The Midnight Tour (57 page)

“If they’re drinking in the Jacuzzi, he
must
be a friend.”

“Yep. So I guess there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Guess not.”

Diana leaned in and kissed him softly on the mouth. “See ya,” she whispered. Then she backed away, smiling and waving. “Don’t get in any accidents,” she warned.

Laughing, Warren started the car.

As he turned it around, Dana thought about going to him, hopping in, saying, “Never mind. Tuck’s fine. Let’s go back to your place.”

While she was still thinking about it, Warren drove away.

She sighed, then went into the house.

Feeling almost naked without her bra, she wasn’t especially eager to meet Tuck’s friend.

Besides, maybe Tuck wouldn’t want any extra company.

Maybe I’ll just go on upstairs...

But who’s the guy? she wondered.

I realty
should
at least go out and say hello. Be rude not to. Anyway, Tuck needs to know I got home all right.

She walked to the back door, eased it open, and stepped outside.

The two in the spa were sitting side by side, holding wine glasses above the bubbly surface of the water. Though they had their backs to Dana, she could see a side of Tuck’s face. Tuck was laughing and talking. From where Dana stood, she could only see the back of the stranger’s head.

On the patio table was a leather rig that looked like a shoulder holster.

A blue shirt, a red T-shirt, and jeans were draped over a nearby chair.

What’d this guy do, undress out here?

The back of his head suddenly looked familiar.

Eve!

Dana laughed. “Hiya, guys!” she called.

They both looked around at her.

“Hey there,” Eve said, a warm smile spreading over her face.

“Back already?” Tuck asked. “How’d it go?”

“Not bad.”

“Eve just got here. Why don’t you join the party? Go get yourself a glass if you want. Or you can drink straight out of the bottle.” “I think I’ll pass on the wine,” Dana said, stepping around to the side of the spa. “I’ve had some margaritas.” At her feet were two folded towels. One had a pistol on top. “That must be yours,” she said to Eve.

“Yep.” Eve took a sip of wine. Her shoulders, though out of the water, were shiny wet. Seeing no straps, Dana lowered her gaze. The spa was brightly lighted from the bottom. Through the shimmering water, she saw that Eve wore nothing at all. Her naked body seemed to ripple and sway with the currents.

Giving Tuck a quick check, Dana glimpsed a skimpy leather outfit. She returned her attention to Eve, who was setting her glass on the ledge.

“It’s my night off,” Eve told her. “I just thought I’d stop by to see how you two were getting along. After last night, I was a little worried.”

“She scared me shitless,” Tuck said, grinning. “She just came walking around the corner and
yelled
at me.”

“I had to yell or you wouldn’t have heard me.”

“I must’ve jumped a mile.”

“I couldn’t believe she was actually
out
here.”

“Doesn’t surprise me,” Dana said.

“I was perfectly safe,” Tuck said. “Brought the cannon.”

“It’s inside the other towel,” Eve explained. “She brandished it for my benefit.”

“So you’re out here with
two
guns.”

“We’re a regular NRA convention,” Tuck said. “Go get yours and we’ll
all
be armed.”

“I have it.”

“Huh?”

Smiling, Dana patted the side of her purse.

“You’ve been
carrying
it?” Tuck asked.

“Won’t do me any good if I don’t have it.”

“Bust her ass, Eve.”

Eve laughed, shook her head, and took a drink of wine. “Arrest her for carrying
my
pistol? I don’t think so. Anyway, she
should
keep it with her.”

“Some cop you are,” Tuck said. Smiling up at Dana, she asked, “Are you gonna come in, or just stand there?”

“You’d better come in,” Eve said.

“You look cold,” Tuck said.

“It is a little chilly out here.”

“Nice and toasty in here,” Tuck said. Just strip and jump in. That’s what Eve did.”

“Maybe I’d better go get my suit on.”

“Don’t bother.”

“Feels a lot better without,” Eve told her.

“I thought we weren’t supposed to give our prowler anything to see,” Dana said. “We probably shouldn’t even be
out
here, much less stripping.”

“You’re right about that,” Eve said. “It isn’t exactly the smart thing to do. But since Lynn was already out here...”

“It’s okay,” Tuck interrupted “Eve’s a cop and you’re a lifeguard. And now that you mention it...I guess
I’ll
avail myself of the clothing optional rule. Why not? If the peeping Tom is here, he might as well get a good show.” She set down her glass and reached behind her neck.

“What the heck?” Dana said. She moved away from the spa, kicked off her shoes, peeled off her socks, then pulled down her shorts and panties and stepped out of them. Her enormous white T-shirt hung down halfway to her knees.

“That’ll make a good nightshirt,” Tuck called.

If I take it off, Dana thought, she’ll wonder what happened to my bra.

Hell, she’s already noticed it’s gone. They both must’ve noticed the minute I showed up. They’re not blind.

Tuck swung the bottom of her swimsuit out of the water and dropped it next to the wine bottle. “Yesss,” she said. “Oh, that does feel good.”

A cold breeze fluttered Dana’s T-shirt, slipped underneath it and raced up her body, making her shiver.

Get this over with...

She pulled the T-shirt off, let it fall, then stepped quickly over to the spa. She sat down on its ledge, lowered her feet into the churning hot water, then stood on the submerged tile of the bench and stepped down. The liquid heat raced up her legs and between them and wrapped her to the waist.

“Uh!”
she grunted.

“Great, huh?” Tuck asked.

“I’m ... scorched.”

“Pussy,” Tuck said.

Eve laughed.

Dana waded over to the side and eased herself down onto the bench. She gasped when the hot water clutched her breasts. Then she sighed and slouched backward until it lapped her chin.

“Nice?” Eve asked.

“Give me three minutes, I’ll be soft-boiled.”

“I guess your date went well,” Tuck said.

“Pretty good.”

“I’d say better than
pretty
good.” From the grin on her face, Dana knew she was referring to the vanished bra.

But Dana didn’t want to talk about it. Especially not in front of Eve. She liked Eve, but hardly knew her and didn’t want to speak about her feelings for Warren in front of her. For that matter, she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to tell Tuck. Better to hold it all inside, private and safe and special. Keep it her own, at least for a while.

“I’d still be at
his
place,” she said, “except I was afraid
you’d
decide to risk life and limb by doing something monumentally stupid. Which you, of course, did.”

“Of course,” said Tuck.

“Pretty damn reckless,” Eve agreed, shaking her head but smiling.

“You’re
both
a couple of pussies,” Tuck said. “Anyway, I was ready for any eventuality.”

“Don’t go looking for trouble,” Eve said, “just because you have a gun.”

“You
do.”

“Trouble’s my job.”

“You’re off duty tonight. But you came over looking for trouble, anyway.”

“Just wanted to make sure you two didn’t get yourselves reamed by some bad-ass pervert, that’s all.” She poured more wine into her glass, then into Tuck’s. “Didn’t expect any of
this
, though. This is very nice.”

“Come over any time,” Tuck said.

“Thanks,” Eve said, then offered the bottle to Dana. “Have some?”

Dana shook her head. “No thanks.”

Eve set the bottle aside, then took a sip from her glass.

“I was
planning
to scout around the grounds, make sure your friend wasn’t lurking around.” Lowering the glass slightly, she scanned the dense row of bushes and small trees beyond the far side of the pool. “Never exactly got around to doing that.”

“Shame on you,” Tuck said.

“You distracted me with this stuff about the wine and jacuzzi.”

Dana suddenly found herself staring at the bushes.

Especially at the dark space where Tuck had seen the prowler last night.

“You’re not
worrying
, are you?” Tuck asked her.

“If nobody checked over there...”

“So what if somebody is there?” Tuck said. “We’re armed to the
teeth.
Anyone tries any shit with us, we’ll blow ‛im to kingdom come.”

“I should’ve checked,” Eve said.

“Don’t worry about it. Forget it.”

“It’s the main reason I came over in the first place.”

Eve stood up. She turned around and set her glass on the ledge.

“Hey, don’t bother,” Tuck said.

“It’ll just take me a few minutes. Then we’ll know for sure that everything’s safe.”

“We’re safe
here.
I don’t want you going over there. What if somebody is there?”

“Then he’ll be in big trouble, won’t he?” Eve stepped onto the submerged bench, then onto the ledge. Water spilling off her body and spattering the concrete, she hurried over to the towels.

She squatted and snatched up her pistol.

“Wait,” Dana said. “Tuck’s right. You really shouldn’t go over there.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be right back.”

“Maybe you
won’t!”
Tuck said. “Come on, you’re gonna ruin the party.”

Still squatting, Eve shifted the pistol to her left hand. She pushed her right hand into the folds of Tuck’s towel and pulled out the .44 magnum. “Mind if I borrow this?”

“Yeah, I mind. Just stay here.”

“If somebody is hiding over there,” Eve said, “I think we should find out about it.”

“Doesn’t mean
you
have to risk your ass.”

The huge revolver in one hand, the black automatic in the other, Eve stood up. “This better be loaded.”

“Damn it, Eve!”

Eve smiled, said, “Take it easy,” then started striding toward the end of the pool.

Dana leaped up. “Wait!” she called. “I’m coming, too.”

“Me, too!” Tuck shouted.

Eve stopped and faced them. “No. Just...”

They both sprang out of the spa.

“All for one and one for all!” Tuck yelled.

“Jesus H. Christ,” Eve said.

Water dribbling off her body, Dana crouched over her purse, fumbled inside and pulled out the pistol that Eve had loaned her last night.

As she rushed toward her two friends, she saw Eve hand the Smith & Wesson to Tuck.

“Be careful with it,” Eve said.

“Don’t you want to deputize us?” Tuck asked.

“Where would I pin the badges?”

“We don’t need no steenking badges.”

Eve in the lead, Dana and Tuck side by side a few paces behind her, they walked the length of the swimming pool, turned the corner, and headed for the dark row of bushes.

“If there is a Peeping Tom,” Tuck said, “he’ll think he’s having a wet dream.”

“Oh fuck,” John muttered, “I’d love to get a shot of
this.”

“Don’t try it. We’ve gotta get out of here.”

In Owen’s mind, John ignored him and lurched out of the bushes, onto the pool’s apron straight in front of the spectacular trio and raised the big-lensed camera for what might’ve been the greatest photo of his entire life—and they opened up on him, their guns roaring, fire flashing from their muzzles. Owen could see how the flashes threw stark light across their wet, naked bodies. And he could see how the slugs struck John, smacking holes in him, making him twirl and dance in slow motion until he fell on his back.

Grabbing John’s arm, squeezing it, Owen blurted, “Come on!”

And John didn’t try for the shot. “Yeah,” he said. “Let’s book.”

Side by side, they scurried backward.

We’ll be okay, Owen told himself. ‛They’ll never see us in here. Not without a flashlight.

He was nearly certain they had no flashlight.

As he crawled backward, he kept his eyes forward and watched for them. He ought to be able to see their legs through the bushes when they got to this end of the pool. Probably a few seconds from now.

Rustly sounds came from the bushes to his left.

Oh jeez, somebody IS over there!

The cough, a few minutes before Dana’s arrival, had frightened him badly.

But he’d heard nothing more from over there.

With Dana’s arrival, he’d been able to push his worries aside. Awestruck, he’d watched her remove her clothes. He’d been stunned to discover, when she pulled off her T-shirt, that she wasn’t wearing a bra.

“Ah, look at them titties,” John had said, inspecting her through his telephoto lens.

Owen had resisted an urge to hit him. He’d learned his lesson about that sort of thing. Besides, a blow might’ve jiggled the camera and ruined a shot.

The camera had clicked and buzzed again and again as Dana drew the T-shirt over her head, dropped it, and stepped down into the spa.

Then John had said, “Show’s over. Ready to go?”

“No way.”

“What, you don’t want to
leave?
I thought you couldn’t
wait.”

“Blow it out you ass, Cromwell.”

“Think maybe they’ll have an orgy?”

“Shhh.”

“A three-way babe orgy.”

“Shut up.”

“How’d you like to get in the middle of
that?”

The mere thought of it excited Owen. “Just shut up, okay? You want them to hear you?”

“They can’t hear shit...those bubbles and everything.”

“Maybe. But I’m not so sure we’re the only ones over here.”

“What, your phantom cougher?”

“It sure
sounded
like a cough.”

“Why don’t you go investigate, offer him a lozenge?”

“I haven’t
got
a lozenge.”

“What’re they gonna do, just sit in there and drink all night? Come on, babes, let’s have some action.”