hope they assign him to Mozambique."
"So, why are you here?"
He just blurted it out. "I'm gonna change my life."
"Too little, too late. And too unbelievable."
"I mean it this time. Going someplace where I can get a fresh start."
She studied him a second as a sixteen-wheeler drove by, grinding its gears. "Are you asking me to go along? To hit the road, get a fresh start with you?"
Her questions hung there like a colorful piñata, so he took a whack with his best swing. "It's occurred to me. Change is good, right? And you're stuck in a rut at the Department. So, why not go for some excitement?"
"First, because I love my work. Second, I'm engaged to Cullen."
"Funny, you didn't say you love Cullen."
"Stop it, Jimmy."
"Okay. Okay. I just thought that you and me and Adam—"
"Dammit! You need to get some help, Jimmy. Face the facts."
They were both quiet a moment. Then her face softened. "I'm sorry. You must be hurting. I heard about Judge Rollins."
"Yeah. It stinks."
She gave him a look both tender and compassionate, a queen tossing alms to a beggar. "But Jimmy, it's not like you to run away."
"Leaving first thing tomorrow."
She pursed her already puckered lips, giving the optical illusion that she wanted to be kissed. But as Payne knew, she was processing information. After a moment, she said, "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Maybe let Adam sleep over tonight."
A shudder went through her body, as if an icy wind had chilled her. "Not this again, Jimmy. Please."
"I'm not gonna kidnap him or anything. I'll take him to school tomorrow and—"
She slapped him. Hard. An open palm against the face, a crack as if she'd smacked the volleyball. He staggered a step backward.
"Hey, Detective Payne," a man called out. "Careful, or I'll bust you for assault." Two other men hooted and honked like migrating geese.
The wise guy was Detective Eugene Rigney. A pair of plainclothes buddies with him, heading for the restaurant.
Payne didn't think about what he did next. He just did it. Leapt at Rigney, wrapped both hands around his neck, knocked him back into the restaurant window, the glass shuddering.
Payne heard himself screaming "bastard" and "suckered me" and "nothing left."
"I got nothing left!"
Heard Sharon, too, shouting at him to stop.
Saw the startled look in Rigney's eyes, his hands clawing at Payne's fingers.
Felt sparks flash down his spine, one of the other cops slugging him in the back of the neck. Then a punch to the kidneys that loosened Payne's grip and dropped him to the pavement. Then the hard-shoed kicks. His back. His gut. Inches from his nuts. Cops were great kickers.
He curled into a ball, protecting the family jewels with one hand, his patched leg with the other.
"Stop it!" Sharon shouted, pulling the men off him.
Rigney was coughing and squawking, his voice hoarse. "You fucking loser. If your ex wasn't a cop, I'd toast your ass right here."
"We oughta arrest him," one of his buddies said. "Assaulting an officer."
Sharon got between the men and Payne, who was on all fours, struggling to get to one knee. "Go eat lunch, guys," she told them. "No harm, no foul."
"No harm?" Payne said. "I think I have internal injuries."
"Shut up, Atticus."
Rigney spat on the sidewalk, muttered several multi-syllable words that all seemed to have "mother" in them, then led his pals inside.
Sharon crouched down and cradled Payne's head in her palms. Her hands felt cool to the touch on his blazing cheeks. He thought he might cry.
Jeez, what's wrong with me?
When she spoke, her voice was as sweet as a lover's lament. "Jimmy, I want you to get some help."
"I'll be fine once I piss some blood."
"Not what I'm talking about. You know what I mean."
"What?"
She pulled his face to her chest, his chin resting between her breasts. He could stay here a while. Like forever.
"Oh, Jimmy. Baby . . ."
Oh, man. How long since she called him that, her voice soft as a feather? How long since her eyes shone like
"So, why are you here?"
He just blurted it out. "I'm gonna change my life."
"Too little, too late. And too unbelievable."
"I mean it this time. Going someplace where I can get a fresh start."
She studied him a second as a sixteen-wheeler drove by, grinding its gears. "Are you asking me to go along? To hit the road, get a fresh start with you?"
Her questions hung there like a colorful piñata, so he took a whack with his best swing. "It's occurred to me. Change is good, right? And you're stuck in a rut at the Department. So, why not go for some excitement?"
"First, because I love my work. Second, I'm engaged to Cullen."
"Funny, you didn't say you love Cullen."
"Stop it, Jimmy."
"Okay. Okay. I just thought that you and me and Adam—"
"Dammit! You need to get some help, Jimmy. Face the facts."
They were both quiet a moment. Then her face softened. "I'm sorry. You must be hurting. I heard about Judge Rollins."
"Yeah. It stinks."
She gave him a look both tender and compassionate, a queen tossing alms to a beggar. "But Jimmy, it's not like you to run away."
"Leaving first thing tomorrow."
She pursed her already puckered lips, giving the optical illusion that she wanted to be kissed. But as Payne knew, she was processing information. After a moment, she said, "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"Maybe let Adam sleep over tonight."
A shudder went through her body, as if an icy wind had chilled her. "Not this again, Jimmy. Please."
"I'm not gonna kidnap him or anything. I'll take him to school tomorrow and—"
She slapped him. Hard. An open palm against the face, a crack as if she'd smacked the volleyball. He staggered a step backward.
"Hey, Detective Payne," a man called out. "Careful, or I'll bust you for assault." Two other men hooted and honked like migrating geese.
The wise guy was Detective Eugene Rigney. A pair of plainclothes buddies with him, heading for the restaurant.
Payne didn't think about what he did next. He just did it. Leapt at Rigney, wrapped both hands around his neck, knocked him back into the restaurant window, the glass shuddering.
Payne heard himself screaming "bastard" and "suckered me" and "nothing left."
"I got nothing left!"
Heard Sharon, too, shouting at him to stop.
Saw the startled look in Rigney's eyes, his hands clawing at Payne's fingers.
Felt sparks flash down his spine, one of the other cops slugging him in the back of the neck. Then a punch to the kidneys that loosened Payne's grip and dropped him to the pavement. Then the hard-shoed kicks. His back. His gut. Inches from his nuts. Cops were great kickers.
He curled into a ball, protecting the family jewels with one hand, his patched leg with the other.
"Stop it!" Sharon shouted, pulling the men off him.
Rigney was coughing and squawking, his voice hoarse. "You fucking loser. If your ex wasn't a cop, I'd toast your ass right here."
"We oughta arrest him," one of his buddies said. "Assaulting an officer."
Sharon got between the men and Payne, who was on all fours, struggling to get to one knee. "Go eat lunch, guys," she told them. "No harm, no foul."
"No harm?" Payne said. "I think I have internal injuries."
"Shut up, Atticus."
Rigney spat on the sidewalk, muttered several multi-syllable words that all seemed to have "mother" in them, then led his pals inside.
Sharon crouched down and cradled Payne's head in her palms. Her hands felt cool to the touch on his blazing cheeks. He thought he might cry.
Jeez, what's wrong with me?
When she spoke, her voice was as sweet as a lover's lament. "Jimmy, I want you to get some help."
"I'll be fine once I piss some blood."
"Not what I'm talking about. You know what I mean."
"What?"
She pulled his face to her chest, his chin resting between her breasts. He could stay here a while. Like forever.
"Oh, Jimmy. Baby . . ."
Oh, man. How long since she called him that, her voice soft as a feather? How long since her eyes shone like
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