"We called the town police, and they took him away. It was the only
thing they could do."
"He didn't make any trouble?"
Joanie laughed. "He didn't wake up until half an hour ago. He's got a
concussion."
I winced. Then I told myself not to be sorry for anything. Riccio had
been vermin, and if he had been in my place and I in his I would have
been lucky to get quit of him with nothing worse than a concussion.
"How's Naomi?" I asked.
"Doc gave her a sedative. She'll come out of it, probably. Right now
she's in bad shape--shock, all that sort of stuff."
"Riccio didn't have time to rape her," I said.
"He came close enough to give her a good case of the heebie-jeebies,"
Joanie said.
"And what about Lorraine?"
"Elinor's with her now. She's been hysterical all afternoon." Joanie
scowled. "Oh, _damn_ Riccio!"
"He won't cause any more trouble now. They'll give him twenty years."
"That doesn't undo the damage to Lorraine and Naomi!" Joanie said
passionately. Then she shook her head. "But I'm getting you all upset,
and you're supposed to be resting. Maybe I ought to leave and let you
get some sleep."
"No. Stay here."
I closed my eyes again. I didn't hurt so badly any more, but the
aftermath of the fight had left me sort of weak and wobbly, and I
didn't want to be alone. I wondered why Joanie had elected to become
my bedside guardian. Surely she didn't have any lingering feeling of
fondness for me after the crude stunt I had pulled in the sailboat that
morning. Maybe it was just her maternal instinct coming to the fore
now, I thought bitterly. Maybe she figured that I was too woozy to make
any passes now, and so it was safe to come tend me.
Be that all as it may. I lay there quietly in the dark, happy just to
know that she was in the room and watching me. Five silent minutes went
by. Then I became aware that she had crossed over from the chair and
was sitting on the edge of my bed, her lovely naked body only a few
inches from my own.
She put her hand gently over mine. I smiled at her, though it hurt my
lips.