THE GLORY BUS 19 страница

The ten-millimeter round struck the guy dead center in the chest. He went down, pumping blood.

Duke shook his head. ‘You should have listened to me first time around. I said the cafe is closed. ’

Norman saw Pamela and Lauren staring at the three ‘desperados’ in horror.

Duke touched his eyebrow in salute. ‘Let it be known that. . . ’ He hunted for the phrase.

Norman supplied it. ‘From henceforth. ’

‘Thank you, Norman. Let it be known from henceforth that I am the master of Pits. Boots and Norman here are my deputies. My word is law. Okay? ’

Lauren opened her mouth, ready to protest.

Norman stepped in. ‘Just relax, take it easy. Everything’s going to be fine. ’

Boots sang out. ‘We’re gonna have a great time. This is the start of a real good friendship. ’

Norman glanced at her. She smiled. But there was an emptiness to her brown eyes. As if a whole chunk of her vision was directed inward to some dark recess of her mind. Not outward to the people in the cafe.

‘That’s right, ’ Duke agreed. ‘A real close friendship. And we’re gonna make this town a cool place to be. More girls. More fun. ’

‘All right, ’ Norman enthused. He stared at Pamela in her figure-hugging sweater and shorts. He liked the dinky waitress outfit.

Kinda sexy. Shame that Duke has laid claim to her.

Duke was still pointing his handgun but he used his free hand to reach into his shirt pocket, pull out a carton of cigarettes and slip one long white cylinder from the pack, using his lips. After returning the pack to his pocket he lit a match one-handed too, then inhaled deeply.

‘We regret the mess those two guys made. ’ He nodded at the dead bikers.

Hot shit. Duke’s blaming the two guys for bleeding all over the frigging floor. It’s as if shooting them had nothing to do with it.

Norman went along with Duke’s line. ‘We’ll get it cleaned up in no time. ’

‘Don’t worry, ’ Lauren said. ‘We’ve handled plenty of dead meat before. ’

Norman noticed the little glance that Pamela shot her friend. As if there was more meaning loaded into those few words than was at first apparent.

‘Question is, ’ Boots wiggled her finger against the trigger of her revolver as if her skin was getting itchy, ‘what are we going to do with you two? ’

‘Lock them up, ’ Norman said quickly before Boots decided to dispatch the two babes.

‘Here? ’ Boots wrinkled her snout-like nose. ‘They’d escape easy. ’

‘No, ’ Norman said.

‘Trailers are no good either, ’ Duke observed.

‘The house on the hill. Bound to be a cellar or something, ’ Norman said.

‘Sounds good to me, Norman, old buddy. ’

Boots moved so that she could look through the door into the kitchen. ‘Where are the others? ’

Probably wondering where beautiful blonde Nicki is, Norman thought. After I saw Boots making love to Nicki this morning she might be wanting to stake her claim.

No fair.

Duke promised Nicki to me.

Norman began to wonder if there was a way of getting rid of Boots somewhere down the line. Those dead brown eyes gave him the creeps. Watching that girl-on-girl action had been fun but he didn’t want Boots hogging all the good times with Nicki.

Lauren looked at Pamela, then said, ‘I don’t know where they are. ’

‘You sure you ain’t seen Nicki? ’

See! Norman’s face flushed. Boots wants a second helping.

Boy oh boy, does Boots have to go.

‘And when you expectin’ Sharpe back? ’ Duke asked.

‘He can be gone for days, ’ Lauren answered.

‘Where are the others likely to be? Wes and the old-timer? ’

‘Around. ’ Pamela shrugged.

Lauren added, ‘They’ve all got their chores. ’

‘Okay. ’ Duke slipped his gun into the belt of his pants. ‘You ladies aren’t gonna give us no trouble, are you? ’

‘What do you think? ’ Pamela’s shock was being replaced by anger. ‘You three have got the guns. ’

‘Feisty. I like it. ’ Duke was pleased.

‘I’ll give you feisty, ’ Pamela snarled.

Boots raised her gun again. ‘And we can give you a tit full of lead, so don’t get antsy. ’

Norman played the diplomacy bit. ‘Remember? Nice and easy, then no one’s gonna get hurt. ’

Duke nodded. ‘Norman’s got brain. Take his advice, okay? ’ His stare hardened. ‘Okay? ’

Both Lauren and Pamela nodded. Norman noticed the fire still burning in Pamela’s gaze. She wanted to take a swing at Boots.

Norman wondered if she ever would.

Catfight.

Could be fun.

Could be a way of getting Boots out of the picture.

‘Now we’re all being sweet with one another let’s take that walk up to the house. Norman, lock the door to the cafe. Put up the closed sign. ’

‘I’m onto it. ’

‘Ladies. ’ Duke nodded toward the kitchen door. ‘Promenade time. We’ll head out back, then up to the house. If we see any of the others don’t do anything bitchin’ stupid like shouting out warnings or shit like that. You follow? ’

They both nodded.

‘Sweet. Lead the way, ladies. ’

They worked their way up through the cemetery. Past the tombs of guys who’d lost gunfights a hundred years ago. Then by the tombs of the monkeys. The house shimmered in heat haze in front of them.

Lauren and Pamela led the way. Their bare legs looked captivating to Norman.

Boots complained about the heat.

Complained that Nicki was nowhere to be seen.

Duke walked in silence. Cool as ever.

They didn’t see any of the remaining inhabitants of Pits.

As they climbed onto the porch of the house Nicki was just stepping through the front door.

‘Makes three, ’ Boots said brightly.

‘Now to locate Wes and Hank, ’ Duke said.

‘What’s happening? ’ Nicki asked. The sight of the guns startled her.

‘Nothing to worry about, ma’am. We’re taking charge of Pits for your own protection. ’

‘Our own protection? ’ Nicki echoed. ‘We don’t need—’

‘Nicki, ’ Lauren said calmly. ‘Do as they say. ’

Nicki watched Boots with a pained look in her eyes. Norman figured that she was recalling the sweet, sweet tongue-loving she’d had from Boots this morning and was feeling hurt by the betrayal.

‘Boots, why are you doing this to me? I thought we—’

‘It’s getting mighty hot out here. If I don’t get some coolness soon I won’t be able to stop myself pulling this trigger. ’

‘Okay, okay, ’ Pamela placated the pig-girl. ‘Don’t worry. We’re doing as you say. Nicki, go back into the house please. ’

‘But—’

‘They’ve promised they’re not going to hurt us. ’

Nicki nodded. Her blue eyes were watchful as she pushed her long blonde hair back behind her shoulder.

Clearly doesn’t trust us an inch, Norman thought.

The interior of the house was as dark as a cave. Norman hoped that it would be as cool as one, too.

But no.

He followed everyone into the gloomy hallway. It was hot, with a musty atmosphere. Still, at least they were out of the fierce sunlight.

Duke said, ‘We need to find somewhere comfortable for the ladies. ’ He opened a door at random.

Norman nearly told him not to bother with that one. It was the big empty room with no furniture where Boots and Nicki had got throbbingly naked with each other.

Norman decided against saying anything.

Don’t want to give myself away, reveal that I was watching

them. I don’t want them thinking I’m some kind of pervmeister, do I?

‘Empty room, ’ Duke told them.

Boots said, ‘Has it got windows? It’s no good if it’s got windows. ’

Rather than the sweet, simple-minded character that Norman had first encountered, Boots’d become edgy of late. Instead of being easygoing, her nerves now had a brittle quality.

Wish she’d put the fucking gun away.

Norman began to sweat.

Anxiety sweat. Nothing to do with the heat.

Duke checked the downstairs rooms. ‘All got windows, ’ he announced. ‘Too easy to break out of. ’

‘There’s gotta be a basement, ’ Boots said, hopeful.

‘I don’t doubt, ’ Duke replied. ‘But a basement’s no place for a lady. ’

‘They’ll live, ’ Boots said. Then she added, ‘Or we could tie ’em up. ’

‘These are our friends. You don’t tie up people who’re your friends. ’

Norman decided that a contribution from him was needed. ‘An upstairs room. They’re not gonna jump out of a bedroom window and risk busting a leg. ’

‘Good thinking, Normy. ’ Duke glanced up at the grand stairway that ran in a long curve to the next floor.

Norman looked up, too. It was a huge void full of shadows.

Spooky.

Duke put his boot on the first step.

The step creaked.

That creak went echoing up the staircase like the footsteps of a ghost.

At last Nicki blurted out, ‘You can’t go up there. ’

‘Can’t? ’

‘No. ’

‘Why? ’

‘You just can’t. ’ Nicki was gasping with fear.

‘Oh, can’t I? ’ Duke pulled the Magnum from his belt. ‘Wes up there? ’

‘No. ’

‘The old-timer? ’

‘He’s away dumping trash. ’

‘What’s so important up there that you don’t want your bud Duke to see? ’

Nicki blurted again, ‘You can’t go up there. ’

‘Oh? See anyone trying to stop me? ’

‘No, ’ said Lauren. ‘You mustn’t. ’

Pamela joined in. ‘You can see it’s not safe. The timbers are rotted. ’

‘Looks sound. ’

‘Too much weight could bring the whole house down on top of us. ’ Pamela nodded at the walls. ‘See the state it’s in. ’

‘Just looks like peeling wallpaper to me. ’

‘They’re shitting you, Duke, ’ Boots told him. ‘Slap the bitches up. Teach ’em respect. ’

Duke raised his eyebrows. ‘I just might do that. If they give me just cause. ’ He stood back and raised the gun. ‘After you, ladies. ’

Lauren repeated, ‘It’s really not safe up there. ’

A slow smile spread across Duke’s face. ‘Now you’ve really got my curiosity in gear. ’

In the near-dark of the old house they climbed the stairs. Norman glanced at the three women. Both Nicki and Lauren looked wired with anxiety. Pamela seemed puzzled.

She genuinely doesn’t know why the two women are so nervous about us going upstairs.

But there must be something up there.

Any minute now we’re going to find out what it is.

Chapter Forty-five

They reached the landing. Light filtered through a corn-flour sack that had been nailed over the landing window. Little needle-sharp rays scattered points of radiance on the floor.

Clean floor, Norman noted.

Someone’s maintaining the property upstairs.

Six doors led off the landing. All but one had been boarded up. The single functional door lay at the end of the passageway in near-darkness.

‘Okay, Normy, ’ Duke said in a low voice. ‘Go ahead and check the status of the room. ’

‘Status? ’

‘Yeah, check whether there’s anyone in there. Of course, if you’re too much of a wuss. . . ’

‘No. I’ll check. ’ Norman smiled to show that he wasn’t afraid. ‘Probably only old Hank in the bathtub or something. ’

‘Or Hank and Wes in bed playing bury the salami. ’

‘Boots, ’ Duke said disapprovingly, ‘guys don’t do that to other guys. They do it to girls. ’

Norman noticed that Pamela shot a glance at Lauren as if to ask, ‘Is this guy for real? ’

Oh, Duke’s for real all right. Something tells me you’re gonna get to know all his little quirks real well.

‘What’re you waiting for, Norm? ’

‘It’s cool, Duke. I’m going. I was, uh, just checking that the safety was off. ’

Norman advanced slowly along the passageway. He held the Glock automatic out at arm’s length. Its gold plating was the brightest thing here. He licked his lips. They were dry. Dusty. He didn’t like the look of the sealed doors. They made him think of the entrances to tombs.

God alone knew what lay behind them.

Open one of those doors, Norman, you’re gonna die screaming.

‘Shut up. ’ Norman addressed this to his rebel imagination that was forever skimming troubling scenarios across his mind.

‘You say anything, Norman? ’

‘No, nothing, Duke. Just clearing my throat. ’

‘You don’t want to take all afternoon opening a bitchin’ door. We’ve work to do. ’

Norman reached the door, keeping the gun at arm’s length and pointing it at the woodwork.

Just in case Wes steamed out brandishing a knife.

He reached out his other hand. Found the doorknob in the gloom. Turned it.

Creak.

The mechanism was old.

Hinges were old, too. The door opened with a wailing squeal.

Inside.

Dark. Very dark.

Holy moly. Smelt funny, too. Like they’d kept a sick dog in here.

Kind of an animal smell. . . a shitty smell.

Norman advanced through the open doorway. He couldn’t even see his arm in the near-dark but the gun glittered in what light filtered through heavily draped windows.

What’s that sound? Norman asked himself.

The sound of scratching? It brought to mind an image of a sick dog pawing the bars of a cage.

Or is it the sound of breathing?

Breathing!

No sooner had Norman thought the word than a wet something folded around the hand that carried the gun.

‘Jesus, ’ he gasped. The gasp became a yell.

Pain flashed through his hand. He cried out again.

Duke dashed through the door. In the gloom Norman saw only his silhouette. The man raced to the window. Grabbed the drapes in his two hands. Dragged them down.

Sunlight blasted in. Its brilliance made Norman close his eyes even though some monster was chewing on his hand.

Hell – must be an alligator, or a puma, or a wolf, or—

He opened his eyes.

Or a man! Norman stood blinking in the bright light and watched as an old coot in a wheelchair gnawed at the back of his hand.

‘Get him fucking offa me! ’ Norman yelled.

Suddenly everyone seemed to be in the room.

Nicki cried, ‘Please don’t hurt him! ’

Pamela gaped. ‘Who the hell is that? ’

Duke aimed the gun.

The old guy in the wheelchair looked around ninety. He had no hair on the top of his skull, but he had plenty round the bottom of his head and around his jaw so that it formed a snowy-white collar. The eyes were glistening slits surrounded by red skin. Arching over them were fuzzy eyebrows of white hair.

‘He’s biting my fucking hand! ’ Norman wailed.

‘Stand back, ’ Duke told him. ‘I’ll blow his face off. ’

‘No way, Duke! My hand’s in his mouth! ’

Nicki and Lauren pleaded with them not to hurt the guy.

‘He’s breaking skin, he’s breaking skin! ’ Norman wailed louder.

Boots angled her gun to shoot the guy in the stomach.

‘Don’t you dare, you’ll wind up hitting me, ’ Norman warned. Then he said ‘Here! ’ and handed her his gun.

Now, with his hand free, he could do something about the biter. He jammed his thumb into one of the slitty eyes. Warm, soft. Norman pushed harder. At last, with a yell, the old guy quit biting.

Duke scolded Nicki. ‘Hey, you got a grandpa, you gotta feed him now and again. ’

Nicki rushed forward to the old man. ‘You better not have hurt him! ’

‘What about me? ’ Norman asked, pained. ‘The bastard drew blood. Look! ’

He showed her his hand with puncture wounds in the skin. Wincing, he clamped his handkerchief to it. ‘And see his teeth? The old coot’s got fangs. ’

‘Hey, Norm’s right, ’ Duke said, impressed. ‘Just look at those pointy teeth. ’

Pamela stared, too. ‘They’ve been filed down to points. ’ She glanced at Lauren. ‘Did he do this to his own teeth? ’

Norman was maybe the only one not impressed by the old guy’s mouthful of canine-looking teeth. Despite the oldster being a physical wreck his teeth were perfectly white and healthy. Perfectly sharp, too. Red splotches soaked through Norman’s handkerchief.

‘I should get a tetanus shot, ’ Norman told them. ‘And one for rabies. ’

Duke nodded at Lauren. ‘So who’s Father Time? ’

‘They call him Priest. ’

‘Priest. Hey, Priest, meet Duke. ’ Duke held out his hand.

Priest looked at it with interest through his slit eyes. They seeped a syrupy stickiness. Especially the one to which Norman had delivered a damn good thumbing. Then the old dude spoke.

A dry, cracking voice. Like desert brush being disturbed. ‘You want me to eat all of them? Now? ’

‘No, Priest, ’ Nicki soothed. She stroked the old guy’s forearm while crouching beside the wheelchair.

Priest didn’t seem to hear her. ‘Ya know you gotta kill ’em and cook ’em before I eat ’em. That’s why I wrote out all those recipes for ya. ’

‘This is Priest? ’ Pamela

said in disbelief. ‘I thought you said he was dead! ’

‘Not dead. I didn’t say that, ’ Lauren explained. ‘I meant no longer in charge. ’

‘Ya can fry these guys’ balls, ’ Priest was saying. ‘Grind fresh pepper on ’em, then serve ’em on a bed of lettuce. ’

Duke said to Lauren, ‘Mebbe you need to do some explaining. Who’s the old guy? ’

‘Like I said. His name is Priest. ’ Lauren made a gesture that seemed to encompass the town. ‘He rediscovered Pits more than forty years ago. He brought it back to life. ’

‘But what’s this about eating us? ’

‘He’s old, Duke. He’s getting confused. ’

‘Confused, hell! ’ Priest protested. ‘Got the appetite of a young man, I have. See the girl there? ’ He pointed a wrinkled finger at Boots. ‘I’d wager I could down four pounds of her flesh in ten minutes and still have room for her tongue. ’ He smacked his lips. ‘Stir-fried with garlic. ’

‘Hey. . . ’ Boots was unhappy at the man discussing her culinary possibilities. ‘No one’s eating any of me. ’

Duke chuckled. ‘You weren’t complainin’ when old Normy-boy here was munchin’ on yer glory hole. ’

Boots turned all sullen. If anything, her brown eyes looked even more dead now. There wasn’t even a spark of anger there.

To Norman that seemed more dangerous somehow.

Norman took the opportunity during the conversation to look over the room. This one was furnished. Heavy velvet drapes had covered the windows. There was a bed in the corner of the room. Neatly made. Nicki, he guessed, had been doing the housekeeping. There was also a table, a wind-up gramophone. Cases of old books.

Cookbooks stuffed with recipes.

Then Norman took a gander at the man who’d taken a snap at his hand.

The white whiskers and strip of hair round the back of his head formed a hairy collar. The top of the head was bald and pretty much ruinous-looking with cracked skin, pimples and scabs that resembled about fifty Rice Krispies stuck to his bare scalp.

He wore a dark pullover and dark pants. He might have been confined to the wheelchair for many reasons but a very obvious one was that he had only one leg.

The vacant leg of his pants had been doubled over so that the turnup could be pinned to where the knee should have been. On his remaining foot he wore a white sock. Oddly, it was a dazzling white.

But then, he never walked on it.

Figures.

‘You’re not going to hurt Priest, are you? ’ Nicki asked. She was so anxious that Norman wanted to take her in his arms.

Comfort her.

Take her mind off the here and now.

He remembered Duke’s promise. His groin began to ache.

‘What do you take us for? ’ Duke appeared mildly shocked by the implication. ‘Course we’re not going to hurt him. ’

‘You already have, ’ Priest said with feeling. He gripped the chair’s wheels with his hands to spin it round. ‘College boy there tried to poke out my frickin’ eye with his thumb. ’

‘You were biting me. ’

‘I thought you were lunch. ’

‘Lunch! ’

‘Don’t worry, ’ Priest said, wrinkling his nose. ‘Don’t care for rare meat anyway. I’d have sent you back. ’

‘Old-timer’s certainly got a thing about eating folk, ’ Duke observed.

‘He’s confused, ’ Lauren said.

‘Stop saying that, ’ Priest snapped. ‘My mind’s gin-clear. Why, I remember—’

‘Priest. Shush now, please. ’ Lauren looked uncomfortable.

‘I remember when we all sat down round the table. You and Sharpe and Wes and Hank. Course, you weren’t there, Nicki. ’ He smiled fondly as he remembered.

‘Please don’t say anything, Priest. These people are from out of town. ’

‘And we all sat at that table at Thanksgiving, ’ Priest said proudly. ‘And—’ He slapped the leg stump in his pants. ‘And you ate a whole quarter of me. ’

Lauren groaned, realizing that she couldn’t stop the flow of words.

‘Foot, calf muscles, thigh. We ate the damn lot. Been simmering for a whole day in red wine and herbs. ’ A smile illuminated his face. ‘Man meat. Once tasted, never forgotten. Food of the gods. ’ He made a gesture that could be described as priestly. Priest-like. ‘My gift to my friends. My people of Pits. I gave them a piece of me. ’

Norman glanced across at Pamela. She was surprised. But there was an expression of understanding, too. As if what the old man was telling them filled in gaps in her knowledge of Pits.

Boots said, ‘No offense. But I think the guy might be loopy. ’

Duke was impressed. ‘Helluva story. ’

Priest held up his finger again, his stare fixed on Duke’s face. ‘A true story, young man. ’

Norman began to make sense of random clues. ‘All those abandoned cars outside the cafe. . . ’

‘Manna from heaven, ’ Priest said. ‘You know, there’s an almighty prejudice against eating our fellow human beings. ’

‘Oh shit. ’ Lauren shook her head.

The cat’s out of the bag?

Priest continued pontificating. ‘Our ancestors knew it made good sense to eat not just their enemies but their own parents – when they died of natural causes, of course. It don’t make no sense to waste valuable protein. Also, human flesh has a special, special quality. It’s like a magic potion. Once you’ve eaten it, you’ll know what I mean. ’

‘It does what to you, exactly? ’ Norman said. ‘Eating human flesh? ’

‘Ah, young friend. I’m not going to spoil your first time. You’ll find out the effect – the extraordinary effect – for yourself. ’

Norman thought hard. Are these really the ramblings of a senile old coot? The guy seems lucid enough to me.

But eating people? Can we really have found a community of cannibals?

Holy shit.

Boots wasn’t impressed. ‘We gonna stand and listen to his stories all day? We’ve gotta find Wes and Hank. ’

‘Sure thing, babe. ’ Duke motioned to Norman to follow him and Boots out of the room. ‘I’m gonna lock you folks in here. Norman’s gonna be right outside. So no shouting out the windows, do you hear? ’

‘Who is that young feller? ’ Priest asked. ‘Reminds me of my first real meal. ’

Norman followed the pair out onto the landing. Duke had plucked the key from the lock at the other side. Now he closed the door. Locked it.

He handed Norman the key.

‘Keep it safe. We’ll be right back. ’

‘Sure, ’ Norman said.

Pits, he thought. A helluva town.

Even with all that talk of cannibalism his mind still strayed to Nicki. Slender, blonde Nicki with the soft blue eyes.

He’d seen her naked.

Now he leaned back against the wall with his arms folded, his eyes closed, and pictured himself doing the same kind of things Boots had done to the Nordic beauty this morning.

Norman didn’t have a long wait. In fact, his daydream of lounging back and watching Nicki straddle him bare-assed was just starting to warm up real nice when Boots and Duke came stomping back up the stairs.

They had Wes and Hank.

Hank, the old-timer, wheezed. ‘I’m not used to steps. You’ll have to let me take ’em slow. ’

Boots jabbed the muzzle of her pistol in his spine to move him on.

‘Ya can shoot me, miss, ’ Hank panted. ‘But it ain’t gonna make me move any faster. ’

Wes said, ‘All you had to do was want to stay. We’d have been happy to invite you folks in. ’

Norman heard Duke say, ‘We’re stayin’, all right, but from here on in we’ll be in charge. ’

They reached the top of the stairs. Norman unlocked the door, opened it. Then stood back to allow the two new captives through.

‘Once we’ve got Sharpe we’ve got everybody, ’ Boots said.

Old Hank went through the door first. Then Wes.

Boots followed.

When they were all in the room Duke demanded, ‘So, where will we find Sharpe? ’

Lauren shrugged. ‘He’s out on the road. ’

‘Saving people, ’ Nicki added.

‘He’s sure got a thing about that, ain’t he? ’ Duke rubbed his jaw, thinking.

Lauren said, ‘We don’t know how long he’ll be gone. ’

‘Well, how I see it, if he brings back more people that’s a good thing, especially dames. Norm and me have keen appetites in the whoopee department, don’t we, Norm? ’

Norman felt uncomfortable answering the question in front of Pamela who even now was shooting him an accusing stare. Instead, he changed the subject a little. ‘What is it with Sharpe? ’

‘How do you mean? ’ Lauren asked.

‘Why the mannequins? Why does he drive round with a bus full of them like they’re real passengers? ’

‘They’re kinda souvenirs, ’ Lauren said. ‘They represent all the people he’s saved out on the road. ’

‘Then you ate their asses. ’ Boots grinned.

‘No, we did not eat those people. ’ Nicki sounded insulted. ‘Sharpe rescued them. They were stranded in the desert when their vehicles broke down. ’

Hank piped up. ‘They woulda died of thirst if it weren’t for Sharpe. ’

Lauren added, ‘Sharpe made sure they got safely home. ’ She took a deep breath as if explaining some quality of Sharpe’s that she didn’t fully understand. ‘But it’s important to Sharpe to keep the image of the people he saves. ’

‘Might be easier to take a photograph, ’ Duke pointed out.

‘Sharpe is special. His ideas are unique. When he found an abandoned truck full of store mannequins out in the hills he dressed them in the same kind of clothes as the people he saved, then put them on the bus. Of course, he gave them the names of the people he rescued as well. ’

‘Crazy. ’ Boots whistled.

‘Makes sense to me, ’ Priest chipped in. ‘I always kept a tooth from every single person I ate. Made a mighty fine necklace, I can tell you. ’

Lauren strained to make her explanation of Sharpe’s habit logical. ‘What Sharpe does with the dummies is an art form as well as creating a remembrance. ’

‘Art? ’ Boots made a weird puffing noise to highlight her disdain. ‘Who’s gonna put a bunch of dummies in an art gallery? Sharpe’s as crazy as a—’

That was the moment when Wes attacked. He spun round, pushed Boots hard. She crashed back into Duke.

Suddenly there was pandemonium. Folk shouting. Wes and Duke fighting.

Norman ran into the center of the room from where he could get a clear shot at Wes. Priest kicked out with his one remaining leg. Norman stumbled over it. His hand spasmed. He fired a bullet down into the floor. Hank lunged at him. Norman sidestepped; the old-timer fell flat on his belly. The impact was enough to make Hank fart with a loudness and a violence that Norman wouldn’t have believed humanly possible.

Shit. Smells worse than a reptile house at the zoo.

Boots was picking herself up from her fall. She grunted, ‘That’s no way to treat a lady. ’ Her thick legs had been grazed during the rough ’n’ tumble.

Wes was brave.

Wasn’t enough.

Three swift punches from Duke knocked the guy cold.

Barely ruffled, Duke stood back in the doorway. He leveled the Magnum to cover the milling people in the room.

‘Okay, ’ he called out. ‘Everyone stand still. ’

They saw the gun.

They stood still.

Lauren and Nicki were next to Priest. He shook his head and spat. ‘Pah! ’

Boots’s piglike eyes scanned the room. ‘Hey, where’s Pamela? ’

Duke turned to look back at the empty landing. ‘She must have slipped out. ’

‘I’ll go get her. ’ Boots cocked her pistol.

‘No, you stay here with me, ’ Duke ordered. ‘Norman, what’re you waiting for? Go bring Pamela back before she calls the cops. ’

The cops!

Norman had forgotten all about those guys.

‘What’re you waiting for, Normy? ’ Then Duke said something that electrified Norman. ‘You find her, bud, you’ve got my authority to be the first to take her. ’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll find her. ’

Norman jumped over the unconscious Wes, then ran along the landing to the stairs. He ran down those two at a time.

Pamela?

I get to take her first!

Oh boy, oh boy.

Chapter Forty-six

Pamela thought: I’ve traveled back in time. It’s happening to me again.

Is it really Norman chasing me?

Or is it Rodney?

Back from the dead.

Zombie Rodney Pinkham. He’ll do the bad things to me in death that he couldn’t do in life.

Her mind-chatter went into overdrive as she ran from the old house on the hill. When Wes had attacked Duke in the bedroom she’d seen that Boots had landed on her fanny. The pig-girl had been in no position to fire her gun. The scary old guy, Priest, had tripped Norman.

So Pamela had taken her chance.

She’d fled.

Down the stairs. Through the door. Out into brilliant sunshine. Dazzled, she could barely see.

Didn’t stop her running, though.

Unlike last time, when Rodney had pursued her, firing his pistol at her as he went, Pamela wasn’t barefoot as she ran across the arid, stony ground of the Mojave. She wore new trainers that Lauren had given her for her waitress work. Clean white ones with a soft rubber sole.

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