there. Already told police that. She lied about what she seen me dumpin’. Wasn’t no body. It’s all in the files.” His eyes held hers for several heartbeats, narrowed into two slits. Then a slow smile parted his lips. “But you probably ain’t read the files, huh? They pulled you offa the case, didn’t they? Git the shit kicked outta you and you’re probably on desk duty, huh? Doin’ a lot of filing lately, Detective? Answering phones? Making coffee? Guess it’s better ’n being fired.”
“What did you dump that night in the park, Bernard?”
He looked disappointed she wouldn’t take the bait. “Shee-it. I was dumpin’ my trash is all.” He reached for the smokes at last—uninvited—the chains clattering across the metal table. Tapping one of the Camels out, he jammed it between his dry lips, then worked the matches in spite of the cuffs.
Kay held her breath as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. Bad enough she had to breathe his air, she wasn’t about to share his smoke. “So you wouldn’t find it necessary to have Regester dealt with?” she asked.
“Even if I did, how the hell am I supposed to?” He lowered his head to the cigarette again, the cuffs cutting into his wrists as he took a long drag. “I’m just a low-life thug, ain’t that right?”
Kay gave him credit for having no delusions. He exhaled another cloud of smoke and stared at her through it. His gaze slithered down, past her neck and the low V of her blouse, settling on her chest. Kay felt dirty. Felt as though those big, ugly hands of Eales’s had just made the journey instead of his groping eyes.
“You look different, Detective. Kinda butch. You change your hair?”
Kay held his stare when it slid back up.
“Y’ain’t a dyke, are you? Not that it matters, I guess. At least we’d have pussy in common, huh? I just kinda thought you were an item with that cop I shot, you know? The way you was crying when he hit the ground and all.”
Kay swallowed the rage.
“So you sleepin’ nights, Detective?”
“I sleep fine, Bernard.” She felt her jaw clench again. Only once. But he must have noticed.
“You’re not afraid of me, are you?” His lips crawled into a smirk when she didn’t answer. “You are. Detective Delaney, sittin’ there in her fancy suit, ’fraid of li’l’ ol’ Bernie.”
She took a breath. “Yeah, Bernard. That’s right. I’m so fucking afraid of you I’m pissing myself right here in my fancy suit, while you …you sorry, sad fuck, sucking on a year-old Camel, you’re never going to see the outside of this place again except for a few short drives to the courthouse where they’re going to convict your murdering ass.”
Bernard sat, unflinching.
She leaned in closer. “But we’ll see who’s really afraid when you’re getting strapped down to that table and they stick a cold needle into your arm, huh, Bernie? We’ll see who’s pissing in their shorts when that countdown starts.”
Silence settled on the cell. She could hear his breath whistle through his once-broken nose, then watched his pupils dilate.
“Who’s Patricia Hagen?” she asked.
He took another long drag.
“I know she visits you, Bernard. You wanna tell me who she is? Or do I have to look her up?”
Watching his lips clutch the butt of the Camel made Kay never want to light up again.
“You got yourself a girlfriend, Bernie?”
She watched his eyes as the smoke cleared.
“Take me only a few minutes to find out,” she said. “I can get her address. Maybe give her a visit, hmm?”
“Yeah, she’s my girlfriend. So what?” There was a defensiveness in his voice suddenly.
“What’s she see in you, do you figure? Because I sure as hell don’t see it. When I look at you, all I see is total vacuity.”
She met his stare, unwilling to back down as the silence swelled between them.
“What?” he said at last. “You think I’m some stupid shit never owned a dictionary? Don’t treat
“What did you dump that night in the park, Bernard?”
He looked disappointed she wouldn’t take the bait. “Shee-it. I was dumpin’ my trash is all.” He reached for the smokes at last—uninvited—the chains clattering across the metal table. Tapping one of the Camels out, he jammed it between his dry lips, then worked the matches in spite of the cuffs.
Kay held her breath as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. Bad enough she had to breathe his air, she wasn’t about to share his smoke. “So you wouldn’t find it necessary to have Regester dealt with?” she asked.
“Even if I did, how the hell am I supposed to?” He lowered his head to the cigarette again, the cuffs cutting into his wrists as he took a long drag. “I’m just a low-life thug, ain’t that right?”
Kay gave him credit for having no delusions. He exhaled another cloud of smoke and stared at her through it. His gaze slithered down, past her neck and the low V of her blouse, settling on her chest. Kay felt dirty. Felt as though those big, ugly hands of Eales’s had just made the journey instead of his groping eyes.
“You look different, Detective. Kinda butch. You change your hair?”
Kay held his stare when it slid back up.
“Y’ain’t a dyke, are you? Not that it matters, I guess. At least we’d have pussy in common, huh? I just kinda thought you were an item with that cop I shot, you know? The way you was crying when he hit the ground and all.”
Kay swallowed the rage.
“So you sleepin’ nights, Detective?”
“I sleep fine, Bernard.” She felt her jaw clench again. Only once. But he must have noticed.
“You’re not afraid of me, are you?” His lips crawled into a smirk when she didn’t answer. “You are. Detective Delaney, sittin’ there in her fancy suit, ’fraid of li’l’ ol’ Bernie.”
She took a breath. “Yeah, Bernard. That’s right. I’m so fucking afraid of you I’m pissing myself right here in my fancy suit, while you …you sorry, sad fuck, sucking on a year-old Camel, you’re never going to see the outside of this place again except for a few short drives to the courthouse where they’re going to convict your murdering ass.”
Bernard sat, unflinching.
She leaned in closer. “But we’ll see who’s really afraid when you’re getting strapped down to that table and they stick a cold needle into your arm, huh, Bernie? We’ll see who’s pissing in their shorts when that countdown starts.”
Silence settled on the cell. She could hear his breath whistle through his once-broken nose, then watched his pupils dilate.
“Who’s Patricia Hagen?” she asked.
He took another long drag.
“I know she visits you, Bernard. You wanna tell me who she is? Or do I have to look her up?”
Watching his lips clutch the butt of the Camel made Kay never want to light up again.
“You got yourself a girlfriend, Bernie?”
She watched his eyes as the smoke cleared.
“Take me only a few minutes to find out,” she said. “I can get her address. Maybe give her a visit, hmm?”
“Yeah, she’s my girlfriend. So what?” There was a defensiveness in his voice suddenly.
“What’s she see in you, do you figure? Because I sure as hell don’t see it. When I look at you, all I see is total vacuity.”
She met his stare, unwilling to back down as the silence swelled between them.
“What?” he said at last. “You think I’m some stupid shit never owned a dictionary? Don’t treat
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