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chapter 5
Romance
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A lot had happened in the week that followed; wedding planning, wedding ceremony, and being surrounded by a number of rich and expensively dressed dudes made me feel completely out of place I wished that the earth would open and swallow me up.
Delphina didn't seem to care. She seemed to fit in with the luxurious way of life.
I was glad when everything was finally done, put my game face on and get back to the plan, hoped Delphina had done the same because I only remained with a week and within that week I had to execute my plan before Perry threw me out.
That monday morning, as I lay in my bed, looking out of the window. I thought about Sentinel. It's stinking cell room, and its brutal guards seemed a remote nightmare. I was fairly certain now that I had become a lost man to the police.
Although it had been a week and I hadn't spoken to Delphina, I still found her disturbing and sensually attractive, but that didn't mean I even thought about doing anything about it.
I watched Delphina as she stood on the veranda talking to Gorman. She wore some pale-blue pajamas, and in the bright light that came down on her from the rising sun, they were interestingly transparent. The time was just after six.
I saw the grocery truck coming. It came regularly every morning, bringing the groceries and any special orders from across town. As the driver pulled up outside the lunch room, I tossed off the blanket and got out of bed.
Gorman helped the guy to carry the big boxes of provisions up the steps and into the lunch room, and Delphina followed them.
I stretched and yawned, then wondered into the bathroom. I was feeling relaxed and pretty good. As I let the cold water from the shower run over me, I thought of Sentinel. I certainly had some luck, but at the same time, I had been pretty smart the way I had handled my escape.
But my luck was running out, although IÂ never knew it right then. Because in that box of provisions the guy had just carried into the lunch room was something that was going to blow my safety, and my feeling of security sky high.
One of life's little jokes.
That day was pay day.
I went over to the lunch room and into trouble. There was no sign of Gorman nor Perry anywhere.
Delphina was making herself a cup of coffee, and with the light behind her, there was no doubt about the transparency of her pajamas. "Did you know those pyjmas are transparent?“ I said suddenly.
"They're supposed to be." she said and looked over her shoulder at me.
There was an expression in her bright eyes that immediately warned me that something was up.
"Uhm, where is Perry? It's so unlike him sleeping up to now."
She smiled. This was the first time she smiled at me, a jeering smile that started an alarm bell ringing in my head.
"His sleeping alright. He has terrible hungover from last night. Does that answer your question, CARLOS PARKER." she said.
The emphasis she had put on the phony name I had given myself sent up the red light.
"I've unpacked the groceries - suppose you help me to put them away?"
I went into the kitchen. The cans of food, the two dozen chickens in their plastic bag, and the rest of the stuff were spread out on two tables.
Laying on the cans of food was a craumpled newspaper that had obviously been used to pack something in. I picked it up. Then my heart gave a violent kick against my side.
Don't ask me how a local newspaper from across the country was doing here.
That's one of the jokes of life, but there it was: the local newspaper and on the front page was my photograph with a banner headline: ESCAPED SAFE ROBBER STILL FREE.
I stood motionless, staring at the photograph, feeling cold chills running through me. It wasn't a good picture, but good enough, and she had penciled in my mustache on the photograph to tell me that she knew who I was.
Sentinel, the stinking cell rooms, and the brutal guards suddenly came into focus. My dreams of safety dissolve the way a fist disappears when you open your hand.
All she had to do was to reach out for the phone, and I'd be on my way back to Sentinel within an hour.
I could imagine the welcome I would get there. They'll half kill me. They'll put me in a cell they keep for punishment. Three of the guards will come in with belts. They'll lam into me until they can't lam into me anymore. Every day for a week, they'll do just that. I've seen men come out of the punishment cell. One of them had lost an eye. Another had a broken arm, and I'd rather die than go back to Sentinel.
I crumpled the newspaper between my hands, and then I went over to the stove and dropped it in. I was in such a panic that I could scarcely breathe.
Then the kitchen door swung open, and she came in. She looked at me, a searching, jeering, probing expression in her eyes.
"Haven't you put the groceries away yet?" she said.
"I'm putting them away."
I began to pick up some of the cans. You bitch! I was thinking. Have you called the police? What have you done?
It wasn't until I had put the groceries in the cupboard and packed the last chicken in the freezer that she said suddenly," it's time you and I had a talk. I know you like sleeping late, isn't it?"
I faced her. "Yes."
"When he's asleep, I'll talk to you."
That told me she hadn't called the police. She was going to make terms, and I began to breathe again. I looked over her, aware of her body under the pajamas, "Alright, anything you say." I said.
"That's right, John Carson, from now on - it's going to be anything I say."
I watched her as she walked away, leaving the door behind her open, and walked over to the bedroom.
It took me about 10 minutes to finish my breakfast, then went to sit outside at the verenda and lit a cigarette. I was just starting to relax when I felt someone watching me.
I looked over my shoulder.
Delphina had come out to the veranda. She was staring at me; her bright eyes as if she wanted to cry, she looked rather sad and furious. She was dressed in a yellow and black flowered frock that showed off her superb little figure, and in her hand, she carried a big sun hat. All new stuff. She was spending money all right.
She walked over to the garage and drove off in the BMW. The car was heading to town. That scared me. Was she going to the police?
Perry had come out of the house with a cigarette between his fingers. He looked terribly bad, "have you seen Delphina?" he asked.
"Yeah, she just drove off. Is there anything wrong?"
"Yeah, we had an argument, I was upset alright, so I shouted at her. She got mad and went out with rage."
"Really, now what caused the argument?"
"It's better if you don't know, anyways I have a meeting to attend, and I won't be back until late tonight."
"Alright, brother, suit yourself as for me. I am just gonna be here killing time."
I had plenty of time to kill before I met Delphina, but that's not a hardship when you're in Venezuela. So I went out and spent some time enjoying the best meal I'd had in years.
With still a couple of hours to use up, I left the restaurant and drove over to the paramount film studios and parked outside the main gates.
In case you don't know, this is as good a way as another to pass the time if you have time to pass. There is always a steady flow of nice-looking blondes passing in and out, and they like being whistled at, and there's always the possibility that Abigail L'Amour might appear in her seductive outfit.
I saw a lot of cuties who looked like fun, but I was choosy that night. It had to be L'Amour or nobody: it turned out to be nobody.
Time was getting on now. Maybe someone had tipped L'Amour that I was waiting outside. I regretfully started the engine and drove back home. The clock on the dashboard of the Cadillac said it was two minutes to eight o'clock. Delphina should have been back by now.
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