Fresh Disasters

54

Willa walked up the curving staircase with Daltry holding her hand.

“I think you’ll like my living quarters,” he was saying.

They emerged into a handsomely furnished living room with cream-colored paneled walls, crown moldings and many pictures and sculptures.

He led her to the bar and was pouring them a drink when the phone rang. Daltry looked at the instrument on the bar and muttered something under his breath. “Excuse me,” he said, “I’ve got to take this call.” He picked up the phone. “What is it?” he said without preamble, then he listened for a moment. “Jerry, I’ve told you repeatedly how important it is for you to stay where you are and not go out for a while. You’ve got enough groceries to last a month, and enough to drink, too.” He listened some more. “I don’t care. I want you to do as I say, or I won’t be able to protect you. Don’t you understand?” More listening. “Jerry, do you want to go to prison? I didn’t think so. Well, that’s the alternative to doing as I say, at least for a little while. Look, I’ve got somebody here at the moment. I’ll come up there tomorrow morning, and we’ll work something out. I promise.” He hung up.

“Some people never listen,” Willa said.

“You’re right about that. I have this friend who’s gotten himself into a jam, and I’m trying to help him, but he just won’t be helped. Will you pour us a drink? I need the powder room.”

“Of course.” Willa filled two glasses with ice and made to pour. The moment Daltry was out of sight she checked the many buttons on the phone and found one that read “Log.” She pressed it. “Bernstein, did you hear that conversation?” she whispered.

“Every word.”

“Write down this number.” She read it out to him. “It appears four other times today in his phone log.”

“I’ll check it out.”

She pressed the button again, and the log disappeared, then she poured the drinks.

Daltry came back from the john and picked up his drink. “To an interesting future,” he said. They drank, and he snaked an arm around her waist.

She let him kiss her, helping out a bit. “What time is it?” she asked, when they broke.

“Who cares? The night is young.”

She looked at her watch. “I’m afraid it’s not all that young, and I have an eight o’clock meeting tomorrow morning that I have to do some reading for.” She danced lightly away from his grasp. “Can we continue this another evening soon?”

He grabbed her wrist and not gently. “Now is soon enough for me,” he said. “I’ll send you home with my driver in the morning; you’ll be in plenty of time for your meeting.”

“Not tonight, I’m afraid,” she said, breaking free.

“You’re just a little cock teaser, aren’t you,” he said, advancing toward her.

“No, I’m a big cock teaser, and I’m going home now.”

He reached into a pocket and came out with a small spray canister. “I’ve got something for you,” he said, spraying her in the face.

Her eyes were on fire, and she was having trouble speaking. “My…”

Then he hit her in the midriff hard, with his fist, and she went down. “I knew you’d like it rough,” Daltry was saying, as he knelt beside her, ran his fingers into her cleaveage and yanked half her dress off, baring her breasts.

“My back hurts,” she managed to say.

“Don’t worry, sweetie, I’m going to make it all better,” Daltry said. He had produced a switchblade knife and quickly cut the rest of her dress and underwear off.

She got in one punch, aiming for his nose, but caught him on the cheekbone when he turned his head. “My back hurts, goddammit!” she screamed.

He backhanded her, bouncing her head hard off the wooden floor.

He flipped her over on her belly and got a knee between her legs. “Well, let’s give you something else to think about,” he said. He put the knife against the back of her neck. “And if you move, I’ll cut your fucking head off!”

Willa went limp and began to lose consciousness. She tried to think of something pleasant and failed.

They were on coffee at Elaine’s. Dino’s phone rang. “Bacchetti.”

“Lieutenant, it’s Bernstein. Willa got something, I think: a phone number. Joe Dowdell is running it right now. It’s up north of here, at Sneden’s Landing, on the Hudson.”

“What’s so great about this number, Bernstein? We’re not shopping for real estate.”

“Daltry got a call, and I could hear his half of it. It sounds like he’s got somebody called Jerry stashed in a house up there, and he told him if he left the house, he could end up back in prison.”

“That sounds promising.”

“Wait a minute, Dowdell’s got it. The phone is in Daltry’s name; must be a country house.”

“That’s a start. You got an address?”

“Just a minute. Yeah, here it is.” He read off the address.

Dino jotted it down on the tablecloth. “Okay, I’ll get some people up there to talk to whoever the guy is.”

“Wait a minute, we got a Mayday from Willa!” The connection was broken.

“Holy shit,” Dino said, “Willa’s in trouble, and I don’t even know if they’re in the building yet.” He snatched Stone’s phone and dialed a number. “I’ve gotta keep my line clear.” He waited impatiently for the number to answer. “This is Bacchetti,” he said finally. “I want you to get hold of the state police at the nearest station to Sneden’s Landing, then meet them at this address and hold whoever is in the house until you hear from me.” He read off the address. “You got that? Also, I want backup at Devlin Daltry’s address in SoHo right now! Officer needs assistance. They may need battering rams!” He hung up.

“I told you she shouldn’t go into that building,” Genevieve said. “He raped me.”

Eliza looked shocked. “You never told me.”

“I never told anybody,” she said.

Dino patted her hand. “I’m sorry, Genevieve. Don’t you worry, I’m going to make him pay for that.”

“Why don’t you call Bernstein back?” Stone said.

“He’ll call me,” Dino said. “He’s got enough on his hands right now without having to take my phone calls. His partner is in trouble; I shouldn’t have let him send her in there,” he said. “This is my fault all the way.”

“It was her call, Dino; she was on the spot, and you have to back her decision. Nothing is your fault.”

“Shit,” Dino said, banging on the table.