She's breathing.

'Is Finley okay?' Cora asked.

'I think so,' Abilene muttered.

'Drop yer knife,' Jim said.

Throw it at him?

She'd tried that before, but only managed to wound his leg. If she threw it and missed, he would cut Finley's throat.

Even if I hit him, she thought, it won't kill him fast enough.

'He'll still have time to kill Finley.

'Drop yer knife,' he told her again. 'Do it!'

She opened her hand. The knife fell and clattered against the floor in front of her.

'Kick it off somewhere. Get rid a the thing.'

She stepped forward and swept the knife away with her foot. It skidded spinning across the floor and vanished in the dark. 'Now stay put,' he said. Tilting back his head, he glared at the underside of the balcony floor. 'Cora, don't ya try nothin' or Finley gets herself cut open. Ya hear me?'

'Yes.'

'Come on over here, Vivian.'

'What do you want?' she asked, her voice trembling.

'Get under here with me. Do what I tell ya.' He pressed the knife tighter against Finley's throat. The way it dented her skin, Abilene expected blood to pour out from under its edge. But this is Finley's knife, she reminded herself. The one tugged from the top of the totem pole.

Dull as it might be, she thought, it'll do the job if he tries harder.

Vivian took a step forward.

'Don't go,' Cora warned from above.

'He'll kill Finley.'

'He can't get you. Not if you stay put.'

Vivian looked up at her, then started forward again.

'Don't!'

She didn't halt until she was standing beneath the edge of the balcony. 'I'll do whatever you want,' she told Jim. 'Just leave her alone.'

He lowered Finley's head to the floor and freed his fingers from her hair, but kept the knife against her throat. 'Come here 'n gimme yer light.'

She stepped up to the side of Finley's body, bent down, handed the flashlight to Jim, and straightened up. Then she took a step backward.

'Don't go nowhere.' He shone the light on her. 'Just stay put 'n take off yer stuff.'

'What stuff?'

'I wanta look atcha. All over. Like I seen ya yesterday.' Vivian balanced on one foot to pull off her shoe and sock.

'Did you kill Helen?' Abilene asked.

'Sure did.'

'What about Hank?'

'Ain't no Hank. He's deader'n hell. Killed him my own self three summers ago.'

Vivian switched feet and pulled off her other shoe.

'You killed Hank?' Abilene asked.

'Killed the whole bunch.'

'Your own family?'

Vivian peeled off her sock and let it fall.

'Some fun, huh?' Jim said. Though Abilene couldn't see his face beyond the flashlight trained on Vivian, she knew he must be grinning. 'Ain't had that kinda fun since I was a kid. But I guess this is gonna be a whole bunch better. Now get yer shirt off, Vivian. Whatcha waitin' for?'

She pulled her shirt up, drew it over her head, slipped her arms out of it and tossed it aside.

'Yeah,' Jim said. 'Yeah. Yer the best a the lot. Nice. That other, she was a pig.'

'You're the pig,' Abilene said.

The light swung away from Vivian. Abilene squinted and turned her head away.

'Gonna take care a you later. Gonna save you till last. Ya hurt me, ya bitch. Gonna hurt you till ya squeal.'

The threat turned her insides hot and squirmy.

He can't get me, she told herself. Not if I stay right here. He comes out for me and Cora'll blast him.

'Come and get me,' she said.

'I ain't stupid.' His light returned to Vivian. 'Who told ya t'stop?'

She unfastened her white shorts. She bent over, pulling them down. She stepped out of them.

'Ya ain't done yet.'

'Why are you doing this?' she asked.

'The fun of it. I been achin' t'do you. Just achin'. Get ' em off.' Vivian slipped her panties down to her ankles.

The light roamed slowly down her body. 'Yeah. Yer a real beauty. Never had me a gal the likes a you.'

The brilliant disk of the flashlight's head rose higher off the floor.

He's standing up.

He aimed the beam downward. It lit his legs and Finley's motionless body as he stepped over her.

'Cora! ' Abilene shouted. She clapped her hands. 'Viv, down! Hit the deck!'

CHAPTER FORTY.

Jim gasped, 'Hey!' His flashlight followed Vivian as she flung herself sideways, diving for the floor, and Cora launched the shotgun.

Abilene braced her legs. She reached high. The shotgun came down at her fast, stock to the left, muzzles to the right. It smacked her hands. She grabbed hold as the impact knocked her back a step.

Light stabbed her eyes.

'Oh no ya don't!' Jim yelled, charging her.

She clamped the stock to her left side, searched for the trigger, swept the barrels toward the blinding light only a yard in front of its muzzles. Found the trigger at the same instant something hit the barrels with a ringing clang and the light went dead.

The shotgun lurched sideways as she pulled its trigger.

The detonation crashed, stunning her ears.

In the muzzle flash, she glimpsed Jim leaping at her, the barrels off to his side, his arms up, the dark flashlight in his right hand, the knife in his left.

Even as she caught the brief look at him, the recoil of the blast was ramming the shotgun up and back, jerking its forestock from her grip, snapping her trapped index finger with its trigger guard. She cried out in pain and then Jim hit her.

The weapon flew from her side.

Jim plowed her through the blackness. She felt his arms wrap around her. She slammed the floor, the knife and flashlight pounding into her back. She grunted with the impact. Jim gasped and she knew he was hurt - at least a little - at least his fingers.

'What's going on?' Cora's voice, sharp with alarm. 'What's happening down there?'

She got no answer.

Jim struggled to pull his hands out from under Abilene.

She punched the side of his face.

The knife turned. Its edge pushed against her. She bucked, trying to throw Jim off. And shrieked as the blade ripped across her just below the shoulder blade.

'Abilene!' Cora called.

The flashlight was still under her back but the knife was gone.

'Viv? Finley?'

She flung her arm up, hoping to ward off the blade, not knowing where it was.

From off to the side came quick footfalls and huffing breath.

Jim yelped and tumbled off her. There were thumps, gasps.

Abilene rolled over, scurried toward the sounds.

A smack like a fist hitting flesh. A grunt. A whimper from Vivian. More sounds of blows landing against skin.

She hurled herself forward, arms spread. Her cheek bumped something. She clamped her arms tight around the body in her way, realizing her mistake when she felt breasts against her left arm, realized that Vivian had been on top of Jim.

Together, they plunged through the darkness. A quick thud jolted Vivian. She flinched and went limp, but fell a little more before the floor stopped her and her shoulder rammed Abilene's cheek.

Abilene's left hand was trapped under Vivian's armpit. As she pulled it free, wincing at the pain of her broken finger, she reached up with her other hand. Touched Vivian's face, her hair. Found the wood of a support post.

I drove her right into it!

'Hold on!' Cora called.

And Abilene felt fabric rub against her shin. One of her legs was on Vivian's leg, but the other, she suddenly realized, was stretched across Jim.

Why hadn't he grabbed her yet?

Had Vivian been up there, pounding on him so hard that she'd dazed him?

He must still be out of it!

Pushing herself off Vivian, she scurried backward and dug her knee into the denim. Jim let out a grunt. As she crawled onto him, she heard a distant thump, a surprised cry of pain, then loud tumbling sounds.

'Cora?' she shouted.

'Shit! Shit!'

She straddled Jim. He squirmed, but so far he wasn't striking at her. She slid her hands over his chest, felt it rising and falling as he panted for air. The rope suspender didn't seem to be there, but that wasn't what she was searching for. She found his shoulders.

The knife had been in his left hand.

'What's happening?' Cora called. Her voice sounded shaky.