The Black Stiletto: Stars & Stripes by Raymond Benson Read Free Book Online

happen. It will pass, Martin. Just breathe deeply and try to relax. Would you like to leave the restaurant?”
    He shook his head.
    After a while he did indeed calm down.
    â€œI’m sorry, Maggie.”
    â€œDon’t be silly. I’m very familiar with the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. Many of my patients have it.”
    â€œWhat do you do for them?”
    â€œI send them to a psychiatrist. Someone you can talk to, and who can prescribe the appropriate medication to help you.”
    He shook his head. “A shrink? I don’t want to see a shrink. Can’t you prescribe something?”
    â€œNope. I’m not a psychiatrist. I don’t know that family of drugs well enough. The regimen needs to be custom tailored to the patient, and only a qualified psychiatrist can do that. And besides, I shouldn’t be treating you if we’re going to be seeing each other.”
    I swear he did a double take. “What?”
    â€œYou heard me.”
    â€œWe’re going to be seeing each other? Really?”
    â€œThis is our, what, fourth date? I’d say we’re seeing each other.”
    He took my hand. There was such a cute look on his face. “Maggie, that . . . that makes me happy.”
    â€œFeel better?”
    He laughed a little. “Yeah.”
    The rest of the meal went well. I didn’t bring up his mother again. When we left the restaurant, we agreed that he’d call me soon. We parted with a kiss, and I told him not to worry. I said that if he had another attack, to just remember it would pass and there were things he could do about it.
    As I drove home, I thought about what I’d said and hoped it wasn’t premature. Yes, I did like him. He could be very sweet. He was smart, although he tended to denigrate himself at times. He could make me laugh. Most of the time he was good natured, and itwas obvious he loved his mother and daughter. But there was a wall between us, and that was his mother’s past. I was determined to solve the big mystery, or else I couldn’t really commit to Martin. Not in any long-term, meaningful way.
    When I got to my little house in Deerfield, I looked up a friend who worked as a private investigator.

5
Judy’s Diary
1960
    J ANUARY 4, 1960
    I’m a mess, dear diary. I’m sore all over and my face looks like I got hit by a waffle iron. I have a busted lip, a bruised right cheekbone, and my right eye is swollen. The vision in that eye is blurry. My abdomen screams when I move too sharply, my forearms ache from all the blocking I did, my collarbone feels like an elephant stepped on it, and my neck hurts. On top of all that, I got my period today, so I’m not the most agreeable girl in the world.
    But nothing was broken. The damage isn’t as bad as it could have been.
    I kept the “closed” sign up yesterday so I could sleep in. I didn’t get up until after noon, which is unusual for me. When I saw myself in the mirror, I wanted to cry. Actually, I did a little. But I examined every inch of my body, tested my limbs and movement, and determined I would be all right without having to see a doctor. It looked worse than it actually was.
    Everyone at Bellevue Hospital stared at me when I went to see Freddie in the afternoon. I guess they figured I
belonged
there, ha ha. I was afraid Freddie would have another heart attack when he saw me. His jaw dropped and tears came to his eyes, but I quickly told him I was fine.
    â€œWhat happened to you?”
    â€œOh, you know me, boss,” I answered with a whisper. “The Stiletto ran into some trouble last night.”
    He winced like he was in pain. “Oh, Judy. When are you gonna stop all that? You’re gonna get yourself killed.”
    I shook my head. “You know better than to ask me that. Last night I saved two people’s lives, but it cost me. That’s all. I’m glad about it. But what about you? How do you feel today?”
    I