The Anatomy of Violence Read Online Free PDF

arrest a man for making an ass of himself,” said Jules.
    Richard surged again and knocked a glass off the table.
    I was sick of watching and felt tears burning behind my eyelids. “Jules, go away. You’re making it worse.” I turned to the smaller man. “You can let him go. I’ll take him home.”
    “In a minute, little lady. We’ll give the lad some fresh air first.” They wheeled and walked Richard toward the door, like two men helping a drunken buddy. I followed for a few paces then a hand caught my arm. It was the man with the moustache whose wife had left him.
“You’ll
dance with me, won’t you?”
    “No!” I pulled free of his pudgy hand.
    He caught my arm again. “Come on, honey.”
    From behind me, Jules’ voice grated, “Get away, Howie.”
    The man looked up angrily, then jerked away his hands and rubbed them on his trousers. “Oh, Mister Curtright. Say … come and have a drink with me. You and your girl friend.”
    “Good-bye, Howie.”
    “Well …” The man jammed his hands in his pockets and jerked them out again. Then he turned and shuffled away, mumbling.
    Jules took my arm now. “You could wait in the office for your date, Laurie. They won’t hurt him.” Now his voice was soft and liquid. He had two voices; one for men and one for women.
    But the words infuriated me. “Don’t give me advise, Jules! I know whose fault this is. So do you.”
    His face clouded. “I was just trying to make this a big night for you.”
    “So was I. It was working out nicely.”
    “I’m sorry, Laurie.” He paused, then hurried on when I didn’t respond. “Listen, let me take you home. I’ll get a cab for Richard.”
    I took a deep breath and met his gray eyes. “I have a rule never to change dates in the middle of the evening. Even if I were free—” I thought of Simone, the fish-eyed proprietor, the two bouncers, and an edge came into my voice. “I don’t like being a community project.”
    He tugged at his earlobe. “You prefer a personal approach?”
    My lips were stiff. “Sometimes.”
    “I asked you personally to the banquet tonight.”
    “You asked a Miss Stella.”
    “All right.” He grinned. “Let’s go for a drive tomorrow, Laurie?”
    Before I could answer, the two bouncers came up panting a little. “Your boy friend broke loose in the parking lot, little lady,” said the smaller of the two. “Want us to help you find him?”
    “No!”
    I started away, then stopped as Jules called. “What about tomorrow?”
    He looked lithe and tigerish beside the two bouncers. “I’ll think about it. You can call me tomorrow.”
    Then I walked out quickly before I could change my mind.
    The parking lot was a graveled acre of shadow patched with dim light from the rear of the club. I crunched past a group of men and a bottle caught the light as it changed hands. “Drink, Laurie?”
    It was a boy I knew from college. “No. Have you seen Richard?”
    “No, but I’m available.”
    “Splendid. I’ll spread the word.” I walked on, peering between parked cars. Suddenly I heard a familiar laugh. It burst out high and ran two octaves down the scale before it stopped. Ann’s laugh. Then I peered between two cars and saw her—a dark shadow against one car.
Glad she’s feeling better,
I thought, moving on.
    After ten minutes, I decided Richard must have started walking. I climbed into daddy’s Ford, threw my purse into the seat, and stabbed the started. It was eager, but the motor remained silent. Finally I climbed out and started walking. I had only a mile to go, and daddy could get the blasted car tomorrow.
    As I clicked along the weed-bordered sidewalk, the noise of the club faded. The music sounded almost good as the distance grew.
    A breeze brushed my face and soothed my ragged nerves.
    Richard always said to me, “You’re an emotional sponge, Laurie. You soak up the frustrations of others and think they’re yours.” Well he’d certainly filled the sponge tonight. Picking a