Black-Eyed Stranger by Charlotte Armstrong Read Free Book Online Page B

your father,” he snapped. “Right away. Fix it, will you?”
    Her face clouded, and her lashes fell. “Then you didn’t come to see me at all?” He made an exasperated sound. “We did have such an interesting talk.” The lashes went up. “I thought it was fun. Didn’t you? I thought perhaps you wanted to talk some more.”
    â€œSister,” he groaned. “No. There’s no profit in any more interesting talk between you and me. And you know it. Now, quit with this, will you?”
    â€œBut, I don’t know it,” she insisted. “I don’t see why—”
    â€œCheck back,” he said grimly. “You made your boy friend give you a glimpse of what your mamma calls the underworld. You thought it was fun to look in a minute, on the other half. Hm?” Her lips parted. “And we talked. You and I. But your boy must have told you since. Sam Lynch is friends with the wrong people. Maybe he told you I’m one of the crooked ones? That so?” She winced. “Only you, in your wisdom, thought it was quite a lot of fun to have me at your side, telling you inside stuff. You said I was so kind. But you really thought I was attracted. And whatever you’ve been told, you feel pretty powerful, such a queen of a little lamb, don’t you, sister? Or you wouldn’t mind setting up a friendly little flirtation with a tall dark sinister character like me. And be my little pet lamb, immune, of course, to any hurt, because you appeal to my innate honor which is only dormant.” He was furious. “ Isn’t that so? ”
    She looked him in the eye. “Yes, that’s so,” she said.
    His heart felt as if it curled at the edges. He threw out his hands. He said, “Lord …” He said, “Honey …” He said, “ No! ”
    â€œWell,” she said with a little smile, “you put it in the silliest kind of way, but, just the same, I believe something like that. I don’t know why.”
    He sprang out of the chair and struck his hands together. “Where’s your father? I want to see him. And see him quick.” He felt frantic.
    She folded her underlip under her teeth and didn’t budge. Her eye flashed. Her chin went up. “Do you want him to do something for you?”
    â€œOddly enough,” he snarled, “with all his money, he can’t do a thing for me.”
    â€œThen do you plan to tell him I went to that party?”
    â€œSister, look, no. ”
    She smiled as if she had tricked him. “You see? None of the bad reasons.”
    â€œYou don’t know all the reasons, maybe.” He put his hand on her head, briefly. “You don’t understand. I don’t expect you to. Listen, I don’t want to tell you what I came for, until I’ve seen your father. I just—I’d rather not.”
    â€œAll right,” she said.
    â€œThe fact is,” he blurted, “you do attract me. Not the way you think. Go get your father.”
    â€œMaybe you don’t quite know the way I think,” she said primly. “But I’ll call Daddy, if you wish.”
    â€œI wish you would,” he said, stony-eyed. “Please do.”
    She unwound herself and got out of the chair, keeping her face both serene and severe. He heard a bell, somewhere, but paid no heed, for air was rushing into his chest, and he was afraid, and he was in a hurry, but just the same he did not want her to leave this place where they stood together. Already, a premonition told him that his little vision, the little projected scene in which having given the alarm he would sit beside her and gently try to make her understand, would never happen.
    So he was surprised when a man’s voice behind him said, “Kay? Oh, I beg your pardon.”
    â€œOh, Alan! Hi!” She walked across the rug and Sam turned slowly.
    â€œHello, darling.” The blond boy kissed her upturned