Endless Night by Richard Laymon Read Free Book Online

sleeping in it.
    With permission? Jody wondered.
    Shades of Goldilocks .
    She’s dead. Dead. Jesus.
    The covers were folded at its foot, the top sheet twisted over to one side, the bottom sheet rumpled. The old woman must’ve been too hot.
    The doorknob turned very fast and the door shoved at Jody’s back. The pressure only lasted a second.
    Guy must’ve just pushed with his hand.
    Beyond the bed, open draperies showed a sliding glass door. Only half the expanse reflected the room, and Jody realized the door had been left open.
    Mrs. Youngman must’ve wanted fresh air.
    Maybe didn’t like air conditioning. Or didn’t know how to work it.
    Jody saw a lawn chair and a railing beyond the open part of the door.
    A balcony.
    Between her and the balcony stood the bed. It had an elaborate wooden headboard and nightstands on both sides.
    A white telephone sat on the nearer nightstand, probably fifteen feet from Jody.
    The door slugged her back.
    She and Andy both grunted. Their knees bent. Their feet skidded on the carpet. The men must’ve thrown their shoulders against the door, met more resistance than expected and failed to follow through, because after the burst that nearly threw Jody and Andy off their feet, the door banged shut.
    Jody ached to make a run for the telephone.
    By himself, though, Andy wouldn’t stand a chance of holding the door shut.
    “Yes!” she suddenly said. “Yes, it’s an emergency. We’ve got killers in the house. Dr. Youngman’s. On Laurel Lane. Hurry! They’re trying to get us!”
    Andy met her eyes. Though he looked ready to scream, he said, “How long did they say it’ll be?”
    “A couple of minutes. They said there’s a unit real close to here.”
    From behind the door came a hissing of quick whispers.
    Jody ran for the nightstand. She snatched up the handset of the phone and heard a dial tone.
    She tapped the numbers 911.
    Andy stared at her.
    She waved him to step toward her.
    With a nod, he moved silently away from the door.
    The phone rang once in her ear.
    She pulled open the top drawer of the nightstand, hoping for a handgun.
    Another ring.
    No gun. A flashlight and address book and ...
    The men came in.

Chapter Six
    Without either Jody or Andy trying to brace it, the bedroom door sprang wide when the two men struck it.
    “Andy!”
    Andy didn’t need the warning. Even as they stumbled into the room, he took to his feet. He raced past the end of the bed while Jody dropped the phone, dived onto the mattress and scurried across. She was still on her hands and knees when Andy got to the open glass door. Speeding through, he grabbed its inside handle. The door shook, but yanked him to a halt. Jody flung herself off the bed. She staggered past Andy. He hurled the sliding door shut. As it rumbled behind her, Jody thrust her hands against the balcony’s toprail to stop herself. Her arms bent. Her belly shoved at the railing with enough force to bow her.
    Below was a concrete slab, pale gray in the moonlight.
    Beyond the edge of the concrete was a massive rectangle of black with ripples that glinted silver.
    The pool.
    But straight down was the concrete. Six feet of it between her and the pool? Or maybe ten feet. Or maybe twelve.
    “You go first,” Andy gasped. “I’ll hold the door.”
    Go first? Jump? Of course, jump. There’s no other choice.
    She looked back. The saber man was reaching for the door handle. The other guy was jogging across the bed—must’ve paused to do something—tike check the phone.
    “Forget the door!” Jody yelled. “Jump ! ”
    She heard it starting to rush open as she hopped and caught the toprail under her right foot and thrust herself up. Her leg was still bent when she found the rail with her other foot.
    She glimpsed Andy off to the side, using both hands to vault over.
    Maybe he’s got the right idea, she thought as she sprang up and forward, away from the balcony.
    Oh Jesus! I’m so high! Jesus!
    She heard a sword cut the air behind