Without Mercy by Len Levinson, Leonard Jordan Read Free Book Online

your knees begging your forgiveness of her.”
    Sam put his hand on his wife’s arm. “The doctor warned you about getting excited—”
    “Take your hands off me!” she shouted, moving away. “You always stick up for him because you’re afraid of him!”
    “Why do you always argue with him whenever he comes here?”
    “I wouldn’t argue with him if he came to see Rebecca more often. I’m not arguing for myself, but for her. He’s a completely irresponsible human being and I know him very well, don’t think I don’t.”
    “Maybe you’d better take a Valium,” Sam said.
    “Get me one.”
    Sam arose and walked to the kitchen. Sheila glowered at Rackman who looked at Rebecca who looked at her hands. Rackman took the final bite of his sandwich and washed it down with bourbon. Sam returned with a yellow pill and a glass of water. Sheila popped the pill into her mouth and drank some water, then glanced sideways at Rackman. “You see the trouble you make for me when you come here?”
    “I was just leaving.” He tapped Rebecca’s leg. “Let’s go, kid.”
    She got up and he stood beside her, adjusting the collar of his shirt. “I think I’m going to take her for a little walk. It’s been very nice seeing the both of you again.” He held out his hand to Sam.
    “Don’t keep her out too late,” Sheila said, getting up. “And don’t forget to feed her. Growing girls need food. It might be a good idea if you bought her some clothes. And don’t take her to any of those bars that you go to.”
    “I’ll look out for her—don’t worry.” Rackman took Rebecca’s hand and led her to the door.
    In the corridor next to the elevator, Rackman wiped his hand across his forehead. “Wow,” he said.
    “Mommy is very mad at you,” Rebecca replied.
    “I know.”
    “I think she’s still in love with you.”
    “I think you’ve been watching too much crap on television.”
    They rode down the elevator, crossed the lobby, and walked toward Queens Boulevard. Rebecca chattered about school, girlfriends, boyfriends, and various interesting experiences she’d had since seeing her father last. She spoke quickly, chattering about nonsensical things that were more an outpouring of love than verbal communication.
    “Didn’t your mother say you needed some clothes?” he asked in front of a dry cleaning establishment on Queens Boulevard.
    “Well, there are a few things I could use.”
    “Like what?”
    “Jeans and tops, stuff like that. Everything’s getting too small for me.”
    “The Abraham and Strauss on Queens Boulevard is open on Sundays, isn’t it?”
    “All the stores out here are open on Sunday.”
    “Let’s take a cab down, and if we can’t find what we want at Abraham and Strauss, we’ll go to Macy’s. You know your size?”
    “Of course I know my size. Size twelve.”
    Sunday afternoon traffic was congested but Rackman was able to hail an empty cab returning from Kennedy Airport. He and Rebecca got in while Rebecca confessed her latest career goal.
    “I want to be an actress when I grow up,” she said proudly. “Like Cheryl Ladd and Farrah Fawcett-Majors.”
    “Maybe I should enroll you in some kind of acting school.”
    “Mommy said I’m too young, but Kristy McNichol is only sixteen and she’s already famous.”
    “I’ll talk to your mother about it.”
    “You’ll have another argument.”
    “I don’t give a damn. How’re you getting along with Sam?”
    “He’s okay.”
    “He ever hit you or anything like that?”
    “He wouldn’t dare, but Mommy does.”
    “Why don’t you hit her back?”
    Rebecca smiled. “Do you really think I should?”
    “On second thought, I think you’d better not.”
    They got out of the cab at the new Abraham and Strauss on Queens Boulevard and took the escalator up to the second floor children’s department. Rebecca was as concentrated as a fighter pilot on a strafing run as she went through a rack of silk party dresses. Rackman looked at