polished to a bright shine. Soulless.
‘Partners,’ she said. ‘Names.’
He didn’t answer.
She pressed the muzzle against his forehead, blood pumping through her limbs.
Ben didn’t flinch.
‘I… I… will… ah…
‘Oh, I definitely think you’ll kill me. You shot your way inside the house, shot me in the thigh – and you did one hell of a job taking down my friend. You’re a regular Calamity Jane, blazing new frontiers.’ His voice was surprisingly calm. ‘Nobody learns to shoot like that unless they’re a cop. You still on the force, sweetheart? I’m assuming you are, since you go around carrying that big gun you’ve got.’
She didn’t answer. She had retired from her patrolman days after Carter was born. After Dan had died, she carried the Magnum with her everywhere. For protection.
‘Why… ah… woman and… ah… boy… ah –’
‘Are you asking me what I was doing inside the house?’
She nodded.
‘That’s confidential information,’ he said. ‘Sorry.’
‘Man… ah… ah… who drove… ah… you, was… ah… he… ah –’
‘Take a look at this from my point of view. I have something you need – the missing pieces of the puzzle, you could say. I give it to you and you blow my brains out and you, what, leave my body in the boot? Is that the plan?’
Jamie didn’t answer. When she had indulged in this fantasy, she’d always imagined Ben begging for his life. She’d imagined him crying and screaming. Sometimes she’d imagined him pious and remorseful, reduced to a blubbering, child-like state where he confessed all of his sins. But now, in real life, out in the hot, dark woods buzzing with mosquitoes, Ben was acting as if having a gun pressed to his head was normal. As if he’d been in this exact situation before and knew how to play it.
‘I’m gonna let you in on a secret,’ Ben said. ‘I’m a cop.’
13
‘Cop,’ Jamie repeated.
Ben grinned, flashing his bloody teeth. ‘Glad to see that bullet I put in your head didn’t impair your hearing.’
A sensation like slicing razor blades ran up her spine, reached the base of her skull and then made its way through the scarred meat of her brain. Brought her back to the place she had lived every day since the shootings – a space of perpetual darkness where the air felt like concrete blocks stacked against her skin, her bones threatening to crack with each breath.
‘Badge,’ she said.
‘I’m more of the undercover variety, so I don’t carry one. Bad for business.’
Her heart banged away inside her chest.
Ben licked his swollen, bloody lips. ‘I don’t expect you to take my word for it, so here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to give you a number to call, and this person will explain the facts of life to you. You got a phone?’
She had left it inside the minivan. Driving to Belham, she had called Michael to tell him she was still at the hospital and wouldn’t be home until late; she asked him to give Carter a bath. She’d tossed the phone on the passenger seat and forgotten about it until now, her focus on tailing the BMW without being spotted.
‘A simple yes or no will do,’ Ben said.
‘My… ah… husband.’
‘Danny.’ Ben saying it as if they had been the closest of friends.
‘Why… you… ah… did you –’
‘The person you’re about to call will explain everything. Let me know when you’re ready to start dialling. If you don’t have a phone, you can borrow mine. It’s in my right-front pocket.’
Jamie didn’t move – was suddenly afraid to move. Something about the way Ben had shifted the tables on her, dictating what he wanted her to do in that calm voice of his, kept her feet planted.
‘Tell… me.’
‘The number is six one seven, two –’
‘No,’ she said. ‘Husband. Why?’
‘You’ve got to speak to my man. He can –’
‘No. You… ah… ah… explain.’
‘I understand you’re pissed and want your questions answered right now. Don’t
‘Partners,’ she said. ‘Names.’
He didn’t answer.
She pressed the muzzle against his forehead, blood pumping through her limbs.
Ben didn’t flinch.
‘I… I… will… ah…
‘Oh, I definitely think you’ll kill me. You shot your way inside the house, shot me in the thigh – and you did one hell of a job taking down my friend. You’re a regular Calamity Jane, blazing new frontiers.’ His voice was surprisingly calm. ‘Nobody learns to shoot like that unless they’re a cop. You still on the force, sweetheart? I’m assuming you are, since you go around carrying that big gun you’ve got.’
She didn’t answer. She had retired from her patrolman days after Carter was born. After Dan had died, she carried the Magnum with her everywhere. For protection.
‘Why… ah… woman and… ah… boy… ah –’
‘Are you asking me what I was doing inside the house?’
She nodded.
‘That’s confidential information,’ he said. ‘Sorry.’
‘Man… ah… ah… who drove… ah… you, was… ah… he… ah –’
‘Take a look at this from my point of view. I have something you need – the missing pieces of the puzzle, you could say. I give it to you and you blow my brains out and you, what, leave my body in the boot? Is that the plan?’
Jamie didn’t answer. When she had indulged in this fantasy, she’d always imagined Ben begging for his life. She’d imagined him crying and screaming. Sometimes she’d imagined him pious and remorseful, reduced to a blubbering, child-like state where he confessed all of his sins. But now, in real life, out in the hot, dark woods buzzing with mosquitoes, Ben was acting as if having a gun pressed to his head was normal. As if he’d been in this exact situation before and knew how to play it.
‘I’m gonna let you in on a secret,’ Ben said. ‘I’m a cop.’
13
‘Cop,’ Jamie repeated.
Ben grinned, flashing his bloody teeth. ‘Glad to see that bullet I put in your head didn’t impair your hearing.’
A sensation like slicing razor blades ran up her spine, reached the base of her skull and then made its way through the scarred meat of her brain. Brought her back to the place she had lived every day since the shootings – a space of perpetual darkness where the air felt like concrete blocks stacked against her skin, her bones threatening to crack with each breath.
‘Badge,’ she said.
‘I’m more of the undercover variety, so I don’t carry one. Bad for business.’
Her heart banged away inside her chest.
Ben licked his swollen, bloody lips. ‘I don’t expect you to take my word for it, so here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to give you a number to call, and this person will explain the facts of life to you. You got a phone?’
She had left it inside the minivan. Driving to Belham, she had called Michael to tell him she was still at the hospital and wouldn’t be home until late; she asked him to give Carter a bath. She’d tossed the phone on the passenger seat and forgotten about it until now, her focus on tailing the BMW without being spotted.
‘A simple yes or no will do,’ Ben said.
‘My… ah… husband.’
‘Danny.’ Ben saying it as if they had been the closest of friends.
‘Why… you… ah… did you –’
‘The person you’re about to call will explain everything. Let me know when you’re ready to start dialling. If you don’t have a phone, you can borrow mine. It’s in my right-front pocket.’
Jamie didn’t move – was suddenly afraid to move. Something about the way Ben had shifted the tables on her, dictating what he wanted her to do in that calm voice of his, kept her feet planted.
‘Tell… me.’
‘The number is six one seven, two –’
‘No,’ she said. ‘Husband. Why?’
‘You’ve got to speak to my man. He can –’
‘No. You… ah… ah… explain.’
‘I understand you’re pissed and want your questions answered right now. Don’t
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