clothes.”
11
“ Oh, no, I was afraid you were going to say that,” I said.
“ Poor Scarlett,” Aunt Ruby said. But she already knew the story.
“ I was so scared. At the same time I was outraged. He was heavy, and ragged and he smelled ghastly. His stench just about made me sick to my stomach. And the thought that that awful creature wanted to enter my body, well, it just made me as mad as the dickens.”
“ Another one of Mama’s saying,” I couldn’t help but remark.
“ Shush,” Melanie said. “What happened next, Scarlett? I hope you got away.”
“ I felt around on that rocky ledge until I found a loose rock. By that time he was kind of straddling my legs, and yanking at my jeans. But my hands were free and I had some breathing room. I picked up that rock and I let him have it. Smashed it as hard as I could against his head.”
“ Good for you!” I cried. “I’d have done the same. Nobody messes with us Wilkes girls. Let me correct that: nobody messes with Claire’s girls.”
Scarlett smiled. She got my meaning. She was being accepted. Somehow this dreadful story was endearing her to me. And was Melanie softening too? Aunt Ruby approved of her and wanted her in our lives. And Aunt Ruby had excellent judgment.
Scarlett continued, “Well, then he fell on me. And he was so darned heavy I couldn’t push him off me. Finally, I managed to wiggle out from under him. And I started to run off that ledge and through the shrubbery when suddenly I realized he had the keys to my car. And I remembered that when we left the car I’d heard the little beep that meant he had clicked the remote and locked the doors. Should I just leave them? My purse was in the car. I’d have to flag down a motorist on Fifth Avenue. Or find that doorman and get him to call the police.
“ Then I reasoned that when the man came to, he’d get my car and my purse with my address and my house keys. “And at that point I wasn’t sure I wanted any police involvement. That dreadful man had not succeeded in raping me. I just wanted to get home and have a bath, and wash his stench off me.”
“ So you returned for the keys,” Melanie guessed.
“ I returned for the keys,” Scarlett said. “I saw the gun lying next to him. He was out cold. I picked up the gun and trained it on him. But he did not wake up as I went through his pockets – oh, it was odious just to touch him. But I located my car keys.
“ Then I jumped up and took off and I took the gun with me. I reasoned that I didn’t know what kind of characters I might encounter in that scary park.”
“ Good thinking,” I said.
“ I ran through the underbrush and found the footpath. I could see the towers of Fifth Avenue all lit up and I ran toward them. I didn’t see a soul. But then as I rounded a bend I came upon two men standing next to a park bench. They were directly under a street lamp so I could see them clearly. Both men were dressed in formal clothing, tuxedoes, as if they had been to a fancy party. I remember that in the murky light of the street lantern, their shirt fronts appeared glistening white. And one man was wearing white gloves. In the garish lamplight they appeared an eerie blue.
“ They didn’t see me. They were fighting with each other, grappling, and slugging each other. The man with the gloves was larger and more powerful. I stopped and hid behind some foliage. Then the man with the white gloves had the other man by the neck. He was choking the life out of him. The victim was struggling to get free, trying to pull his attacker’s hands away from his neck.”
“ Oh, no,” I gasped.
“ The victim’s legs buckled. He was going down. But his assailant still had him by the neck, squeezing, and yelling at him something about how no one was selling him out.
“ At that point, I couldn’t take any more. I just ran. I have strong legs from dancing, and I was in good shape. I was a swift runner.
“ I flew
11
“ Oh, no, I was afraid you were going to say that,” I said.
“ Poor Scarlett,” Aunt Ruby said. But she already knew the story.
“ I was so scared. At the same time I was outraged. He was heavy, and ragged and he smelled ghastly. His stench just about made me sick to my stomach. And the thought that that awful creature wanted to enter my body, well, it just made me as mad as the dickens.”
“ Another one of Mama’s saying,” I couldn’t help but remark.
“ Shush,” Melanie said. “What happened next, Scarlett? I hope you got away.”
“ I felt around on that rocky ledge until I found a loose rock. By that time he was kind of straddling my legs, and yanking at my jeans. But my hands were free and I had some breathing room. I picked up that rock and I let him have it. Smashed it as hard as I could against his head.”
“ Good for you!” I cried. “I’d have done the same. Nobody messes with us Wilkes girls. Let me correct that: nobody messes with Claire’s girls.”
Scarlett smiled. She got my meaning. She was being accepted. Somehow this dreadful story was endearing her to me. And was Melanie softening too? Aunt Ruby approved of her and wanted her in our lives. And Aunt Ruby had excellent judgment.
Scarlett continued, “Well, then he fell on me. And he was so darned heavy I couldn’t push him off me. Finally, I managed to wiggle out from under him. And I started to run off that ledge and through the shrubbery when suddenly I realized he had the keys to my car. And I remembered that when we left the car I’d heard the little beep that meant he had clicked the remote and locked the doors. Should I just leave them? My purse was in the car. I’d have to flag down a motorist on Fifth Avenue. Or find that doorman and get him to call the police.
“ Then I reasoned that when the man came to, he’d get my car and my purse with my address and my house keys. “And at that point I wasn’t sure I wanted any police involvement. That dreadful man had not succeeded in raping me. I just wanted to get home and have a bath, and wash his stench off me.”
“ So you returned for the keys,” Melanie guessed.
“ I returned for the keys,” Scarlett said. “I saw the gun lying next to him. He was out cold. I picked up the gun and trained it on him. But he did not wake up as I went through his pockets – oh, it was odious just to touch him. But I located my car keys.
“ Then I jumped up and took off and I took the gun with me. I reasoned that I didn’t know what kind of characters I might encounter in that scary park.”
“ Good thinking,” I said.
“ I ran through the underbrush and found the footpath. I could see the towers of Fifth Avenue all lit up and I ran toward them. I didn’t see a soul. But then as I rounded a bend I came upon two men standing next to a park bench. They were directly under a street lamp so I could see them clearly. Both men were dressed in formal clothing, tuxedoes, as if they had been to a fancy party. I remember that in the murky light of the street lantern, their shirt fronts appeared glistening white. And one man was wearing white gloves. In the garish lamplight they appeared an eerie blue.
“ They didn’t see me. They were fighting with each other, grappling, and slugging each other. The man with the gloves was larger and more powerful. I stopped and hid behind some foliage. Then the man with the white gloves had the other man by the neck. He was choking the life out of him. The victim was struggling to get free, trying to pull his attacker’s hands away from his neck.”
“ Oh, no,” I gasped.
“ The victim’s legs buckled. He was going down. But his assailant still had him by the neck, squeezing, and yelling at him something about how no one was selling him out.
“ At that point, I couldn’t take any more. I just ran. I have strong legs from dancing, and I was in good shape. I was a swift runner.
“ I flew
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