Honeymoon for Three

inside the camper.
    It was time to talk about sleeping arrangements. So far, Alfred had shown no inclination to rape her. He must want something from her. She needed to get him talking.
    “I’ll sleep on the top bunk. You can have the lower one.”
    “The lower one is a double. Two people can sleep on it.”
    “Yes, but I don’t want to crowd you.”
    “We’ll both sleep on the lower bed.”
    He said it with finality. Penny knew better than to argue. They cleaned up the frying pan and the pots, using water heated on the stove. She found dish soap, cloths, and towels among the supplies. When they were through, it was dark outside. Now what?
    “Do you know how to play backgammon?” Alfred produced a backgammon set from the storage cabinet.
    Surprised, Penny said with forced eagerness, “I’ve always wanted to learn how to play. Teach me.”
    The longer she could postpone going to bed, the better. Although she knew they wouldn’t play backgammon all night.
     
    CHAPTER 28
    What did married couples do in the evening? Alfred wondered this as he told Penny the rules of the game. Did they play backgammon? Watch television? Of course, they didn’t have television here, but they would buy a set when they got back to L.A. Maybe Penny already owned one. He hadn’t been able to see into the living room of her apartment to find out.
    She seemed to be very interested in learning how to play backgammon. He was glad of that. She was adjusting to life with him. They played game after game. After a while, Penny started beating him. She learned fast. That was all right. She should win some of the time. It was only fair.
    After two hours of playing, Penny said she wanted to play more. She said she wasn’t sleepy. Well, he was. It had been a long day. He was ready to enjoy being in bed with her. That was what being married was all about, after all.
    “One more game,” Alfred said. “Then we’re going to bed.”
    ***
    Those were the words Penny had been dreading. They finished the game. She decided to try to get him talking.
    “Alfred, you know a lot about what I’ve been doing, but I know very little about your recent history. In Seattle, we talked mainly about high school days. Tell me, when did you come to California?”
    Alfred stared into space, as if he were thinking. Penny wondered whether he would tell her anything.
    “About a year ago,” he finally said in a subdued voice.
    “So you came out last summer?”
    “Yes.”
    Had he been spying on her all this time? Penny gave an involuntary shudder. Should she try to get him to admit it? No, that might be dangerous for her. When she said the words “last summer,” a picture of Emily came into her head.
    “So you were in Fenwick when Emily was killed?”
    “Yes.”
    “I don’t remember seeing you at her funeral.”
    “I…I was sick. I couldn’t go. I wanted to, but I couldn’t.”
    At least he had given more than a one word response. “Did you know Darren Filbert?”
    “Slightly.” He smiled. “He used to ride his bicycle to the school. He kept it inside his apartment. It’s a wonder it wasn’t stolen.”
    “Do you think he’s capable of murder?”
    Alfred looked at Penny for the first time since she had started the conversation.
    “Why? Don’t you think he did it?”
    “He was convicted. He must be guilty. The police found her bracelet in his apartment. Who else could have done it?”
    “I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I want to go to bed.”
    So much for stalling. Alfred wouldn’t let her go off by herself in the dark to pee. She had to do it a few feet from him. He relieved himself at the same time she did. Ugh.
    He produced a toothbrush and toothpaste and proceeded to brush his teeth. He offered it to her, but she declined, figuring that in addition to the gross factor of using someone else’s toothbrush, the worse her breath smelled the better off she would be. She rinsed her mouth out with water, but that was all.
    Penny climbed into the bed. With Gary she slept on the left side of the bed. She deliberately moved to the right side of the camper bed. She didn’t want this night to be anything like her nights with Gary. She lay on her left side in a fetal position, as close to the side of the camper as she could get, and pulled the blankets up to her chin.
    Alfred closed the sliding door and said, “You didn’t take off your clothes.”
    “It’s cold.”
    “The blankets are warm. Take off your sweater