Read Date for Murder for Free Online

apologetic even when kissing her.
    For the first time in her life Idell felt real, nauseating fear. It crawled inside her and pushed her backward until she was pressed against the French doors leading to the balcony.
    “Get out of here, Link.” He laughed at her—and shambled forward.
    She pressed more firmly against the doors. One hand, held behind her, touched the knob. She turned it, intending to open the door and step outside. If she moved quickly enough she might get through to Grant’s room. Or she could run down the iron ornamental stairway that went from the balcony alongside the building to the patio.
    But there wasn’t time. Link had his hand outstretched. Her pride crumbled in the face of his approach, and the constriction of fear left her throat. She managed one shrill word.
    “Link!”
    “You bastard,” a hoarse voice sounded from the doorway, “you touch that girl and I’ll kill you.”

Chapter
V
    L INK turned at the sound of the hoarse voice, and Idell felt a rush of relief that threatened to take the stiffness from her knees and throw her to the floor in absolute helplessness. But strength poured into her and her natural coolness returned. Once more she had a grip on herself; she felt completely capable of handling the situation.
    Chunk Farman stood in the doorway. He swayed so he had to hold to the side of the door with one hand. In the other he held a gun. The trickle of blood still ran slowly down his chin from the right corner of his mouth. His lower lip was purple and swollen and his eyes were glazed with pain.
    “Get out,” he said thickly. Idell realized the gun must have come from Maybelle’s room. She recognized it by the pearl handle. Chunk had either got up and gone in there or Maybelle had come out. She didn’t know nor care right now. It was enough that he had come.
    “Get out, Link,” Idell said very quietly. She looked at Link as he hesitated, his eyes swinging from one to the other of them. “Go to your room,” she said.
    Farman stood aside as Link moved slowly and silently from the room. Idell could hear his footsteps receding. “Are you all right?” Farman asked her in the sudden quiet.
    “Thank you,” she said. “He hurt you.” She did not let him see her deep concern or genuine feeling for him. Things just couldn’t be that way. Not now.
    “Not badly,” he said, trying to grin. The pain made him wince instead. “He won’t bother you any more. He’ll go as soon as he can.”
    “No,” she said. “He’ll stay. He was too drunk to know what he was doing. He won’t even remember this tomorrow.”
    “He doesn’t need anyone to apologize for him,” Farman said. He looked closely at her. “You aren’t still going to—” His face was white against the dark of his eyes. There was more than physical pain on it now.
    Idell stepped forward and touched him gently. “I am, Chunk,” she said. “I still am.” There was no way out of marrying Link, she knew. Really but one way. She dared not think of that now.
    “I don’t think you will,” he said very quietly, very stiffly. “Get some sleep, Idell.” He closed the door, and she heard his footsteps patter along the hall toward his own door.
    She locked the door, threw off her negligee and fell across the bed. She could hear muttered voices; one sounded like Clint Jeffers’, another like Maybelle’s. She heard Farman’s answering words to questions she could guess at. She heard a sharp, barked curse from Jeffers, and then silence.
    Exhaustion claimed her and she slept. Outside, daylight was growing swiftly, and the first rays of the sun were already stifling hot. It might as well have been darkness. Death did not need cover to strike.
    • • •
    Idell awakened quite slowly and luxuriously. She knew by the feel of her body she had slept well but not long. Her eyes opened wide enough for her to see the time by the little electric clock on the bed stand. It was just a few minutes to eight.
    It seemed