houses, with you all nervous and jumping every time somebody walks through the door. ’Course there’s plenty to make you nervous, with the police after you and all.”
“Plenty,” Roebuck agreed.
As she spoke she applied eyebrow pencil carefully. “Too bad there weren’t any more witnesses.”
“My luck,” Roebuck said.
“You sure you shouldn’t turn yourself in, try to explain…?”
Roebuck shook his head violently. “Who’d believe it was an accident? The only one who saw it was that damned Gipp, and he’d lie. He hates my guts because I didn’t try to save his life at the Bulge, but I had to think of the safety of the platoon….” His voice hardened. “If Ingrahm really is dead, I wouldn’t have a chance.”
“I guess you’re right.”
Roebuck stood and paced to the window, peering out between the cracks in the Venetian blind at the heightening sun. The early morning sky was cloudless, and long shadows were beginning to form. Somewhere in the Jolly Rest Motel a door slammed and he heard the faint laughter of a child.
“Do you think this Gipp character is really after us too?”
“I know him,” Roebuck said. “He’s after us. I’ll bet when he heard that bulletin about us being spotted in Collinsville he drove all night. I’ll bet the bastard doesn’t even sleep.”
“He’s why you bought the guns?”
“Among other reasons.” Roebuck tucked his thumbs in his belt. “A man never knows when a revolver’s going to come in handy.” He’d bought the two secondhand pistols at a rundown hardware store in Illinois, and he wasn’t even sure they’d fire.
The woman was replacing her makeup articles in a black purse atop the bureau. “I’ve been thinking,” she said, “we could go to my brother’s place in California.”
“The guitar player?”
“He’s a poet too,” she said with a trace of indignation. “He’s sensitive and smart; he’ll understand and put us up for a while.”
“Maybe we’ll see him when we get to the Coast,” Roebuck said noncommittally. “I’ve got some important friends there, though, and I was thinking about forged passports and a trip to the South Seas. Maybe your brother could even go with us.”
She smiled, as if dismissing that as completely impossible.
Roebuck wondered why she’d decided to come with him. She was just a small town tramp, but still attractive. Why would she want to make herself a fugitive? He’d told her the hard facts, though he hadn’t told her the only reason he wanted her with him was so he’d attract less suspicion. A man and his wife taking a trip, and if it came to a chase the police might think she was a hostage and not fire on the car.
“Ellie.” He said her name aloud. “I told you what you were stepping into.”
She snapped her compact closed. “I’ve stepped in worse. I don’t have any regrets about coming with you. Anyway, I could walk right out that door if I wanted to.”
With an uneasy feeling Roebuck realized that she was right. Maybe she did fall that hard for him. It had happened before. There were some women who got hooked on a man like that. And Ellie held an undeniable fascination for him. There was something about the way she put complete faith in him, obeyed him immediately and without question. He was glad now that he’d decided to bring her with him. It was the one lucky thing that had happened to him in the past week.
“Get dressed,” Roebuck said suddenly, turning again to the window. “You can eat in the car. I want to put some miles behind us today.”
She began to slip into the pink dress she’d bought in St. Louis. “I can be ready in two minutes.”
5
Roebuck pulled to the curb in front of the building in which Havers Advertising was located. Glancing up and down the still busy street, he tried to look nonchalant as he walked toward the building entrance. Then he cursed and went back to put a nickel in the parking meter. There was no sense in leaving documented
“Plenty,” Roebuck agreed.
As she spoke she applied eyebrow pencil carefully. “Too bad there weren’t any more witnesses.”
“My luck,” Roebuck said.
“You sure you shouldn’t turn yourself in, try to explain…?”
Roebuck shook his head violently. “Who’d believe it was an accident? The only one who saw it was that damned Gipp, and he’d lie. He hates my guts because I didn’t try to save his life at the Bulge, but I had to think of the safety of the platoon….” His voice hardened. “If Ingrahm really is dead, I wouldn’t have a chance.”
“I guess you’re right.”
Roebuck stood and paced to the window, peering out between the cracks in the Venetian blind at the heightening sun. The early morning sky was cloudless, and long shadows were beginning to form. Somewhere in the Jolly Rest Motel a door slammed and he heard the faint laughter of a child.
“Do you think this Gipp character is really after us too?”
“I know him,” Roebuck said. “He’s after us. I’ll bet when he heard that bulletin about us being spotted in Collinsville he drove all night. I’ll bet the bastard doesn’t even sleep.”
“He’s why you bought the guns?”
“Among other reasons.” Roebuck tucked his thumbs in his belt. “A man never knows when a revolver’s going to come in handy.” He’d bought the two secondhand pistols at a rundown hardware store in Illinois, and he wasn’t even sure they’d fire.
The woman was replacing her makeup articles in a black purse atop the bureau. “I’ve been thinking,” she said, “we could go to my brother’s place in California.”
“The guitar player?”
“He’s a poet too,” she said with a trace of indignation. “He’s sensitive and smart; he’ll understand and put us up for a while.”
“Maybe we’ll see him when we get to the Coast,” Roebuck said noncommittally. “I’ve got some important friends there, though, and I was thinking about forged passports and a trip to the South Seas. Maybe your brother could even go with us.”
She smiled, as if dismissing that as completely impossible.
Roebuck wondered why she’d decided to come with him. She was just a small town tramp, but still attractive. Why would she want to make herself a fugitive? He’d told her the hard facts, though he hadn’t told her the only reason he wanted her with him was so he’d attract less suspicion. A man and his wife taking a trip, and if it came to a chase the police might think she was a hostage and not fire on the car.
“Ellie.” He said her name aloud. “I told you what you were stepping into.”
She snapped her compact closed. “I’ve stepped in worse. I don’t have any regrets about coming with you. Anyway, I could walk right out that door if I wanted to.”
With an uneasy feeling Roebuck realized that she was right. Maybe she did fall that hard for him. It had happened before. There were some women who got hooked on a man like that. And Ellie held an undeniable fascination for him. There was something about the way she put complete faith in him, obeyed him immediately and without question. He was glad now that he’d decided to bring her with him. It was the one lucky thing that had happened to him in the past week.
“Get dressed,” Roebuck said suddenly, turning again to the window. “You can eat in the car. I want to put some miles behind us today.”
She began to slip into the pink dress she’d bought in St. Louis. “I can be ready in two minutes.”
5
Roebuck pulled to the curb in front of the building in which Havers Advertising was located. Glancing up and down the still busy street, he tried to look nonchalant as he walked toward the building entrance. Then he cursed and went back to put a nickel in the parking meter. There was no sense in leaving documented
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