throat.
“Marv?” a woman called. “What’s going on out there?”
Roy shut the front door.
“Marv?” Fear in her voice. “Marv, are you all right?”
Roy heard the whirr of a spinning telephone dial. He ran to the hall. Near the end, light shone through an open door. He rushed toward it. He was almost there when a girl stepped out of a dark doorway, glanced at him, and gasped. Roy grabbed her hair.
“Mommy!” Roy called. “Hang up the phone or I cut your daughter’s throat.”
“God in heaven!”
“Let me hear it.” He yanked the girl’s hair. She cried out.
The phone clattered. “It’s down! I put it down!”
Roy twisted the girl’s hair, making her turn around. “Walk,” he said. Knife blade poised across her throat, he walked behind her to the far bedroom.
The woman stood next to her bed, stiff and trembling. She wore a white nightgown. Her pale arms were crossed tightly as if she were trying to warm herself.
“What…what did you do to Marv?”
“He’s all right.”
Her eyes lowered to Roy’s knife hand. He glanced down. His hand was shiny red. “So I lied,” he said.
“God in heaven! O merciful God!”
“Shut up.”
“You killed him!”
“Shut up.”
“You killed my Marv!”
He shoved the girl roughly toward the bed and ran at the hysterical woman. Her mouth gaped wide to scream. Clutching the front of her nightgown, he jerked her forward and punched the knife into her stomach. She sucked air as if her wind had been knocked out. “Gonna shut up now?” Roy asked, and stabbed again.
She started to sag, so Roy let go of the nightgown. She sank to her knees, both hands pressing her belly. Then she slumped forward.
The girl on the bed didn’t move. She just stared.
“Now, you don’t want to get stabbed, too, do you?” he asked her.
She shook her head. She was trembling. She looked ready to scream.
Roy glanced down at himself. His shirt and pants dripped blood. “I guess I’m a mess, aren’t I?”
She said nothing.
“What’s your name?”
“Joni.”
“How old are you, Joni?”
“I’ll be ten.”
“Why don’t you come along and help me clean up.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Do you want me to stab you?”
She shook her head. Her lips trembled.
“Then come with me.” Taking her hand, hepulled her off the bed. He led her down the hallway until he found the bathroom. He turned on its light, and pulled her inside.
The bathroom was long, with a sink and counter close to the door, a space, and then the toilet. The bathtub, set into the wall opposite the toilet, had frosted shower doors.
Roy led the girl to the toilet. The seat was already down. Its green, fuzzy cover matched the carpet. “Sit there.”
Joni obeyed.
Kneeling in front of her, Roy unfastened the buttons of her pajama top. She sobbed. “Knock that off.” He slipped the pajamas down her arms. “We’ll get good and clean,” he said. He unsnapped the waistband, tugged the pants out from under her, and down her legs. She clamped her knees together. Arms crossed over breasts no more developed than a boy’s, she bent far down, bringing her shoulders almost to her knees.
Roy turned on the hot water. As it splashed into the tub, he undressed himself. When all his clothes lay heaped on the floor, he plugged the bathtub drain. He adjusted the water so it was hot, but not scalding.
Joni still sat on the toilet seat, hunched over and hugging her knees.
Roy grabbed her arm. She tried to pull free, so he slapped the side of her head. She yelped, but didn’t move. Standing in front of her, Roy grabbed both arms and jerked her to her feet. Shecried, “No!” as he swung her into the bathtub. Her feet whipped. She kicked the metal spout and cried out in pain. Roy nearly lost his grip but managed to keep from falling backward. She splashed the water, rump first. Roy climbed in, facing her.
He knelt in the water. “I’ve about had it,” he warned. “Sit still.”
She kicked. Her heel
“Marv?” a woman called. “What’s going on out there?”
Roy shut the front door.
“Marv?” Fear in her voice. “Marv, are you all right?”
Roy heard the whirr of a spinning telephone dial. He ran to the hall. Near the end, light shone through an open door. He rushed toward it. He was almost there when a girl stepped out of a dark doorway, glanced at him, and gasped. Roy grabbed her hair.
“Mommy!” Roy called. “Hang up the phone or I cut your daughter’s throat.”
“God in heaven!”
“Let me hear it.” He yanked the girl’s hair. She cried out.
The phone clattered. “It’s down! I put it down!”
Roy twisted the girl’s hair, making her turn around. “Walk,” he said. Knife blade poised across her throat, he walked behind her to the far bedroom.
The woman stood next to her bed, stiff and trembling. She wore a white nightgown. Her pale arms were crossed tightly as if she were trying to warm herself.
“What…what did you do to Marv?”
“He’s all right.”
Her eyes lowered to Roy’s knife hand. He glanced down. His hand was shiny red. “So I lied,” he said.
“God in heaven! O merciful God!”
“Shut up.”
“You killed him!”
“Shut up.”
“You killed my Marv!”
He shoved the girl roughly toward the bed and ran at the hysterical woman. Her mouth gaped wide to scream. Clutching the front of her nightgown, he jerked her forward and punched the knife into her stomach. She sucked air as if her wind had been knocked out. “Gonna shut up now?” Roy asked, and stabbed again.
She started to sag, so Roy let go of the nightgown. She sank to her knees, both hands pressing her belly. Then she slumped forward.
The girl on the bed didn’t move. She just stared.
“Now, you don’t want to get stabbed, too, do you?” he asked her.
She shook her head. She was trembling. She looked ready to scream.
Roy glanced down at himself. His shirt and pants dripped blood. “I guess I’m a mess, aren’t I?”
She said nothing.
“What’s your name?”
“Joni.”
“How old are you, Joni?”
“I’ll be ten.”
“Why don’t you come along and help me clean up.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Do you want me to stab you?”
She shook her head. Her lips trembled.
“Then come with me.” Taking her hand, hepulled her off the bed. He led her down the hallway until he found the bathroom. He turned on its light, and pulled her inside.
The bathroom was long, with a sink and counter close to the door, a space, and then the toilet. The bathtub, set into the wall opposite the toilet, had frosted shower doors.
Roy led the girl to the toilet. The seat was already down. Its green, fuzzy cover matched the carpet. “Sit there.”
Joni obeyed.
Kneeling in front of her, Roy unfastened the buttons of her pajama top. She sobbed. “Knock that off.” He slipped the pajamas down her arms. “We’ll get good and clean,” he said. He unsnapped the waistband, tugged the pants out from under her, and down her legs. She clamped her knees together. Arms crossed over breasts no more developed than a boy’s, she bent far down, bringing her shoulders almost to her knees.
Roy turned on the hot water. As it splashed into the tub, he undressed himself. When all his clothes lay heaped on the floor, he plugged the bathtub drain. He adjusted the water so it was hot, but not scalding.
Joni still sat on the toilet seat, hunched over and hugging her knees.
Roy grabbed her arm. She tried to pull free, so he slapped the side of her head. She yelped, but didn’t move. Standing in front of her, Roy grabbed both arms and jerked her to her feet. Shecried, “No!” as he swung her into the bathtub. Her feet whipped. She kicked the metal spout and cried out in pain. Roy nearly lost his grip but managed to keep from falling backward. She splashed the water, rump first. Roy climbed in, facing her.
He knelt in the water. “I’ve about had it,” he warned. “Sit still.”
She kicked. Her heel
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