Hannibal (Hannibal Lecter 3) - Page 82
As soon as the merchant was engaged with another customer, Dr. Lecter turned back to him.
“Bother!” he said. “I forgot to put my telephone number on my drawing slip. May I?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Dr. Lecter took the top off the box and took out the top two slips. He added to the false information on his own, and took a long look at the slip beneath, blinking once, like a camera clicking.
CHAPTER
56
THE GYM at Muskrat Farm is high-tech black and chrome, with the complete Nautilus cycle of machines, free weights, aerobic equipment and a juice bar.
Barney was nearly through with his workout, cooling down on a bike, when he realized he was not alone in the room. Margot Verger was taking off her warm-ups in the corner. She wore elastic shorts and a tank top over a sports bra and now she added a weight-lifting belt. Barney heard weights clank in the corner. He heard her breathing as she did a warm-up set.
Barney was pedaling the bicycle against no resistance, toweling his head, when she came over to him between sets.
/> She looked at his arms, looked at hers. They were about the same. “How much can you bench-press?” she said.
“I don’t know.”
“I expect you know, all right.”
“Maybe three eighty-five, like that.”
“Three eighty-five? I don’t think so, big boy. I don’t think you can press three eighty-five.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
“I got a hundred dollars that says you can’t bench-press three eighty-five.”
“Against?”
“Against a hundred dollars, the hell you think? And I’ll spot you.”
Barney looked at her and wrinkled his rubbery forehead. “Okay.”
They loaded on the plates. Margot counted the ones on the end of the bar Barney had loaded as though he might cheat her. He responded by counting with elaborate care the ones on Margot’s end.
Flat on the bench now, Margot standing above him at his head in her spandex shorts. The juncture of her thighs and abdomen was knurled like a baroque frame and her massive torso seemed to reach almost to the ceiling.
Barney settled himself, feeling the bench against his back. Margot’s legs smelled like cool liniment. Her hands were lightly on the bar, nails painted coral, shapely hands to be so strong.
“Ready?”
“Yes.” He pushed the weight up toward her face, bent over him.
It wasn’t much trouble for Barney. He set the weight back on its bracket ahead of Margot’s spot. She got the money from her gym bag.
“Thank you,” Barney said.
“I do more squats than you” is all she said.
“I know.”
“How do you know that?”
“I can pee standing up.”
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