Night Tide (17 page)

radio.!“I’m!going!home.”!

!

“Any!dishes!out!front?”!I!said.!

!

“All!cleaned!and!locked!up.”!

!

“Good!night?!Seemed!busy.”!

!

He!nodded,!holding!up!a!zippered!pouch.!“Very!good,!
ese
.!

Money’s!as!good!as!in!the!bank.”!

!

He! turned,! hesitated,! and! walked! back! to! the! dishroom.!

For!a!moment!he!watched!me!silently.!I!stopped!scrubbing!and!

braced!my!hands!on!the!edge!of!the!sink.!

!

“You’ve!been!with!us!a!long!time!now,”!he!said.!“More!than!

a!year.”!

!

I!nodded.!!

!

“Why! are! you! still! here,!
ese
?”! He! waggled! a! hand.! “Don’t!

get!me!wrong.!I’m!grateful.!You!work!hard.!You’re!dependable.!

But!you’re!a!smart!man.!Too!smart!to!be!washing!dishes,!no?”!

!

Heat!crept!up!the!back!of!my!collar.!“I!like!it!here.!You’ve!

been!good!to!me,!Javier.”!

!

“You! have! a! little! money! now,! no?! The! old! lady,! she! left!

you!a!little!something?”!

!

Midge! Babcock’s! wrinkled! face! flashed! in! my! brain.! “The!

estate!paid!me!a!fee,!to!be!an!executor,!yes.”!I’d!been!arrested!

for!her!murder,!too.!

!

“So,!you!don’t!need!this!job,!
ese
.!Why!do!you!stay?”!

!

“Jobs! aren’t! that! easy! to! come! by! these! days,! in! case! you!

hadn’t!noticed.”!

!

“You!don’t!have!to!remind!me,!
chico
.!I’m!tempted!to!close!

on!Tuesdays!to!save!money.!Maria!tells!me!to!stand!strong,!but!

…”!He!fell!silent,!waiting.!

!

“This!is!good!for!me,!Javier.”!I!waved!a!soapy!glove!at!the!

dishroom.!“I!can!do!this!job!because!I!don’t!have!to!think.!I!can!

let!my!mind!go!wherever!it!wants!to.!Don’t!have!to!try!to!keep!

it!focused!on!anything.!It!keeps!me!grounded,!connected.”!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

112&

!

“You!could!do!better.!You!had!an!important!job!once,!no?”!

!

“This!job!is!important.!To!you.”!I!stared!at!him,!wondering!

what!he!was!getting!at.!“Baby!steps,!Javier.!For!now,!this!suits!

me.!You!thinking!of!letting!me!go?”!

!

The!corners!of!his!mouth!turned!down!at!the!idea.!“No,!of!

course! not.”! His! head! swiveled! for! a! glance! at! José.! Turning!

back,!he!looked!somber.!“Everything!else!okay!with!you,!
ese
?”!

!

I!smiled.!“I’m!good,!Javier,!thanks.!Something!wrong?”!

!

“Two!men!came!by!earlier!looking!for!you.!I!thought!you!

should!know.”!

!

The! hairs! on! my! arms! stood! up.! “They! say! who! they!

were?”!

!

He!shook!his!head.!“Very!hard!men.!
¿Entiendes?
!I!told!them!

I!had!not!seen!you.!You!know!them?”!

!

I! didn’t! answer.! Javier! would! know! if! they! were! cops,!

which!left!a!bunch!of!unknowns.!

!

His!eyes!searched!my!face.!“Lock!up!when!you!leave,!okay?!

See!you!
mañana
.”!

!

I!wiped!my!brow!on!my!sleeve!and!waved!a!gloved!hand.!

!

José!and!I!pulled!the!garbage!cans!out!to!the!alley!on!our!

way! out! the! door,! set! the! alarm! and! locked! up! a! little! after!

twelve6thirty.! I! stood! and! stretched,! working! the! kinks! out!

from!hunching!over!the!sink!and!dish!table!most!of!the!night.!

!

“
Adiós,*señor
,”!José!said,!head!bobbing.!!

!

“
Hasta*mañana,*
José
.
”!

!

He! disappeared! down! the! alley.! I! strolled! after! him,! tired!

but!content!from!the!evening’s!hard!work.!With!the!sun!gone,!

the! night! air’s! caress! had! all! the! warmth! of! a! jilted! lover.! I!

zipped!my!jacket!and!stuffed!my!hands!in!the!pockets.!Daylight!

this! time! of! year! stretched! as! late! as! ten! o’clock,! but! nights!

wouldn’t!feel!balmy!until!July.!

!

I’d!left!my!car!a!few!blocks!east.!After!losing!it!a!few!times!

due!to!inattention!or!preoccupation!when!parking,!I!now!kept!

a! note! on! my! dashboard! reminding! me! to! look! at! landmarks!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

113&

before!locking!up.!I!set!my!feet!on!autopilot,!but!my!mind!took!

a!walk!in!a!different!direction.!I!got!lost!in!the!twisting!maze!of!

random! thoughts! whirling! through! my! head.! Molly’s!

pronouncement.!
What* was* that* all* about?
! Charlie’s! parents,!

gone.!
Where?
! Sarah.!
Dissatisfied* with* her* life?* Looking?
! Wink.!

Friend?*Enemy?
!Sebastian!Fitch.!
One*of*the*apparitions*I’d*seen*

melt* into* the* darkness* of* a* summer* night* long* ago?
! Drucker.!

What* did* the* FBI* want* with* Wink?* Just* to* keep* tabs* on* him?*

Were*they*after*the*same*thing*Keely*was?
!Keely!…!

!

Only!in!my!world,!that!sort!of!orderly!mental!progression!

sounded! and! looked! more! like! nightmares! than! daydreams.!

Molly*…*doing*dishes—with*Javier?*…*Drucker,*in*black,*outside*

the* …* Wink,* unicycling,* in* jail* …* Sarah* looks* good,* really* fine,*

except* that*frown*…*Clayt*and*Connie*on*hands*and*knees*in*a*

dirt*tunnel,*Connie’s*hips*widening*until*they*almost*filled*the*…*

blood* bubbling* out* of* Charlie’s* chest,* dripping* into* …* a* hail* of*

bullets*worming*into*metal,*then*flesh*…*Keely,*Cole,*Keely,*Cole*

…*Newspapers*…
!

!

Newspapers.
!I!had!another!shift!to!get!through.!I!dug!in!a!

pocket!for!a!dose!of!meds.!

!

Half! a! block! from! the! car,! something! outside! pounded! to!

get! in.! A! feeling,! or! a! sound.! Or! Javier’s! warning.! Cars! hissed!

down! Broadway! two! blocks! behind! me.! The! fainter! rush! of!

freeway! traffic! floated! up! from! the! base! of! the! hill.! A! siren!

wailed!somewhere!in!the!distance.!The!low!rumble!and!burble!

of! a! big! engine! sounded! closer,! worming! its! way! into! the!

forefront! of! my! mental! meandering.! The! sound! had! been!

constant! for! a! while,! just! unnoticed.! It! changed! as! I! turned,!

pitch! and! volume! quickly! rising! in! intensity.! A! black! shadow!

trailed!me,!an!SUV!the!size!of!a!small!house.!The!engine!cleared!

its!throat!and!growled.!!

!

Everything!was!all!wrong.!

!

The! confusing! maze! in! my! head! vanished! like! fog!

vaporizing!under!a!hot!sun,!leaving!me!with!a!single!focus—big!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

114&

black! car,! coming! fast.! No! lights.! Tinted! windows! open,! the!

black! snouts! of! ugly! gun! barrels! protruding! from! both.! Dark!

figures! leaning! out! behind! the! barrels.! I! turned! and! sprinted!

down!the!sidewalk,!the!tympani!in!my!chest!drowning!out!the!

engine! behind! me.! The! moves! were! automatic,! ingrained! in!

muscle!memory!years!before.!
Drive*the*floor.*Head*fake,*stutter*

step,* spin,* break* for* the* paint.
! I! dove! behind! a! parked! car.! A!

thunderous! eruption! of! bullets! shattered! glass! and! beat! a!

tattoo!on!metal!as!the!SUV!roared!by.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

115&

!

!
Chapter(20(

!!
They’ll*be*back.*

!

I! scrambled! to! my! feet! and! took! off! in! the! opposite!

direction,! running! toward! Broadway.! Dimly! aware! of! gravel!

embedded!in!the!palm!of!one!hand!and!something!wet!trickling!

down!my!leg,!my!focus!shifted!to!other!senses,!sound!and!sight.!

The! SUV’s! engine! changed! pitch! again,! accompanied! by! tires!

squealing! on! pavement.! I! risked! a! glance! over! my! shoulder!

when! I! reached! the! corner! and! saw! the! SUV! bumping! over! a!

curb! and! sideswiping! a! stop! sign! as! it! made! a! wide! swing!

through!an!intersection!and!headed!back!toward!me.!Rounding!

the!corner!onto!Broadway,!I!ran!faster,!heart!pounding!against!

my!ribs,!feet!pounding!the!concrete!sidewalk.!I!couldn’t!outrun!

them.!

!

The*restaurant.
!

!

In! the! middle! of! the! block! I! shifted! direction! and! darted!

across!Broadway,!dodging!a!city!bus!and!a!car!on!the!way.!The!

shriek!of!rubber!skidding!on!pavement!behind!me!let!me!know!

the! SUV! was! at! the! intersection.! A! couple! on! the! sidewalk!

looked! up,! startled,! as! I! ran! past! and! vaulted! a! low! wrought!

iron!fence!shielding!a!few!outdoor!tables!from!passersby.!The!

roar! of! the! SUV! grew! louder! as! it! gunned! down! the! street.! I!

lifted!a!table!and!heaved!it!through!one!of!the!front!windows!of!

the!restaurant,!setting!off!the!clanging!bell!of!the!burglar!alarm.!

!

I!clambered!over!the!low!sill!and!dove!for!the!floor!in!the!

darkness!of!the!restaurant.!The!deafening!chatter!of!automatic!

weapons! fire! let! loose! a! spray! of! lead! into! the! restaurant’s!

interior,! showering! me! with! splintered! wood! and! shattered!

glass.! I! scrambled! toward! the! kitchen! in! a! low! crouch,!

zigzagging!between!the!tables,!banging!my!left!hip!hard!on!the!

edge!of!one.!
No*matter,*it’s*titanium.
!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

116&

!

The! clang! of! the! alarm! pushed! out! all! other! sounds! from!

the! street! except! the! faint! wail! of! sirens.! I! raced! through! the!

darkened! kitchen,! twisted! the! deadbolt! on! the! back! door! and!

burst! through! into! the! alley.! Running! on! instinct,! I! vaulted! a!

low! cyclone! fence! behind! the! dumpsters! and! dropped! to! an!

apartment!building!parking!lot!below,!avoiding!the!street.!The!

lot!led!around!the!side!of!the!building!to!the!middle!of!the!next!

block.! I! slowed,! listening! intently! for! sounds! of! the! SUV,! the!

burglar! alarm! fainter! now! behind! me,! but! wailing! sirens!

growing! louder.! The! blood! roaring! in! my! ears! and! pounding!

heart! sounded! like! screaming! voices! urging! me! to! run,! flee!

faster.! I! sucked! in! a! lungful! of! air! and! swallowed! the! urge,!

quickly! crossing! the! street! instead! for! the! shelter! of! the!

shadows!on!the!other!side.!I!ran!to!the!corner!and!worked!my!

way! down! the! hill! toward! the! steel! and! glass! canyons! of!

downtown,! changing! direction! often,! sliding! down! alleyways,!

cutting!through!parking!lots.!!!

!

My!parietal!cortex,!the!part!of!my!brain!that!responded!to!

and! focused! on! the! sensory! information! of! playing! moving!

target,! finally! disengaged! enough! to! allow! signals! from! the!

prefrontal! cortex! in.! Questions,! logic,! cognitive! processing,! all!

helped!by!the!meds!kicking!in.!

!

Focus!*

!

I! turned! slowly,! scanning! the! street! for! signs! of! pursuit,!

checking!landmarks!to!figure!out!where!I!was.!I!kept!moving,!

trying! to! make! sense! of! it! all.! But! the! torrent! of! images,!

questions,!half6baked!theories!proved!too!much!to!orchestrate!

into!any!clear!picture.!Someone!had!marked!me,!but!why?!All!I!

knew!was!that!someone!had!effectively!cut!me!off!from!my!car,!

and! if! they! knew! where! I! worked,! they! knew! where! I! lived.! I!

needed!a!safe!place!to!think,!regroup,!come!up!with!some!sort!

of!plan.!!

!

I!shoved!a!hand!in!my!pants!pocket!and!pulled!out!a!wad!

of!bills,!receipts,!scraps!of!paper!covered!with!lists!and!notes!to!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

117&

myself.! I! quickly! shuffled! through! them! until! I! found! what! I!

wanted,! and! held! it! up! under! a! streetlight! to! read! it.! I! turned!

left!at!the!next!corner!and!picked!up!my!pace.!Two!blocks!up!I!

came!out!on!a!busy!street!and!hailed!the!first!empty!cab!that!

came! by.! More! than! anything! I! wanted! to! direct! the! cabbie!

north! to! the! familiar! old! house! on! Capitol! Hill.! Reluctantly,! I!

gave! him! the! address! in! my! hand! and! let! him! drive! east.! I!

leaned! back,! thoughts! streaking! by! in! a! blur! like! the! lights!

passing!by!the!window.!!

!

Maybe! I’d! imagined! the! whole! thing.! My! mind! was! funny!

that!way.!All!the!times!I’d!related!a!“remember!when?”!story!to!

Molly,!my!voice!gradually!slowed!to!a!halt!by!the!quizzical!look!

on!her!face,!the!denial!that!she’d!ever!known!of!the!scene!I’d!

recollected! as! clearly! as! this! morning’s! breakfast.! The! times!

she’d!erupted!into!tears!and!recriminations!when!the!memory!

had!involved!a!woman!that!could!not!possibly!have!been!her,!

despite! my! insistence.! Sometimes,! a! plausible! explanation!

came! to! light—I’d! been! with! a! client,! or! I’d! mixed! up! two!

events!into!one!remembrance.!In!other!cases,!the!only!answer!

to!why!our!recall!didn’t!match!was!that!mine!was!faulty!or!I’d!

dreamed!it!up.!

!

A!nagging!pain!intruded.!I!turned!my!hand!over!and!held!

my!palm!up!to!the!light!coming!through!the!window.!The!road!

rash!wasn’t!bad,!the!abraded!area!on!the!heel!of!my!hand!about!