**** Thursday August 5, Jesus and Horace
At her house, in the Inner Richmond, near the Presidio, Jesus carried his bag to the cottage out back. He dropped it on the bed and looked around. The cottage reminded him of a cell, it crammed everything needed to live in a small footprint, but real. Real oven, real bathroom, real bed. He still could not believe he was out. He looked at Mrs O'Hare.
"I'm hungry, Mrs O'Hare."
It was a command. She felt like she should curtsey or something to acknowledge his authority, maybe salute? Instead she lowered her gaze to his feet. "What can I get you?"
"Cheeseburger. Coke. Something chocolate too. Bring it here." He took his shoes off and sat on the bed with the TV remote in his hand. "And Mrs O'hare... Dress like I own you, Like a whore.
Maddie scurried off to her room and dug through her clothes. She shed her pants suit and chose nylons and heels, a middle length skirt that fell sheer and a lacy tank top that revealed half her breasts.
Horace came home while she was in the kitchen watching cheese melt on the hamburger. He looked angry from the start. "You're back. Is he here? Are you really making him dinner? You haven't done that kind of thing since Alan left, not for me anyway." Horace paused, thinking out loud, very loud. "You haven't been very warm toward me in other ways also you know...The way you're dressed..."
Maddie looked down at her bosom and her face went red. "I have no choice, I saved Alan, Horace." She said, hoping he would share her priority.
Horace was visibly upset, but his voice was low and dominant, one of the traits that had attracted her to him so long ago. "Honey, I can't let you do that. The police can help us. I'll take care of this gangster and we'll get help for Alan." He hugged her. "Maddie, darling. I can't let them make you a whore."
"Solve this Horace, I can be warm. You can have anything..." She sank to her knees and looked down, but she didn't feel submissive. Horace was going to go fight for her, apparently he still wanted her.
He smiled and stormed off to the cottage, shouting. "I'll call the cops for Alan, your gangster is leaving!" Maddie got up and followed.
Horace was six foot three inches, beefy and strong from wrestling with crates of restaurant supplies all day, so when he found Jesus he moved in fast and physical. Mrs O'Hare watched the man and boy fight over her from the hallway, terrified and aroused. Jesus backed up and Horace stopped, leaning against the wall holding his midsection. Maddie saw the knife in the boy's hand, the one she gave him from the Cook. She didn't understand why Horace was so disabled by one poke. Jesus helped Horace to the bathroom, the fight seemingly over already. Jesus made him kneel in the shower stall.