First Avenue (38 page)
Lethargy replaced the adrenaline surge that had rushed through
Alberta
or the baby, no drugs, and unless they were lucky, nothing that would link
One suspicion continued to tap on the back door of his mind. He stumbled toward it and opened it cautiously.
Markowitz returned with two copies of a search warrant and took
Alberta
worked here and is now missing. Your informant saw the victim go into the basement followed shortly afterward by these two punks, and when you went to investigate, you found the girl being held there. I left out a little, you see. Nothing about drugs. We’ll wait and see how that goes.
“We have to leave this warrant here even though Pierre isn’t around. He’s not upstairs, either. The judge won’t let us keep this business closed beyond today—the basement, yes, but not this place. We’re going to search for evidence related to this particular crime. The judge was pretty clear about that. Of course we hope like hell we find something more. Let’s say the judge was more than a little interested in how legitimate this informant might be. He doesn’t want us playing any games about that.”
“Games,”
“Just sign the paper, and let’s get this over with.”
“Let me borrow your pen.”
He burrowed the borrowed pen into the paper and left an unreadable signature.
Markowitz looked up from his open evidence kit and smiled. “Good, Wright. You show him. Maybe he just wants to make sure we don’t screw this up and get the case thrown out before it goes to trial.”
Sam did the only thing he could think of doing. He shrugged his shoulders in an exaggerated way that made Shrug look like an amateur.
“I forgot to tell you,”
Sam looked around the room in order to decide how indispensable he was. Finding no evidence of it, he agreed with
“Good,”
In the station he found
“The doctor said she’s going to be fine,”
Winthrop gave
“Thanks for the help,” he told her. “I’ll take it from here.”
“I’d better get back on the street then. Good luck to you,
Sam took
“I need to write down exactly what happened. Are you okay? Do you need anything before we start?”
She shook her head.
In bits and pieces he typed her statement on the blank form. It told when she had begun working at the Donut Shop and what it was like on most days. With
“Have you seen those two guys before today?” he asked.
“I’ve seen the one with the orange cap. He’s been in the Donut Shop. You knew his name.”
“Yes. Have you seen him talk to
“Not today. I guess I never have, but they know each other.”
“And neither of them mentioned
She shook her head. “You came too fast for them to say anything like that.”
“I came too slow,” he said. “Way too slow.”
Tears filled her eyes without warning and dropped like stones from her face. She tried to brush them away with her finger, but she needed more than a finger.
“It’s okay,” he said, knowing how ridiculous that must sound. It was not okay. There was not one thing that was okay, but he said it again, more feebly than before. “It’s okay now.”
She nodded as though she agreed with him, but that could only be for his benefit. He sat across from her and waited for her to regain control. Behind her the hallway door swung open, and one of the office crew stuck his head in the door.
“Hey, Wright. The captain wants to see you as soon as you get a chance.”
“Okay,”
He looked back to
The girl shook her head. There was nothing he could bring.
The captain’s office was in a row of offices along the windows above
Third Avenue
. It was between the lieutenant’s office and the major’s. In thirteen years, he had been in the office only once. A newly promoted captain had invited him in to receive praise for some outstanding arrest that was the same as a hundred others. He wondered if there was another new captain on the Second Watch.
“You wanted to see me, Captain?”
“Yes, Officer. Close the door.”
Sam closed the door.
“Sit down.”
He sat down in a straight-back chair across the desk from
“You could have gotten yourself killed busting through that door.”
“I did what I thought I had to do.”
“And if that boy had a gun?”
“Then I would have backed out and waited for help.”
“If he didn’t kill you first.”
“That’s right.”
“And the girl.”
A burning feeling began to rise in
“She’s not complaining.”
“So you think that justifies what you did.”
“Yes.”
“You exposed my officers to substantial danger. I’m told some drunk called this in. Your shift was over. Explain to me what’s going on here, Officer.”
“Just doing my job,”
“Is it your job to endanger yourself and my men who had to go in there after you?”
“They weren’t all men.”
“What are you talking about?”
“
“I’m not going to ask her anything, but I am going to tell you something.” The captain raised his finger and pointed it at
Sam knew it was time to shut up and get out of the office. Hotshot, by god.
“You’re the captain,” he said, ignoring the good advice that had passed through his head seconds before. “Do whatever you want. Nothing surprises me about this chickenshit outfit.”
For a moment
Sam started to look out the same window, but he didn’t look that far. On the windowsill beside the captain was a book lying open with the pages facing down. On the cover was a black-and-white photograph of an old cannon.
Big man. Hair slicked back over a bald spot.
“I’m going to let that remark pass,” the captain said as he turned to face
Was it possible?
Sam nodded to the captain. He stood up to leave, although he felt like he had been kicked in the groin. He was able to read the title then. ‘Stillness at Appomattox.’
“I’ll finish the report,”
Maria watched him rip the half-completed report out of the typewriter.
“Let’s get out of here,” he whispered.
How had it happened? A week ago his biggest obstacles were waves and ships that obstructed his kayak. Now he was on a ride that was out of control. A week ago the captain didn’t know he was alive. Son of a bitch, he thought. I’m alive, all right.
He checked out a plain car from the property room window and led
“I’ll explain all this later,” he said.
Maybe he wouldn’t be able to explain, but he would have to do something. He put his arm around her shoulders and guided her toward the car.
The wind blew into Katherine’s face as she walked from her parked car to Sam’s house. The rain had stopped, but the wind still carried moisture from exploding waves in the Sound. Seagulls raced over her without effort. They held their wings close to their bodies.
On the telephone his voice had been urgent and worried. She heard cars in the background. He was calling from a pay phone and asked if she could come right away. He would explain when she got there.
