Chapter 28
Twenty-Eight
He was just letting himself into the apartment, back home after his Wednesday Anglo-Saxon seminar, when the phone jangled
in the kitchen. He tromped in without getting out of his parka and caught it on the third ring. It was Tana.
“My sis wanted me to let you know you’re off the hook a while,” Tana said.
“Boston gave in,” Arthur said, “didn’t they?”
“I don’t know anything about that. The only time Jayne talks money with me is when she’s decided I owe her some. She just
said it turned out like you said it would and you earned yourself till February.” She paused a moment and then said something
that made the fine hairs stir on the back of Arthur’s forearms. “I think that book scared her. She didn’t like having it in
the house. Been givin’ her nightmares. I woke up the other night because I thought she was screaming at Ronnie. Only Ronnie
wasn’t even home. He was up to Capehart to move some product. She was all alone. She was screaming in her sleep.” Tana laughed—the
hoarsened laugh of an old smoker. “Arthur Oakes has his revenge at last.”
She laughed again. Arthur didn’t laugh with her.