeah, it can.”
    “How?”
    “It’ll give you more information to use against me. Fatten your fee.”
    “You think I’d do that?”
    “We’re here, aren’t we?”
    “I’m just doing my job.”
    “Calling it your job doesn’t make it right.”
    “We saw what you were willing to do Friday night to pay the bills.”
    “Yes, we did. And thanks for reminding me how you really see me.”
    This is exactly why she can never let herself fall for Jack. He’ll never forget she was willing to sell her body.
    “My life was literally on the line,” she says. “I knew I couldn’t stay there much longer without getting caught. I was about to be kicked out of my apartment. I was down to my last tank of gas.”
    “What about the Pancake House job?”
    “I’m still working off the advance they gave me.”
    “So you decided to sell your body.”
    “To you, Jack. To you . Not the next person who happened by. You think you’re the first guy who came in the bar last Friday? I chose you !”
    “Why?”
    “Same things you said about me. You’re great-looking. You’re clean. You’re a cut above. I felt if I had to trade sex for money just this once, I could live with myself if I did it with someone like you. And I’m still willing to, if you’ll let me go. Like you said, I’m not a hooker. I’ve slept with exactly five men in my entire life. But I’ll give you all I’ve got, Jack. You can do whatever you want to me, and toss me in a ditch when you’re through. I’ll still be better off. Just… please, Jack! ”
    “What?”
    “Don’t take me back to Bobby!”
    Jack says nothing, keeps driving, eyes straight ahead.
    “If you know my husband at all, you know he’s a sick, sadistic bastard. He’s going to brutalize me for running away. He might very well kill me. And you’re delivering me to his doorstep. I thought I saw something in you, Jack. But if you take me back, you’re no better than him.”
    “I don’t abuse women.”
    “But you’ll willingly take me to a man who does! Bobby’s going to physically assault me in every sick and twisted way you can imagine. He’s going to rape me. Beat me. Punish me. Chain me to a wall. Deprive me of food, water, sleep. He’s going to humiliate me a hundred different ways till he breaks me down and destroys my will to live. He won’t stop till my last ounce of dignity is gone. And when he’s finally tired of abusing me, he’s going to…” her voice trails off in the air.
    “He’s going to what?”
    “I can’t say it.”
    “Why not?”
    “If you tell him I said it, he’ll kill you.”
    Jack looks at her with curiosity. “You’d care if he kills me?”
    “Of course I’d care!”
    “Why?”
    “Are you serious?”
    She gives him a look that combines several emotions at once. Anger. Fear. Sadness…
    She says, “You’re all I’ve got, Jack. You’re my only hope.”
    She stares at him ten full minutes, but receives nothing in return. Finally she says, “I need you, Jack. He’ll kill me. You know he will.”
    “Correct me if I’m wrong,” he says, “but you were desperate for money, right?”
    “You know I was.”
    “Couldn’t pay your rent, down to your last tank of gas.”
    “That’s right.”
    “And yet you paid a bouncer two hundred