The Big Sleep: Chapter 23

I edged towards her into the middle of the seat. She had slipped out of the fur coat. Her eyes were closed, her face was dim. Then I saw that her eyes opened and flickered, the shine of them visible even in the darkness. She bent forward, without a sound, her hands urgently fumbling with the fastenings of my trousers.

"Fuck me hard, you beast," she said.

She released my cock from its constraints and it sprang up as if it were on pneumatic pistons. She pounced on it as if she was a cat after a bird, and pressed her mouth over the end. She took me deep into her throat and held it there for a second, then drew away using both hands to rub her saliva into my dick.

"Killer," she said softly, then could she speak no longer, my raging erection filling her mouth.

I reached for her breasts, releasing the globes from the soft fabric of her over-dressy evening gown. Her back arched as I squeezed her nipples, first gently, then harder. She released by dick from its moist prison and hitched the dress up over her waist and swung her leg over my lap. She guided my dick inside her in one smooth movement, holding her pussy lips apart with long-nailed fingers. She bounced and writhed, making little noises that got increasingly louder. She strained against me until she came, hard and long and loud. I spurted inside her, feeling my juices gush and mingle with hers.

I held her against me until the shivering of her body had stopped. After a long time she pulled herself away enough to say: "Where do you live?"

"Hobart Arms."

"I've never seen it."

"Want to?"

"Yes."

"What has Eddie Mars got on you?"

Her body stiffened in my arms and her breath made a harsh sound. Her head pulled back until her eyes, wide open, ringed with white, were staring at me.

"So that's the way it is." she said in a soft dull voice.

"That's the way it is. Fucking is nice, but your father didn't hire me to sleep with you."

"You son of a bitch," she said calmly, without moving.

I laughed in her face. "Don't think I'm an icicle," I said. "I'm not blind or without senses. I have warm blood like the next guy. You're easy to take - too damn easy. What has Eddie Mars got on you?"

"If you say that again, I'll scream."

"Go ahead and scream."

She jerked away and pulled herself upright, tugging her dress down and slipping her breasts into the bodice.

"Men have been shot for little things like that, Marlowe."

"Men have been shot for practically nothing. The first time we met I told you I was a detective. Get it through your lovely head. I work at it, lady. I don't play at it."

She fumbled in her bag and got a handkerchief and bit on it, her head turned away from me. The tearing sound of the handkerchief came to me. She tore it, with her teeth, time after time.

"What makes you think he has anything on me?" she whispered, her voice muffled by the handkerchief.

"He let's you win a lot of money and sends a gunpoke around to take it back. You're not more than mildly surprised. You didn't even thank me for saving it for you. I think the whole thing was just some kind of an act. If I wanted to flatter myself, I'd say it was at least partially for my benefit."

"You think he can win or lose as he pleases?"

"Sure. On even money bets, four times out of five."

"Do I have to tell you I loathe your guts, Mister Detective?"

"You don't owe me anything. I'm paid off."

She tossed the shredded handkerchief out of the window. "You have a lovely way with women."

"I liked fucking you."

"You kept your head beautifully. That's so flattering. Should I congratulate you, or my father?"

"I liked fucking you."

Her voice became an icy drawl. "Take me away from here, if you will be so kind. I'm quite sure I'd like to go home."

"You won't be a sister to me?"

"If I had a razor, I'd cut your throat - just to see what ran out of it."

"Caterpillar blood," I said.

I kicked the rickshaw bot, and it drove us back to the boulevard and so on into town. She didn't speak to me. She hardly moved all the way back. We drive through the gates and up the sunken driveway to the porte-cochere of the big house. She jerked the fur around her shoulders and was out of the rickshaw before it had quite stopped. She didn't speak even then. I watched her back as she stood against the door after ringing the bell. The door opened and the silver face of Norris looked out. She pushed past him quickly and was gone. The door banged shut and I was sitting there looking at it.

I nudged the bot. We turned back down the driveway and home.

Part 3

Chapter 24: Second Time Lucky