Have Gat—Will Travel by Richard S. Prather Read Free Book Online

turn the conversation had taken, perhaps because of the nearness of my mouth, she suddenly realized that Chuck had ripped her blouse wide open.
    Softly she said, "Ah!" Then she reached up and covered herself with her hands, blushing as she breathed,"Oh, my goodness!"
    I grinned. "Yes, indeed."
    I had taken a couple of big chances tonight, so I figured I might as well take a little one. It worked out all right.
    "Oh . . ." she said. "Oh, Shell."
    Nothing else happened for almost a minute. I was close enough to touch her and we were staring at each other, our faces a foot apart. It built up slowly. There weren't any electric sparks, and the earth didn't shake or split apart; it just started getting hotter than hell where we were. Her face softened, slackened as I put my arm around her shoulders, pulled her toward me. Her lower lip drooped, her warm breath brushed my lips, and I felt as if I were going to melt and seep into the ground.
    And then her face was closer, her lips parted, and her mouth touched mine and pressed and clung, and she wasn't covering herself any more, she didn't have to, and she was so warm and wonderful in my arms that we were both practically radioactive, and this went on until I figured I'd have to make the rounds with my hammer again pretty quick.
    Just when things were getting interesting I heard sirens, and headlights slithered through the trees.
    I sat up and looked around and my breathing was almost wiggling the shrubbery, and I said, "Well, they sure as hell picked a fine time for it."
    In a matter of seconds, Sam and a couple of the boys from his squad were with us. They made short work of hauling Chuck and his pals into the police cars.
    Sam took off his jacket and handed it to Lucille. She looked good to me even in the loose-fitting coat. Then Sam held out his hand to me while Lucille stood by, smiling. "We both owe you a lot, Shell. So does Mr. Franklin. Those kids are finished for sure now."
    I couldn't say much; my pulse was still racing and I couldn't keep my eyes away from Lucille as she squeezed into the crowded front seat of Sam's car. Then she spoke. "It's been a pleasure, Shell."
    "Yeah," I managed to reply. "I'd sure like to see more of you, some time. Tomorrow night, maybe?"
    I was close enough to her now to notice that she blushed at what I'd said and she tugged Sam's coat more tightly around herself. I hastily added, "I mean let's get together for dinner. We can forget all about the young and the damned."
    What she answered was drowned out by Sam's laughter as he shot the police car into high gear. Back to my Cad I went. God, she was lovely. I did want to see her again.

CODE 197

    I wheeled the Cad off the street and stopped by the sign "Gordon's Tropical Fish." This was Sunday, and the whole clientele of "Sheldon Scott, Investigations" — that's me — was taking a needed day of rest. I cut the engine and turned in the seat to look, for the umpteenth time, at Donna.
    Donna was Donna O'Reilly of the shimmering black hair and soft, tender mouth, and eyes green as the sod of her native Ireland. Donna was five-three of sweetly curving temptation, a breath of brogue, and full of cute little tricks like laughing warmly into your ear while biting on it.
    That last sensational sensation I had experienced only a couple of times, since I'd met Donna less than eighteen hours ago when I'd made the date for today, but I had stratospheric hopes because we were miles out of Los Angeles and headed for a picnic in the yonder hills. Until now our potentially mad affair had been merely words and two nibbles, but I'm an optimist — and so far Donna liked everything I liked: dancing, bourbon-and-water, rare prime ribs. Even tropical fish, which I keep and breed.
    Driving out she'd spotted the sign here and bubbled, "Oh, let's go in there. I know Mr. Gordon — he's spawning Amphiprion Percula today." Well, naturally I wheeled right in.
    Donna swung her shapely legs out of the car. "Come