Page 49

"Who's that with her?" I heard from a dark corner. Moments later, Jerad emerged. I could just make out a girl lying on a mattress behind him. "Well, well, it's my old girlfriend, Rain," he announced as he buttoned his shirt and fastened his belt. "This here's a nice surprise." There was a little laughter. He drew closer. "Why are you just standing around like that, Carlton? Get these girls something to drink. Where's your hospitality?"

"We don't want anything to drink. We have the money," I said. "Give us the negatives and we'll go."

"That's not a very friendly attitude, now is it?" he asked his group. Some said no. "After all, we're doing you a favor. You could at least be friendly and show some gratitude."

"We're giving you two hundred and fifty dollars," I said. "That's all the money in the world for us and all the gratitude we can afford."

Jerad laughed.

"Two hundred and fifty ...hell, girl, I have that much for pocket change. Hang around with us and you'll see a lot more than two hundred and fifty."

"I'd rather stay poor," I said.

His cold smile slipped off his face like a thin sheet of melting ice.

"All right," he said. He snapped his fingers and held out his right hand. The heavyset boy he had called Chumpy in Oh Henry's leaped to his feet and put an envelope into his palm. Slowly, Jerad reached into it and came out with a row of negatives. He held it up and then another against the dim light. "Yeah, these are them," he said with a leering smile.

He looked at us again and stepped closer.

"But how do I know

this is the girl in the pictures?" he asked looking at Beni.

"Huh?" Beni said.

There was a ripple of laughter. My heart, which had felt as if it had stopped, suddenly began to thump heavy warnings against the inside of my breast. I took a deep breath and reached down for my fistful of courage.

"Very funny," I said. "You know those are Beni's pictures and you know how disgusting they are and how terrible it was for her. We could just as easily go to the police and tell them what's happening, but I'd rather just end it here, please," I said.

"Is that so? Go to the police, huh? What do you think of that, bros?" he asked his followers. They responded with more catcalls and laughter, even the girls, whom I didn't recognize. I imagined they were school dropouts.

"What you are doing is blackmail," I said. "It's a crime, a serious crime. A felony."

"Oh, so you're a lawyer, too. I heard you were the smart one:' His lips twisted into a bitter smile. "If you're so smart, why didn't you tell your sister to be careful and not get into trouble?"

"Leave her alone," Beni said, suddenly stepping forward. "It's not her fault. It's mine." She reached for the money in my hand and held it up. "I have what you want, so give me my pictures."

He drew closer as if he was going to hand over the envelope and then hesitated.

"Now that I see you better in the light, I don't think you look like her."

"What are you being stupid for?" Beni asked bravely. "You don't look like the girl in the pictures. Does she, bros?"

"No," they resounded.

"That's ridiculous," I said. "We've seen one of those disgusting pictures. There's no question what was done to her. Do you think we would be here if she wasn't the one in the photographs?"

"Nope," he said shaking his head. "The more I look at her, the more I think these here might be pictures of someone else. There's only one way to be sure:' Jerad said.

I felt my heart fall down to my stomach. I gazed back at the dark path to the entrance. We had better just retreat, I thought, while we had the chance.

"What do you mean?" Beni asked, not understanding. "What do you want?"

"You'll have to get undressed so we can compare," he said. The others laughed harder, especially the girls. How could they just sit there and let us be ridiculed like this? I wondered. Would either of them like it if it happened to her?

"Just step into the light and take off those clothes." "Like hell I will," Beni said. "Give me those pictures now, you bastard."

"Whoa... eee. This here's a nasty-mouth girl:' Jerad declared. "I said if you want these pictures," he said holding up the envelope, "you take off your clothes and stand in the light. We'll inspect and decide?'