按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
to her。
Abruptly her head came away from the wall。 'What the hell's going on； anyway？' she snapped。 'Am I going to be booked？'
'That depends。' '
'On what？'
But his hand； having dipped into his suit jacket pocket； was a blur and he was already moving。 His left hand reached across the space between them。 He grasped her wrists together； pulled。 At the same time； he flicked on the pocket flash； searching the pale flesh on the inside of her elbows。 He tried not to think of the softness of the skin here。
He let her go； sat back。 'I could check the insides of your thighs； too；' he said softly。 'Or you could tell me。〃 He had used a fair amount of pressure and her wrists must hurt but she made no move to rub them； he liked that。 She had a great deal of pride。
'I shoot up through the eyeballs；' she said acidly。 'You've heard of that； I'm sure。 Leaves no tracks。' Her head turned then and her cheek lit up as a grillwork of grey and black fell obliquely 'across her face。 She looked like a heroine out of a fifties' film noir。 Some of the air seemed to go out of her all at once。 'I don't do anything any of you guys don't do。 Probably a good deal less。 I don't blow coke； for instance。'
He said nothing； sat beside her smelling her scent silently until she turned her head and she was in absolute darkness again。 He felt like a blind man； wanting badly； irrationally to see her again。 'Do you believe me ？' Her voice had turned small and he wondered how much of an act she was promoting。
He decided to be honest with her； anything less would be useless and potentially dangerous。 'Yes；' he said slowly。 'I believe you。'
Then I'm free to go？'
'In a minute。' He didn't realize how gentle his voice had bee。 'Why the hell are you involved in all this？'
'What； you mean break my poor old father's heart？' She laughed sardonically。 'e on； what do you want me for？'
'I'm just talking to you；' he said reasonably。
'Yeah； sure。 In a police van； home from a bust。'
'That was your choice； not mine。'
She was silent for a moment and； though he couldn't see her； he knew that she was studying him。 It could all break apart now； he knew； and held his breadi。
She laughed again； a bell…like sound； slightly echoey within the confines of the metal van。 'All right；' she said softly； 'I'll tell you why I do it。 I like it； it's as simple as that。 It's fun to get paid to fuck。 I'm an actress； a model； selling things； just like Angela Didion was。 It's all e on； there's no involvement。'
'Never？'
Her head tossed like a bridling horse's and he saw a flash of light across her eyes。 'Sometimes；' she said truthfully； 'with a woman。' She was thinking of Dare。 'Does that shock you？'
'Not really；' he said。 'Did you think it would？'
'I don't know what kind of man you are。'
'I'm just your plain ordinary New York slob。'
'Yeah； I can see that。' She had hurt him and she knew it； she felt he had asked for it。
'What about the booze？' Croaker asked her。
'What about it？〃 He could hear her voice go hard as her defences came up。
'Still hitting the bottle hard ？'
Perversely； she felt herself wanting to tell him the truth； stopped herself in time。 'Not so much any more；' she said。 'I've got my work to keep me warm。'
'No men？'
'What is this； twenty questions？〃
'If you want to call it that。'
'I don't want to call it anything；' she said shortly。 'I want to get out of here。'
'I can't detain you any longer。'
'You mean I'm free to go？'
'There are no charges。'
'Now I'm supposed to thank you？〃
He knew it was over； that he might just as well have not begun this at all。 He felt tired and depressed。 'You're not guilty of anything。 You're free to go。' He deliberately used her phraseology。
Still she made no move to go。
He sat stiffly with his back against the wall； his buttocks jammed up against the joining of the bench to the wall。 His wrists lay loosely on his thighs。 He stared at his hands； could barely make out the pale sheen of his nails。
'What do you want from me？'
Her voice was so soft that for a moment he thought it might be a whisper from his own mind。
'Nothing；' he said。 His voice sounded dead。 'I don't want anything from you。'
'In a horses's ass。'
'All right。' His head swung round and he saw that she was staring at him。 She blinked once and it seemed that she did so in slow motion。 'I can help you； Gelda。'
'What's that supposed to mean？'
He knew then that he meant what he said； that it was not just his desire to probe for information about Raphael Tomkin； he knew that he had been dreaming about her for the past two weeks。 A current of electricity went through him and he half turned towards her。 Her eyes seemed to be searching for some…diing in his face。
'Just what it says。'
'I wouldn't trust you if I were drowning and you had the only line。'
'But you are drowning；' he said softly。 And then； after a time； 'It doesn't have to be like that。 The booze and the pills and the … work。' He paused。 'You could go away somewhere。'
'Go away！' she exploded。 'Christ； there's no place far enough to get away from myself。' She put her head back against the metal wall and he saw her soft diroat again。 'You want to know how I got my name？ Gelda。' She said that last word as if it had a bitter taste。 'I got it because my mother hated。' She laughed humourlessly； the first ugly sound he had heard her utter。 'Oh；
not me personally。 She would never stoop to anything so personal。 She was far too busy detesting the life which bound her like a jealous lover。 Being so powerfully rich had been her one dream in life； her overriding goal。。。 Yes； I guess you could call it that： her goal。 Anyway； she found it with my father。 Found； too； mat it was not what she'd expected it to be … not by a long shot。 Oh； she had all the power she had dreamed of and all the money； but living with my father was pure hell and with every moment of their marriage he ground her down。' She sighed。 'I think； in the end； it became a game with him； to try and see how much he could take away frpm her。 Not material things； of course。 My God； she had more than enough of those。 No； it was in the area that matters most to my father that he denied her： in the mind。 I suspect dial if she had fought back； she would have eventually emerged bloody but victorious； as they say。
'But she would not。 She wanted to hold on to her dream so desperately that she forfeited any kind of courage。 She was my father's slave； a slave； more accurately； to his wealth。 She was Ajveak…willed bitch who must have loved the pain which my father inflicted on her。 I mean she put up with it； didn't she？ Even after …' She stopped suddenly； putting the palm of her hand over her mouth for a moment。 'Christ； what am I saying？ And to a cop of all people。' She stifled a nervous laugh。 'I must be out of my mind。'
His heart beat faster as he heard himself say； 'What does all this have to do with how you were named？'
'What？' she said almost absently。
'You were going to tell me about your name。'
'Oh。 Oh； yes。' She folded her hands one over the other。 She rubbed them against her long thighs； back and fordi in a hyno…tic rhydim。 'I really believe mat about