She got up and pulled Aimee up by the hair. Never releasing her hold, she dragged Aimee into the bedroom. Both women were gasping and gleaming with perspiration. In the bedroom Aimee fumbled at a dresser drawer. Gabby opened it for her. Under a pile of black net nylons was a sheet of blue writing paper.
Gabby glanced at it and then released Aimee who dropped on the bed. Gabby went back to the living room, folded the sheet twice and placed it in an ash tray. She lit a match and burned the letter. She crushed the ashes with her fingers until they were dust. Suddenly she shivered.
She took off the shreds of her stockings and put on her shoes. The blouse was hopeless. She opened Jake's bag, took out his clean shirt and put it on. Over that she put her jacket and skirt. The zipper of the skirt was wrecked. She went to the bedroom and searched the dresser until she found a couple of safety pins. While she pinned her skirt she watched Aimee who hadn't moved.
"I'm sorry for you," Gabby said at last. "You should have had this lesson when you were a child. Maybe it isn't too late now."
"I'm going to the cops anyway," Aimee moaned. "I'll have him put away. I'll fix both of you for this."
"If you make any more trouble," Gabby answered in a hard voice, "I promise you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
She went back to the living room, hoping that her threat would silence Aimee for good. She picked up Jake's coat and bag and left the apartment. Her knees gave as she went down the stairs and she was trembling; but her eyes sparkled and her face wore a triumphant smile. And when, on the street, she tasted blood from a cut inside her mouth, she spat into the gutter with the cocky assurance of a kid who has won his first fight.
CHAPTER XIV
Lennox awoke in the role of Mr. Lefty Leftwich from Brockton, Mass. He turned over in bed like a ship launched sideways and immediately began bellowing the ballad about feet, feet, marching up and down again, with which he had annoyed the patrons of the Baroque until Chris Barakatrones had been forced to throw him out.
Gabby heard the racket and ran into the bedroom and turned on the lights. Lennox winced, closed his eyes, and sneezed three times in stately waltz tempo. "Less light," he muttered. "A switch on Goethe. I am excessively educated. Need more crud in my blood." He began to roar again.