think she remembered him.
�You gave me your phone number, remember?�
�Sure. How you doin, Charles?�
�Fine, thanks. And you?�
�Fine. You�re the guy with the shaved head, right?�
�Right.�
�Sure, I remember. So what�d you have in mind, Charles?�
�I bought a new car,� he said.
�No kidding?�
�I take delivery tomorrow morning.�
�Wow,� she said, but she didn�t sound at all enthusiastic.
�What I thought��
�Yes, Charles?�
�If you were free tomorrow��
�Yes?�
�We could go for a ride in the country, have lunch at some nice little place on the road, come back to the hotel for dinner, and then spend the night together. If that sounds interesting to you, Reggie.�
�It does indeed,� she said.
�Well then, good,� he said, relieved. �Where shall I pick you up?�
�Are you staying at the hotel now?�
�Yes,� he said.
�Well, why don�t I just meet you there?�
�Fine. Eleven tomorrow morning?�
�That�ll be a long day,� she said.
�I know.�
�And night,� she said.
�I realize that.�
�We don�t have to discuss money, do we, Charles?�
�Not unless you want to.�
�It�s just� it�ll be all day, and then all night.�
�Yes.�
�Does five thousand sound high?�
�It sounds fine, Reggie.�
�What kind of car did you buy?� she asked.
* * * *
He wasn�t worried about the money running out. There was enough to last till he did what he still had to do. The home equity loan on the house was big enough to carry him through to the end of this. Just barely, the way he was spending, but that�s what this was all about, wasn�t it? Corrections? Adjustments? Make for himself now the life he should have enjoyed all along? Drive through the countryside with a nineteen-year-old redhead in a leased Jaguar convertible? That�s what this was all about, wasn�t it?
The look on Alicia�s face when he said, �Remember me? Chuck?�
Oh, Jesus, that was almost worth it all, he�d been almost ready to quit right then and there! That priceless look of recognition an instant before he shot her. Recognition, and then pain. The bullets smashing home. A pain deeper than his own, he supposed. He hoped so. And she�d known.
They would all know, because he would make sure they knew. Hi, remember me? Long time no see, right? Bad penny, right? So long, it�s been swell�t�know ya!
And bam!
Good.
* * * *
Tomorrow was a school day, and so the surprise birthday party for the twins was an afternoon one, and they were both home by eight that Tuesday night. When Carella came in at nine thirty, April was in the living room with Teddy, still chattering away, her hands moving on the air for her mother to read. Lipstick. High heels. Miniskirt. His thirteen-year-old daughter now. He yelled, �Hi, everybody,� went in to where they were both sitting under the imitation Tiffany lamp, signed, Hi, Sweetie, kissed Teddy, and then kissed his daughter and asked, �How was the party?�
�Cool,� April said, �I was just telling Mom.�
�Where�s Mark?� he asked.
�In his room,� April said.
�Everything okay?�
Teddy discreetly rolled her eyes.
Their eyes met. Communicated.
�I�ll go say hello,� he said. �When�s dinner?�
�Mark and me ate at the party,� April said.
Mark and I, Teddy signed.
�You ate at the party, too?� April said aloud, and then signed it, just in case her mother had missed her dynamite wit. Teddy mouthed, Ha ha. Carella was already on the way down the hall to his son�s room.
Mark was lying on his bed, hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. No music blaring. No TV on. He made room for his father, sat up when his father took the offered space.
�What�s the matter?� Carella asked.
Mark shrugged.
�Tough being a teenager?� Carella said, and put his arm around his son�s shoulders.
�Dad�� Mark said, and hesitated.
�Tell me.�
�You
�You gave me your phone number, remember?�
�Sure. How you doin, Charles?�
�Fine, thanks. And you?�
�Fine. You�re the guy with the shaved head, right?�
�Right.�
�Sure, I remember. So what�d you have in mind, Charles?�
�I bought a new car,� he said.
�No kidding?�
�I take delivery tomorrow morning.�
�Wow,� she said, but she didn�t sound at all enthusiastic.
�What I thought��
�Yes, Charles?�
�If you were free tomorrow��
�Yes?�
�We could go for a ride in the country, have lunch at some nice little place on the road, come back to the hotel for dinner, and then spend the night together. If that sounds interesting to you, Reggie.�
�It does indeed,� she said.
�Well then, good,� he said, relieved. �Where shall I pick you up?�
�Are you staying at the hotel now?�
�Yes,� he said.
�Well, why don�t I just meet you there?�
�Fine. Eleven tomorrow morning?�
�That�ll be a long day,� she said.
�I know.�
�And night,� she said.
�I realize that.�
�We don�t have to discuss money, do we, Charles?�
�Not unless you want to.�
�It�s just� it�ll be all day, and then all night.�
�Yes.�
�Does five thousand sound high?�
�It sounds fine, Reggie.�
�What kind of car did you buy?� she asked.
* * * *
He wasn�t worried about the money running out. There was enough to last till he did what he still had to do. The home equity loan on the house was big enough to carry him through to the end of this. Just barely, the way he was spending, but that�s what this was all about, wasn�t it? Corrections? Adjustments? Make for himself now the life he should have enjoyed all along? Drive through the countryside with a nineteen-year-old redhead in a leased Jaguar convertible? That�s what this was all about, wasn�t it?
The look on Alicia�s face when he said, �Remember me? Chuck?�
Oh, Jesus, that was almost worth it all, he�d been almost ready to quit right then and there! That priceless look of recognition an instant before he shot her. Recognition, and then pain. The bullets smashing home. A pain deeper than his own, he supposed. He hoped so. And she�d known.
They would all know, because he would make sure they knew. Hi, remember me? Long time no see, right? Bad penny, right? So long, it�s been swell�t�know ya!
And bam!
Good.
* * * *
Tomorrow was a school day, and so the surprise birthday party for the twins was an afternoon one, and they were both home by eight that Tuesday night. When Carella came in at nine thirty, April was in the living room with Teddy, still chattering away, her hands moving on the air for her mother to read. Lipstick. High heels. Miniskirt. His thirteen-year-old daughter now. He yelled, �Hi, everybody,� went in to where they were both sitting under the imitation Tiffany lamp, signed, Hi, Sweetie, kissed Teddy, and then kissed his daughter and asked, �How was the party?�
�Cool,� April said, �I was just telling Mom.�
�Where�s Mark?� he asked.
�In his room,� April said.
�Everything okay?�
Teddy discreetly rolled her eyes.
Their eyes met. Communicated.
�I�ll go say hello,� he said. �When�s dinner?�
�Mark and me ate at the party,� April said.
Mark and I, Teddy signed.
�You ate at the party, too?� April said aloud, and then signed it, just in case her mother had missed her dynamite wit. Teddy mouthed, Ha ha. Carella was already on the way down the hall to his son�s room.
Mark was lying on his bed, hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. No music blaring. No TV on. He made room for his father, sat up when his father took the offered space.
�What�s the matter?� Carella asked.
Mark shrugged.
�Tough being a teenager?� Carella said, and put his arm around his son�s shoulders.
�Dad�� Mark said, and hesitated.
�Tell me.�
�You
Similar Books
