'No.'

'What time was that?' Pen asked.

'Around ten, your time.'

'Ten?' She moaned. That was you? I'd turned off the answering machine by then. I was taking a bath. I thought you were him. So I got out and disconnected thea' She frowned. 'Did you call twice?'

'Just once,' Melanie said.

Pen's lip curled up.

Melanie turned on the burner under the skillet. 'So what happened after you disconnected the phones?'

'That's when I got to thinking he might come over.'

'What made you think that?'

'Why shouldn't I think that? He made it pretty plain that he wanted toa mess with me.'

'But that kind of guy almost nevera'

'Almost. I know. But maybe this guy is the exception. I mean, he had my phone number so he obviously had my address. Anyway, I decided to be ready for him. That's why I blocked the door and strung that d.a.m.n cord. Just to be ready, you know? Just in case. That's why I had the knife. So in the middle of the night I forgot about the cord and took a header into the wall.'

She looked sideways at the coffee machine. The gla.s.s pot was full. She took mugs down from a cupboard. Her hand trembled badly as she filled them. She gave a mug to Bodie.

'Do you still think the guy might come over?' he asked.

She shrugged. 'What's to stop him?'

'We're here now. I guess Mel's vision paid off.'

'Yeah,' Pen said. 'It was right on target this time.'

'We'll keep watch for you,' Melanie said. 'You can sleep all day if you want.'

'I may have to.'

When breakfast was done, Melanie and her friend both insisted that she get some sleep. She went into the bathroom and drank a gla.s.sful of Alka-Seltzer. When she came out, Bodie was kneeling in her bedroom doorway, removing the cord.

'Don't worry about anything,' he told her.

She thanked him. Then she turned to Melanie and hugged her tightly. 'It's great to see you again, kiddo.' She ruffled Melanie's hair.

Alone in her room with the door shut, she turned back the covers of her bed. The sheets looked wonderful. There was no need any more for the confining, protective clothes. She took them off. Because of Bodie being in the apartment, however, she put on pajamas before crawling into bed.

She eased the pillow over her eyes to block out the morning light. Her neck felt stiff, but her head no longer ached badly. The food and aspirin had helped. She took a deep breath. She felt pretty good, considering.

Her ordeal was over, at least for now. Maybe it was over for good.

She had over-reacted, that's for sure.

d.a.m.n near cracked her skull. d.a.m.n near broke her neck. d.a.m.n near stabbed Bodie.

I did stab him.

He was very nice about it.

Nice guy.

Lucky Mel.

Lucky me, having them both here.

But how long would they stay? She hadn't asked. They'd have to go back to school soon, maybe even tomorrow.

Don't worry about that now.

Nothing to worry about now.

She rolled over, the pajamas sliding against her skin, the covers up around her neck, and fell asleep.

'Do you think we can both fit on the couch?' Bodie asked.

'Who can sleep?'

'Me,' he said. 'I'm beat. I didn't sack out in the van for the last half of the trip, remember?'

'I don't know about you, but I want to hear the tape.'

'I don't think Pen would want us to.'

'She doesn't have to find out.'

Bodie sat on the couch. He patted the cushion beside him. 'I'll talk dirty to you.'

'Not funny. Whatever the guy said, it scared the h.e.l.l out of her. I've never seen her like this.'

'I thought maybe she was always maniacal.'

'Come on.'

Bodie stood up. His heart pounded fast and he stood motionless, waiting for a light-headed feeling to pa.s.s.

'You okay?'

'My body's telling me to sack out.'

'So sack out,' Melanie told him, sounding a trifle annoyed. 'I'll listen to the tape alone.'

'That's all right. I'm up.'

He followed her. She wandered around the apartment, searching for the machine. Apparently, Pen hadn't owned it when Melanie was living with her. Finally, she led the way into an office next to Pen's bedroom. The answering machine was on the desk. Empty.

Melanie scowled at it. 'The ca.s.sette's gotta be around here someplace,' she whispered.

She searched the waste basket.

Bodie found the ca.s.sette on the carpet at the far end of the room. He turned it in his hand. It didn't look damaged.

'Close the door,' Melanie whispered.

He quietly shut the door and returned to the desk. Melanie slipped the ca.s.sette into the up-tilted holder and snapped it into place. She rewound the tape. And played it.

'h.e.l.lo, honey. Sorry you're awaya'

Melanie turned the volume lower.

The voice sounded nasty. It would've sounded nasty reading a McDonalds menu, Bodie thought. But the things it saida He pictured Pen listening, imagined how she must have felt. Alone in the apartment. Exposed to the sick mind of a stranger, violated and scared.

The tape only permitted a brief message. But the b.a.s.t.a.r.d had time to tell her what he wanted to do before a beep cut him off mid-sentence.

'I don't see what she was so upset about,' Melanie muttered. 'Just your standard obscenea'

'How'd you like it if I stuck mya'

'This is really sick,' Bodie whispered over the continuing voice.

'It's not that bad,' Melanie said. 'Pen's gotta be nuts to let this stuff upset her so much. I've had some bad calls. They never freaked me out like that.'

The guy's time ran out, but he called again. 'Suck me, honey. Open up wide. Suck me off. I want to come in your mouth. I want to shoot my load down your throat. Come on, open up. Open wide, you wh.o.r.e. Yes, yes. Take me in, swallow my c.o.c.k and- beeeeep.'

Three down, one to go.

Bodie took a deep breath.

The fourth message started.

'Pen, it's Joyce. Your father's been in a terrible accident. I'm at the emergency room of the Beverlywood Medical Center on Pico. You'd better get here as soon as you can.'

CHAPTER SEVEN.

Pen struggled awake. Someone was knocking on her door. Why was her door shut, and whoa? She remembered. Melanie's here. And her boyfriend, Bodie. The guy I stabbed.

What if I'd killed him?

She seemed to shrink inside.

The door opened and Melanie's face appeared in the gap. She looked hurt and confused. 'You'd better get dressed.'

'What's wrong?'

'We listened to the tape.'

Pen's throat went tight. 'Well, d.a.m.n it, thanks a bunch. You and Bodie both?'

'Joyce was on it.'

'Huh?'

'On your tape. Dad's been hurt. They took him to an emergency room. Joyce didn't say how he was, just that he'd been in a terrible accident.'

'G.o.d. Oh, no.'

'We'd better get over there.'

'Yeah. Yeah. I'll just be a minute.'

The door shut.

Pen sprang from the bed. She flung her pajamas off.

An accident. Dad.

In a daze, she took panties from her drawer and stepped into them. She was still pulling them up as she rushed to her closet. She tugged a pair of white slacks off a hanger, put them on, and grabbed the nearest blouse. It was burgundy, silken, too dressy for the slacks. She didn't care. She put it on and pushed her feet into sandals while she fastened the b.u.t.tons. She let the blouse hang out. She zipped her pants on the way to the door.

'a call her,' Bodie was saying as she entered the living room. 'She could tell you how he's doing.'

'I guess.'

'Call Joyce?' Pen asked. 'Yeah.' She turned back and went into the kitchen. Her disconnected telephone was still on top of the refrigerator. She pulled it down and plugged it into the wall. With a shaky hand, she dialed. Melanie appeared beside her.

A busy signal.

She hung up. 'It's busy.'

Melanie, closing her eyes, let out a long breath as if having the news postponed was a blessing.