Shakespeares Champion Page 0,55

house?" I asked, ashamed of the anxious undertone I could hear in my own voice.

"Over the fence, from the back lot of the lumber place. But I went further down to the vacant lot at the corner, then cut back here on the pavement. I started to come to your front door, but then I figured they might have a car cruising the neighborhood by now, if they've stopped to think. So I went up your driveway, around your carport, and took the stepping stones to the back door." He paused. "Oh, shit, the porch! Footprints!"

"I took care of it."

I could sense his movement as he turned to stare in my direction. But all he said was "Good." His eyes closed, I thought, and he shifted positions painfully.

My eyes had done some adjusting, enough to make him out. He hadn't cut all his hair off, as it had looked at first. He was wearing a black knit watch cap and he'd tucked all his hair up under it. I eased it off. Of course the cap hadn't done anything to keep his head dry. The released strands spread in rat's tails across the white bedside rug.

He opened his eyes and regarded me steadily. I found myself running my fingers through my hair to fluff it out. Ridiculous. I couldn't postpone dealing with the wound any longer.

"Let's get your vest off," I said, trying to sound matter-of-fact. I scooted closer. "Hold out your hand. I'll help you sit up."

Jack had better night vision than I did. His hand was on mine instantly. I gripped and pulled, automatically giving the "Huh!" of heavy exertion. I leaned him against the side of the bed and unzipped the vest. I pulled it down his right arm first. I eased it across his back, leaning almost against his chest to accomplish the maneuver. I smelled the wet of his vest and his shirtsleeves, and the scent of his skin, the faintest trace of some aftershave. Then I scuttled over to his left side, held up his left arm with one hand while I tugged at the vest with the other. He gave a deep groan, and I sucked my breath in sympathetically. But I didn't stop. The vest wasn't actually stuck; it was the movement of his arm and shoulder that was causing him pain.

His flannel shirt, now, that was stuck. I fetched my heavy kitchen scissors and began to cut through the thick material. This proved impossible and dangerous in the darkness. I left to push the bathroom door wide open. I'd worried about the nightlight, but I figured a nightlight in a bathroom was no big wonder, and it was my habit. Suddenly switching it off might be even more suspicious.

With the slightly improved visibility I could just see enough to cut off the shirt without hurting Jack worse. He was leaning back against the bed with his eyes closed.

I wanted to call Carrie, but her arrival would be a dead giveaway. Jack was still shivering, but it didn't seem to be as teeth-chattering a tremor as before.

There was a single loud knock at the back door. Jack's eyes flew open and stared into mine, only a few inches away.

"They won't come in," I promised. I looked down at my robe. It was streaked with dirt and damp and blood. I unbelted it and draped it over Jack, wiping my hands on its hem. I went into the hall and up to the back door, as noisily as I could.

"Who is it?" I asked loudly. "I'm going to call the police!"

"Lily, hey! It's Darcy!"

"Darcy Orchard, what the hell are you doing knocking at my door in the middle of the night? Go away!"

"Lily, we just want to make sure you're all right. Someone broke in over at the store."

"So?"

"He took off running across the back lot. He scaled the fence and went into the lumber yard lot. We think he climbed out and came across the tracks."

"So?"

"Let us lay eyes on you, Lily. We gotta be sure you're not being held hostage."

That was clever.

"I'm not letting you in my house in the middle of the night," I said baldly, figuring that would be congruent with my history and character. And it was the simple truth. They would not come into my house.

"No, that's fine, honey. We just want to see you're okay." Darcy did a good job of sounding concerned.

I switched on the light above the back door, which I'd been hoping to