The Trouble With Eden - Lawrence Block [158]
He got out of bed just as she was emerging from the bathroom. He met her in the middle of the room and took her in his arms and kissed her. He had thought this would be difficult. The ease of it surprised him.
“You’re up early. I was creeping like a mouse. I thought I would let you sleep.”
“I’m surprised I slept as long as I did.”
“How long was that?”
“What time is it now? Seven thirty? It was around five when I got home, so what does that make it? Two and a half hours.”
“Christ, Petey. You want to crawl back in bed?”
“No, I couldn’t.”
“I mean, less than three hours.”
“I’m all right, though.”
“Warren told me that something went wrong at the Playhouse. Is that why you can’t sleep? Shit, baby, it’s just a job.”
“Something went wrong, all right.” He lowered his eyes and let anxiety show on his face. “Something went wrong. And it’s a lot more than a job.”
“What do you mean?”
He hesitated. “Warren and I were up the whole night,” he said. “Gretchen, it wasn’t an accident that I was fired.”
“I don’t—”
“I have to tell you this. And I’m not sure I know how.”
“You can tell me anything.”
“I know that.”
“I’m myself again, baby. I’m a very strong person, stronger than I ever knew.”
“I know you are, Gretch.” He drew a breath, “There’s a plot against us. That’s why I lost the job last night. That’s why a lot of things have happened There’s a plot and we’re the ones it’s aimed at.”
“Oh my God.”
“I just found out last night. That’s why I’m a little shaky. You’ve known all along, haven’t you?”
“For a long time, yes.”
“I wish I could have known earlier.”
She bit her lip. “I tried to tell you. But I was afraid. That you would think—”
“That it was part of what was wrong with you before?”
“Yes. And in a way it was. They made me the way was, until I learned discipline and concentration. Discipline and concentration bring control, you know.”
“I know.”
“Oh, God, Petey, I’m so relieved. I can’t tell you how relieved I am. I thought—I can’t even say it.”
“That I was in on it.”
She nodded furiously. “Yes, yes, yes. I couldn’t make myself believe that, though. I knew it was what they wanted me to believe and I knew you loved me. But I thought they might have found a way to turn you against me. They’re very clever. I thought they might have duped you.”
“They almost did.”
“We have so much to talk about now. Christ, I haven’t been able to relax in ages.” Her face clouded for a moment. “I still can’t relax, can I? That’s what they wait for. But at least there’s one person on earth I can trust. Oh, we have so much to tell each other.”
“You know more than I do. And I’ll want to hear all of it. But it had better wait. I think Robin’s waking up.”
“You don’t mean—”
“No. God, no. She’s part of their scheme, though. In fact I think it’s aimed at her almost more than at either of us.”
“The thoughts they’ve made me have about her—”
“But we can control our thoughts now, can’t we?” She nodded, beaming, and he felt like a pupil who had come up with the right answer. He took hold of her and kissed her again, and she clung to him with a fierce grip.
He said, “We’d better not talk right now. For Robin’s sake.”
“You’re right. Are you hungry, Petey?”
If he could have had an appetite, the Dexedrine had banished it. “I’m starving,” he said, and read her face just in time. He glanced toward the window, cupped a hand to his ear, put his forefinger to his lips. Then he put his arm around her waist and led her into the bathroom, closed the door, turned on the sink taps and the shower.
He whispered, “I have no appetite but I didn’t want to say it.”
“I should have thought of that. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to think of everything.”
“Well, at least there are two of us working on it now.”
“You’ll be able to eat. It’s a matter of will.”
“I know.”
“That’s the most important thing.”
“The will?”
“Eating. That’s how they get to you. They starved me to death. It’s taking forever for me to get weight back. But there’s a trick. If you concentrate, you don’t even taste the food. It goes right down and you don