Bad Doctor by John Locke Read Free Book Online

always—oh shit!” Cameron says.
    “What now?”
    Willow turns to her left just in time to see Bobby smash his fist against her window.
    She screams.
    “Get out!” He shouts. “Right now. Both of you!”
    Cameron says, “Drive away, Willow.”
    “I can’t.”
    “You have to. He’s bombed out of his mind. Drive away and wait till he crashes. He’ll probably forget the whole thing.”
    Bobby punches the window again. “Lower the fucking window!”
    “No!” Willow shouts. “Not till you calm down!”
    “Lower the window now !”
    “Not till you calm down. You’re totally wasted. I’m getting out of here.”
    She looks into the rear view mirror, reaches her hand toward the steering column to put the car in reverse, but he punches the window twice.
    “Stop it!” Willow yells. “You’re going to break your hand !”
    “You’re worried about his hand ?” Cameron says. “ Jesus , Willow!”
    “Lower the fucking window!” Bobby shouts.
    “Not till you calm down!”
    He pauses. “Okay. Okay, fine,” he says. “I’m calming. I’m calming.”
    The girls watch Bobby relax his posture, then his facial features, until he looks like a demented choirboy.
    “I liked him better the other way,” Cameron says.
    “See how I live?” Willow says.
    She lowers the window two inches and says, “What the fuck was that all about?”
    “I need a ride.”
    “How’d you get here?”
    “I borrowed a guy’s car.”
    “What guy?”
    “I’ll tell you later.”
    Willow unlocks the doors, Bobby climbs in the back, behind her.
    She says, “ Why are you here?”
    “I was looking for you.”
    “Well, I’ve got your money.”
    “You’ve been gone all day.”
    “I was trying to score some blow for you.”
    “Where is it?”
    “I couldn’t find Chuckie. We looked everywhere.”
    “Right. Just start the car and drive where I tell you.”
    “Forgetting something?” Cameron says. “I live here. See you later, Willow.”
    She reaches for the door handle, but Bobby grabs her by the hair.
    She kicks and screams, but he works his other hand around her throat to cut off her air.
    Willow shouts, “Let her go!”
    With one quick motion Bobby pulls Cameron into the back seat and punches her face.
    “You bastard !” Cameron gasps.
    She hits him back, splits his lip.
    “Bitch!” Bobby yells, and smashes her temple.
    Cameron’s head bounces off the window. Her body goes slack.
    Willow shouts, “What are you doing ? What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
    “ Wrong with me? Wrong with me ? If you don’t start the car and drive where I tell you, I’ll snap her chicken neck right now.”
    Willow starts the car and waits for Bobby’s directions.
    “Drive to Ream’s Park,” he says.

12.
     
    REAM’S IS A neighborhood park, less than a mile from Cameron’s house. Bobby tells Willow to park behind the worker’s shed, next to the black Mercedes. The one that looks exactly like Chris Fowler’s, except for the rental tags.
    “Is Cameron okay?”
    “Don’t worry about Stringbean,” Bobby says. “She’s coming to. And when she does you better tell her to keep her mouth shut.”
    Looking at him in the mirror, this Bobby seems more reasonable than the one who tried to smash her window. But the crazed look in his eyes concerns her.
    “Why’d you hit Cameron?”
    “Cut the engine and hand me the keys.”
    She does.
    “What now?”
    “We’re changing rides.”
    “The Mercedes?”
    “Yeah, that’s right. We’re moving up in the world, baby!”
    Do they even rent Mercedes sedans? They must, she decides, since this one’s clearly a rental. But Bobby didn’t rent it. He has no credit. He said he borrowed it from a guy. If true, why would he stash it here and walk to Cameron’s house?
    He wouldn’t. Unless it was stolen.
    “What’s going on here, Bobby?”
    “We’re about to have an adventure. Soon as Cameron’s up for it.”
    It takes five minutes for Cameron to get lucid, and when she is she’s mad