Эд Макбейн - Mothers and Daughters

“Where, dear?”

“At the lake.” Kate paused. “At your house.”

“My house? At Lake Abundance?”

“Yes, Mrs. Regan. Do you remember once at the end of the summer, we came over for a barbecue? And I’d been swimming, and I went into the bedroom at the end of the house, the little one that has the picture of a ship on the wall, and I changed my clothes in there, do you remember?”

“Well, no, I don’t exactly, Kate.”

“Yes. I put on dungarees and a sweater, don’t you remember?”

“If you say so, Kate. But I had the house cleaned thoroughly before I left it, and I don’t remember seeing your suit anywhere.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s there,” Kate said.

“Well, what would you like to do? Shall we drive out some day to have a look?”

“Yes, but there’s no real rush,” Kate said. “Now that I know where it is.”

“All right, darling, let me know when you want to go, will you?”

“I will,” Kate said, and she hung up triumphantly.

The first part of the plan, then, had been carried off successfully. She had convinced Julia that the red bathing suit was at the lake house — or at least led Julia to believe that she was convinced it was there. And Julia had offered to drive her out one day. The next part of the plan was to make sure that Julia did not drive her out, and this required a little bit of maneuvering and a great deal of luck. For one thing, she had to synchronize David’s presence with Julia’s absence, and this would not be easy. Julia often went into New York on her shopping sprees, but she went invariably on Mondays or Thursdays when the stores stayed open late, and when she could spend the entire day looking and buying. She had, in fact, once mentioned that she wouldn’t dream of going into the city on a Saturday because the stores were unimaginably crowded and the train service was too erratic. But the only tune David came to Talmadge was on weekends, so it was essential that Julia be gone on a Saturday — Sunday would have been equally acceptable, but far too difficult to manage — and it had to be a Saturday when David was there for the weekend. By a series of discreet questions, she learned that David would be coming up on the twenty-first, less than a week away. Desperately, Kate tried to figure a way of getting Julia out of Talmadge.

Her break came unexpectedly. Julia told her that she was going into White Plains that Saturday to pick up a few things she needed, and Kate thought about this all the way home, her heart pounding, and called her the moment she reached the house.

“What time did you plan on going, Mrs. Regan?” she asked.

“Oh, I thought I’d get there before lunch and come back sometime in the afternoon,” Julia said.

Quickly, her voice expressing disappointment, Kate said, “Oh, I thought I could join you.”

“Why not, Kate? You’re entirely welc—”

“I have some library work to do in the morning, Mrs. Regan. Could I possibly meet you there later in the afternoon?”

“How late?”

“Three o’clock?”

“I hadn’t planned on staying that late,” Julia said.

“Oh well, then never mind. I guess I can get a lift back somehow.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, one of the girls was going to drive me in, but she’s going right on to New York, and I don’t have a way of getting back home.”

Julia sighed and said, “I suppose I can find something to do until three.”

“I’d certainly appreciate it, Mrs. Regan.”

As soon as she hung up, Kate called Suzie Fox. “Sue,” she said, “I need a lift to White Plains on Saturday.”

“I’m not going to White Plains on Saturday,” Suzie said

“Yes, you are,” Kate said.

“No, I’m not. I have to finish a theme Saturday, and I can’t go rushing off to—”

“Suzie, I’d drive myself, but I’m not allowed to in New York State until I’m eighteen. You can—”

“Ever since my birthday, I’ve become a taxi service to New York,” Suzie said.

“When’s the last time I asked you for a favor?”

There was a long silence on the line.

“I’ll probably fail English,” Suzie said. “The theme is due on Monday.”

“You won’t fail. Two-thirty Saturday. You won’t forget, will you?”

“I won’t forget,” Suzie said wearily.

“Mark it on your calendar.”

“I already did.”

“Okay, hon, thanks a million.”

She was grinning when she hung up. She now knew that David would be in Talmadge on Saturday, that Julia would be leaving for White Plains sometime before lunch and that she would have to remain there until three o’clock. She had arranged for Suzie to pick her up at two-thirty, which gave her at least two hours alone with David. All she needed now was a little co-operation from him.

She was certain she would get it.

The twenty-first of May was a bright cloudless day, somewhat brisk for so late in the month, but a beautiful day with a flawless blue sky and a brilliant sun. She was pleased at first by the splendor of it, and then wondered if the good weather would bring some people to the lake. She did not want anyone at the lake when she and David were there.

She dressed very carefully. Her plan had not taken her beyond the simple premise of adult recognition, but she nonetheless chose her undergarments with the cold precision of a seductress, the most feminine and female she owned. Over these, she put a straight black skirt, a little tight, and a white silk blouse. She wore no stockings. She knew that high heels would have looked absurd for any Saturday afternoon in Talmadge, and she even debated the advisability of wearing a French heel, but she finally settled for it, and then wondered again whether she looked too elegant. She shrugged, polished her nails, applied her lipstick with a brush, and then at eleven-thirty, she called the Regan house. David answered the phone.

“Hello, David,” she said, “this is Kate.”

“Hi, Kate.”

“May I speak to your mother, please?”

“I’m sorry, she left about a half hour ago.” He paused. “Aren’t you supposed to meet her in White Plains?”

“Not until later this afternoon. David, did she mention anything about the key?”

“What key is that, Kate?”

“To the lake house.”

“No. Why?”

“I think I left a bathing suit there, and I wanted to look for it. Your mother said it would be all right.”

“Well, the key is here, if you want it.”

“Oh, good. I’ll stop by for it in a few minutes. Will you be home?”

“Sure.”

“All right, David. Goodbye.” She hung up quickly, her heart pounding. Quietly and unobtrusively, she went out of the house. Parsie looked up when she passed the kitchen, but said nothing. Once outside, she began walking swiftly. The Regan house was a good ten blocks away, but she made it in five minutes. She went around back to the kitchen door and knocked on it. David opened the door. He was wearing a sweat shirt and a pair of khaki pants. There was shaving cream on one half of his face.

“Hi,” he said. “I didn’t expect you so soon.”

“I hope I’m not disturbing you, David,” she said.

“Not at all. I was just shaving. Come on in.”

“I really have to hurry,” she said. “I thought I’d have a car, but I don’t.”

“Just let me get the rest of this off,” he said, “and I’ll find that key for you.”

“All right,” she said, and she followed him into the house. He had not taken the bait, had given no sign that he’d even heard her. She sat in the living room while he finished shaving in the downstairs bathroom. The grandfather clock read ten minutes to twelve. The drive to the lake took at least twenty-five minutes. She wondered suddenly if he’d brought his car up. Suppose he’d taken the train? She tried to remember if she’d seen his car as she passed the garage outside. Nervously, she began tapping her fingers on the arm of the chair.