An excerpt of the writing in The River Rat:

Somewhere between the third and the fourth drink, she lost track of Beth. When she glanced at her watch, it was nearly ten o'clock. In just over a half hour, Arnold was expecting her home sober; and instead she'd given him another reason to be aggrieved. It didn't much matter that a man hadn't bought her drinks. He wouldn't think highly of dykes buying them for her, even if she dared to tell him where she'd been. Anxiety made her spill her gin.
 
"Excuse me," she mumbled to Marion. "I need the Ladies' Room."

Beth was not there, either. Damn! She knew that Taylor couldn't afford a cab. Now she'd have to call Arnold.

There was a busy signal on the line. She tried three times in twenty minutes and listened to the 'beep beep' of an engaged telephone. Then she splashed water on her neck and returned to the table, sick with fear. Arnold had taken the phone off the hook. Or maybe he was commiserating with someone about his errant wife.

Where the hell was Beth and why hadn't she let her friend know when--and if--she could expect her back? Beth must realize how important it was not to irritate Arnold tonight.

Marion's glance was unkind. "Looks like E. Fry deserted Wee Fry. Not nice."

Taylor groaned. "I'm due home in minutes."

"Hmm. Sounds like you're on parole, too."

Taylor searched Marion's face for ridicule but didn't find it. "Look, would you drive me? My car's an hour away."

Marion stubbed a cigarette into the ashtray. "I served time for auto theft. You don't want me to 'borrow' another car."

"Course not! But if I don't get home soon, I'm not going to have the nerve to go."

Marion's teeth bore down on a pretzel. "You made your bed, as they say. Lie in it."

Taylor squirmed. "I don't want to deal with Arnold. But what's in my wallet leaves me no choice."

She stood. A bus driver would allow her to board, if she promised to repay the fare.

Marion's hand fell on her wrist. "I have a room upstairs. Stay with me and let the jerk stew in his juices for the night. But tomorrow morning I leave for Thunder Bay. Alone."

Taylor cleared her throat. "It's not your style to get involved."

"You got involved during the riot. I owe you."

Before she was aware of making a decision, Taylor followed a dykey woman to her room. It was easy to see Marion as a hollow-eyed wolf running a rabbit called Taylor to ground.

But the wolf lay down and was quickly asleep.