TRUSTED LIKE THE FOX

chapter 17

It was while we were having breakfast that I told Caleb about Adrian.

"You have got to watch out for him," I said. "He's always dropping in unexpectedly. He was in yesterday, and he needled me into punching him. It was a damn silly thing to do but I did it. He talked of going to the police."

Caleb looked up sharply.

"The police? Why?"

"He caught Delphina and I fooling around together. He doesn't know Perry has gone off with some woman. He wants to find him and make trouble."

Caleb finished his coffee and lit a cigarette. We were eating alone. Delphina hadn't gotten up yet.

"Why doesn't Delphina tell him that Perry isn't coming back?"

"For one thing it isn't his business," I said. "For another, he wouldn't believe it."

"I can imagine that." Caleb shook his head. "It certainly foxes me that a guy could be so dumb as to leave a set-up like this and a wife who can cook as well as she can."

"If he comes around when we're not here, Caleb, watch him. Don't let him have a thing and don't tell him anything."

"Will he talk to the cops?"

"No. Even if he does, they wouldn't listen to him." I stood up. "How about giving me a hand? This place has to be cleaned every morning. I guess Delphina is taking advantage of the new hand. She's still in bed."

While we set about cleaning the place, Caleb said, "Tell me about Sentinel, John. How did you manage to get away? They said in the papers you're the first man who has got out and survived."

I told him.

He was so fascinated that he leaned on the broom handle, listening, and every now and then he shook his head in wonderment.

"Gee! You've got guts!" he said when I had finished. "I'm damned if I would have risked those dogs."

You would have risked anything to have got away from that place," I said. "I'm not going back. I would rather be dead."

Caleb grimaced.

"You should be safe here. You're a long way from Sentinel. Who would think of looking for you here?"

"That's the way I figure it."

Just that moment, I caught sight of Delphina coming over from the house.

She was wearing a white shirt and shorts. She had piled her red hair to the top of her head and had caught it back with a strip of green ribbon.

I felt a sudden stab of uneasiness at the sight of her. She hadn't worn that getup for weeks. Now, when another male was on the scene, she had suddenly decided to show off her body. I looked quickly at Caleb, who was polishing the counter.

Delphina came in, smiling. She made quite an entrance.

"Hello," she said. "That's what I like to see—my two slaves hard at work."

I was watching Caleb. He paused, looked up and stared at her. She was leaning against the door post, looking directly at him. I've never seen her look so provocatively sexy and attractive.

Caleb's expression didn't change. He just stared indifferently at her, then went on polishing the counter.

"Hello there," he said. "Are we the only two who work around here?"

I saw her expression harden. This wasn't the reception she had expected. She had anticipated that Caleb would have reacted to this display of feminine charm. I relaxed, turning away so she couldn't see my smile of satisfaction. It was still the same Caleb: women meant nothing to him.

She walked across to the other of the garage. There she paused to look at Caleb again, but he had his back to her and he was whistling under his breath. She walked out, went into the kitchen and slammed the door.

Caleb winked at me.

"Women ... I don't know," he said. "They're never satisfied."

"It was my fault," I said. "I told her you weren't interested in women. She couldn't believe it. Maybe she will now."

The heat was getting on by then so I went into the kitchen to grab some cold water.

Delphina looked sulky. She had put on her overall and was busy preparing chickens for the spit."Let's go to the movies tonight, John," she said. "Caleb can look after the place. We can catch the midnight performance. We'll be back here by three."

I hesitated. I wasn't sure if it was safe for us to be seen together.

"Maybe we'd better wait, Delphina …"

She turned quickly, her expression hardening.

"Wait for what?"

"No one knows the story yet. Sooner or later we'll have to put out the rumour Perry has walked out of here, but until we do, maybe it would be safer for us not to be seen together."

"I'm sick and tired of having my fun alone," she said. "I want to go to the movies tonight and I want you to go with me"

"Well, okay, then we'll go. It'll be dark. The chances are no one will spot us."

"But, John, it doesn't matter if anyone does spot us," she said impatiently "It's our business— not theirs."

"Have you forgotten he's buried here? If the police came out here and started to dig . . ."

"If the moon was made of green cheese! Do you think I'm going to spend the rest of my days being scared of the police?"

"You can talk. You haven't been in Sentinel."

Then Caleb came in.

"John and I are going to the movies tonight," Delphina said to him, "Can you look after the place alone?"

Caleb glanced at me. He looked surprised.

"Why, sure I'll manage fine."

She turned away and began putting the chickens on the spit.

"If you have a minute, John," Caleb went on, "I'd be glad you would take a look at my car. It's missing on damn near every plug. I never was any good with cars."

"I'll fix it," I said "It's time you learned to fix a car. What's going to happen if Delphina and me are not around and you get a breakdown?"

He grinned.

"I'll never have a breakdown on my hands," he said.

He went to the kitchen door ahead of me, and pushed it open, then he paused abruptly—so abruptly I nearly cannoned in him.

"Look who's here!" I looked beyond him through the kitchen window.

A car had just pulled up. There were two men in it: both wearing Stetson hats and dark suits. One of them, big, fat with a belly, got out of the car, leaving the other at the wheel. The sun glittered on the star he wore on his lapel. As he squeezed out of the car, his coat fell open. I saw the gun belt and a gun in its holster.

"Cops!" Caleb said sharply.

I felt a chill snake up my spine. I looked wildly at Delphina. It was a funny thing but in this moment of panic I turned to her, feeling she and no one else could save me