Not about Warren Critch, or dark alleys or Muppet frogs. And only for a moment about the image of herself in death, with mistletoe leaves floating in the pool of blood that surrounded her.
IT WAS A PUNK PRANK, Dylan Hoag maintained early Thursday morning. Happens all the time, and theres not a thing your people can do about it. Apparently.
Jacob saw OKeefes lip curl. They were gathered in his former partners cubby, volleying theories and getting their facts straight.
Dylan had dogged Jacob through the front door earlier, with the claim that since he had clients whose security systems had been damaged in the chaos, he had a right to be part of the investigation. He didnt, but Jacob had let him tag along anyway.
The smoke bombs were rudimentary, he noted now as he flicked through the preliminary report. A kid of fifteen could have constructed them, with or without help from the Internet. The trash-can fires were even less complex. Smoldering cigarettes in four of them, smoldering rags in the rest. But the starting sequence of the bombs was timed and charted. It ran a circle around The Toy Box, where Romana and I just happened to be having a chat with a man who knew Warren Critch.
What are you saying? OKeefe poured himself a glass of water. That Critch knew youd be at the store and set everything up prior to your arrival?
Jacob continued to scan the report. More likely he followed us in, saw where we were headed and set it up then. I walked the route, Mick. Five minutes is all it would have taken to plant the smoke bombs and ignite the cans.
To what end? Dylan challenged.
The one he achieved, I imagine. A bunch of injured shoppers intended to engender guilt. A message sent to Romana and me that hes watching, and he can take us out any time he chooses.
Dylan sipped his latte. Why doesnt he, then? Why not off the pair of you and beat it out of the country?
OKeefe arched an eyebrow at Jacob. Torment?
Thatd be my guess.
So all the damage to my clients businesses is your fault?
And you get nothing out of it, right? Jacob countered Dylans charge without looking up. No clients suddenly deciding they should upgrade their security systems to allay shopper panic?
There are systems that do that? Momentarily impressed, OKeefe downed his water. You know, one day well all be replaced by robots, just like that life-size Santa standing next to Lieutenant Markhams desk.
It was a figurative question, and Santa has an electrical short. Setting the report aside, Jacob glanced at the murky dregs in his friends coffeepot. Word is, Dylan, that you and Belinda were steps.
OKeefe swung around. Seriously? Man, howd I miss that?
You didnt. Stubbs and Canter did. Whats the story, Hoag?
No story. But both his jaw and his shoulders tightened visibly. My dad married Belindas mother when I was ten and she was seven. Like punk pranks, it happens all the time. Our parents died within a few months of each other, and we were all we had left.
Starved for caffeine, Jacob gave in and poured a cup of the thick coffee. How old were you when your last parent died?
This is irrelevant, Knight. And invasive.
You wanted to join the party.
Dylan hissed out a breath. I was twenty-three. At Jacobs steady stare, he growled, Okay, I was eighteen, just. Old enough to work and take care of my sister. We had money. We were fine. She went to college and came out the other end a damn fine lab technician.
While you washed out at the Police Academy.
I was older than most of the other prospects. I had my own ideas. I didnt fit in.
Thats what we in the biz call a major attitude problem, OKeefe remarked.
Sell it to Rudolph. Dylans eyes went cold and flat. This isnt about me. Its about smoke and fire and pissed-off clients, and
Its about Warren Critch. Jacob speared him into silence with a look. Its about revenge for a crime I didnt commit and Romana had no part in. You want to chase punks, go ahead, but what happened last night was executed by someone with a plan.
Well, that someones flying solo, Knight. Tap my phones if you want to. Except for that two-minute conversation I told you about, I havent spoken to Warren. I dont know where he is or how hes getting by. I do know he loved Bel, and so did I. Am I sorry hes taken it upon himself to go after you? Not especially. Do I think its right? No. Do I think hell succeed? Id say the odds are in his favor.
Well, that someones flying solo, Knight. Tap my phones if you want to. Except for that two-minute conversation I told you about, I havent spoken to Warren. I dont know where he is or how hes getting by. I do know he loved Bel, and so did I. Am I sorry hes taken it upon himself to go after you? Not especially. Do I think its right? No. Do I think hell succeed? Id say the odds are in his favor.
Such faith in us cops, OKeefe scoffed. Its no wonder they cut you loose from the Academy.
Dylan tossed his empty cup into the wastebasket. No one cut Romana loose, and yet shes gone, too, isnt she? Makes you wonder about misplaced faith and expectations placed just a little too high on humans who, like the rest of us, are often a little too low for the positions of power we seek.
Now hes a philosopher, OKeefe muttered.
What I am is observant. With a derisive swagger, Dylan started for the door. Youre overthinking that fire and giving Warren too much credit for cleverness. He used to shoot fish in the Amazon. Hardly ever missed, Im told. Outside the door, he turned. My question is, why would he bother to be clever when all he wants is to kill the pair of you? Bang, bang, two shots, youre gone forever. And once hes safely tucked away in the South American rain forest, so is Warren Critch.
JACOB FELL INTO BED AT 1:00 P.M. He felt like a zombie and hoped his mind would let him sleep like one. But the dream came as it often did. It played out to the point where the blood appeared, then suddenly veered off course.
In the blink of an eye, he traded his parents living room for a grungy downtown alley that smelled strongly of human waste. Shaking hands pointed a gun at his head. Red-rimmed eyes bulged at him.
You want her to die, Critch accused. He cocked the gun.
Finally-finally, its all good, its all right, and you want to take her from me. To kill her because you cant have her.
Jacob had made the usual attempt to placate him. Why would he want Belinda dead? Someone might have threatened her life, but it hadnt been him.
The quiet click had surprised him as much as it had startled Warren Critch. He hadnt seen Romana slip into the alley. Shed moved with the shadows, used them, caught them both off guard.
Put the gun down, shed ordered Critch from behind. Toss it toward the trash cans.
He wants to kill my wife, Critch had insisted, stiff-lipped. I wont let him do that.
Drop the gun, Romana had repeated. Not once had her eyes flicked to Jacobs face. Do it, Critch. Now.
Critchs arms had trembled. Hed made a low, agonized sound. His entire body had seemed to vibrate. Then the sound had ended, and his weapon had clattered to the pavement.
Kick it away, Romana had instructed.
Belinda told me shes been threatened. I know they had lunch. They argued. Knight was angry with her. He wants to kill her.
Its up to the police to investigate that allegation, Romana had replied. Its not your job or your right to execute vigilante justice
The scene changed with an abrupt sideways slash.
Belinda Critch was dead, and Jacob was talking to his captain. The captain wanted answers he didnt have. OKeefe knew the truth about the blackouts, but for his partners sake he had kept silent.
They stood like the points of a triangle around the captains desk while Kermit sang a silly Christmas song in the background.
A hand touched Jacobs arm. He whipped his head around. Romana stood behind him. She wore a white coat with a long red scarf.
Look in the mirror, she said.
He didnt want to do it, but his eyes were drawn to the glass, magnet to metal. He saw his fathers face staring at him and felt hollow inside, like the void his mind had suddenly become.
Dropping his head back, he stared at the white ceiling tiles. He wasnt his father, please, God, never his father, and yet his father was in him. Some of his fathers traits lived on through him. Romana needed to know that, to understand.
It was past time he told her the truth.
When he turned to her, she set her hands on his chest. Before he could speak, her eyes widened in alarm. He caught her arms, tried to keep her from falling. But it was too late. He could do nothing but watch in horrified disbelief as the tails of her red scarf turned to twin ribbons of blood.
And the light that was life drained out of her stunning winter-lake eyes.
JACOB SHOT UPRIGHT IN BED, again, pried his clenched teeth apart, again. It took several seconds for the worst of the nightmare to fade. Once it had, he reminded himself that these images came from him. From his very deep feelings of guilt.
An ambulance raced past on the street below. Horns blared as the rush hour began.
A shower helped, hot at first to relax his tight muscles, then cold to counter the effect Romana continued to have on him. She hadnt been naked in his latest dream, but it made little difference. When he thought about her, his body reacted. He could only imagine what actually seeing her naked might do.
The phone rang while he brewed coffee. With his hair dripping and his mind distracted, he picked up.
Knight.
The response was immediate, whispered words that blew across his soul like an evil north wind.
Youre a dead man, Detective Knight, at my whim. You and the exquisite Romana Grey. She wont be so exquisite when Im finished with her. In fact, she might not be exquisite already. Im holding a sprig of mistletoe, Jacob. But do you think the leaves are on the sprig where they belong, or on the ground beside her?
Chapter Nine
Romana leaned on the intercom button, counted to five and leaned on it again. As a rule, she found the theater where Jacob lived delightfully atmospheric, but tonight it felt plain old spooky. Even the little cherubs floating high on the ceiling seemed to be leering at her.
She checked her watch. He went on duty at nine. His truck was in the alley. The hood was hot, so hed been out, but he was here now, and she was going to see him.