seat behind her. It
didn’t even startle her. She’d figured he’d be the one to get it.
“God-fucking- damn it!”
“I didn’t think so. So it was all for
nothing,” she said.
“What?” Ray said. “What the hell are you
talking about?”
“Shit!” said Emil. “God dam mit! We gotta go back now.”
“ What ?”
“We gotta go back!”
“Are you fucking out of your mind?”
“You wanted to get lost again,” she said.
“Switch cars. Lose the APB. Problem is, as soon as they find him they’ll find
the registration for this car in his
wallet. So you didn’t get lost again, did you? It was all for nothing.”
“Jesus H. Christ.”
“You killed a five-year-old girl for
nothing.”
“Turn here!” said Emil.
They were coming up on a turnoff to the
right, a narrow strip of two-lane blacktop winding higher up the mountain.
Billy slowed and made the turn.
“Pull up some and kill the lights, Billy.
I want to see that car go by. Whoever it is can’t be very far behind. There
weren’t any other turns off the road between here and there. If they didn’t
stop they’ll pass us real soon. We’ve got to go back there but I want to see
them pass first. That’s it. Kill the goddamn lights.”
They waited and Billy fidgeted beside
her, tapping at the wheel with his thumbs to some music unheard by them while
Emil, Ray and Marion watched through the rear window and Janet sat there
staring straight into the dark, feeling strangely calmer now as though
something had changed between them, some reconfiguration of their tableau and
the odds against her. Though nothing had changed, really.
They waited and nobody came. The road
behind them dark and silent.
‘They stopped, didn’t they,” said Billy.
“They stopped back there. They’re viewing the whole image.” “Shut up, Billy.”
“Shit! Shit! Shit!”
“I said shut the fuck up, Billy.”
“He’s right,” said Marion. “They’d have
passed by now if they hadn’t stopped. Billy’s right.”
“I know he’s right for chrissake. I just
want a minute 10 figure this thing, okay?”
“What do you suggest, Counselor ?” said Ray.
“ Counselor ?”
“She’s a lawyer.”
“What?”
“She’s a lawyer. She told me.”
“No shit. And you knew this how long?”
“Since before we went to her place. While
you and her lady friend here were out in the bushes.”
She could feel the rush of anger behind
her, then just is quickly sensed him gain control again.
“You ought to have told me, Ray.”
He sighed.
“Well, we got maybe two more hours till
dawn, three to the state line. So I figure the state line’s out for tonight.
And yeah, she’s right. We’ve got to assume they’ll make this car once they find
him. For all we know whoever the asshole is is already
calling it in. So we need another car or a place or preferably both. Maggie’s
is out because they know she’s with us and her place is probably out for the
same reason. So your question’s pretty good, Ray. What do you fucking suggest, Counselor? And don’t say give yourselves up
or I’ll figure you’re too damn stupid to be a lawyer.”
“You think I should help you?”
“I’d say it’s in your goddamn best
interests, yeah.” - And she knew he thought she was considering his threat. But
she wasn’t.
She was considering something else
entirely.
So that when she spoke the hesitancy in
her voice was phony but not the least untrue .
She was a trial lawyer and part of lawyering was
about performance and the correct and useful stance so she knew damn well it
wouldn’t show.
“Okay ... all right. I know a place. It might work anyhow.”
“So tell.”
“You ever hear of a place called
Hole-in-the-Wall?” she said, and then turned toward him.
He was smiling.
* * *
The night was awash in artificial light.
Police flashlights slow-arced through the scrub and field along either side of
the road. Flashbulbs burst sudden and stark against the human ruins
didn’t even startle her. She’d figured he’d be the one to get it.
“God-fucking- damn it!”
“I didn’t think so. So it was all for
nothing,” she said.
“What?” Ray said. “What the hell are you
talking about?”
“Shit!” said Emil. “God dam mit! We gotta go back now.”
“ What ?”
“We gotta go back!”
“Are you fucking out of your mind?”
“You wanted to get lost again,” she said.
“Switch cars. Lose the APB. Problem is, as soon as they find him they’ll find
the registration for this car in his
wallet. So you didn’t get lost again, did you? It was all for nothing.”
“Jesus H. Christ.”
“You killed a five-year-old girl for
nothing.”
“Turn here!” said Emil.
They were coming up on a turnoff to the
right, a narrow strip of two-lane blacktop winding higher up the mountain.
Billy slowed and made the turn.
“Pull up some and kill the lights, Billy.
I want to see that car go by. Whoever it is can’t be very far behind. There
weren’t any other turns off the road between here and there. If they didn’t
stop they’ll pass us real soon. We’ve got to go back there but I want to see
them pass first. That’s it. Kill the goddamn lights.”
They waited and Billy fidgeted beside
her, tapping at the wheel with his thumbs to some music unheard by them while
Emil, Ray and Marion watched through the rear window and Janet sat there
staring straight into the dark, feeling strangely calmer now as though
something had changed between them, some reconfiguration of their tableau and
the odds against her. Though nothing had changed, really.
They waited and nobody came. The road
behind them dark and silent.
‘They stopped, didn’t they,” said Billy.
“They stopped back there. They’re viewing the whole image.” “Shut up, Billy.”
“Shit! Shit! Shit!”
“I said shut the fuck up, Billy.”
“He’s right,” said Marion. “They’d have
passed by now if they hadn’t stopped. Billy’s right.”
“I know he’s right for chrissake. I just
want a minute 10 figure this thing, okay?”
“What do you suggest, Counselor ?” said Ray.
“ Counselor ?”
“She’s a lawyer.”
“What?”
“She’s a lawyer. She told me.”
“No shit. And you knew this how long?”
“Since before we went to her place. While
you and her lady friend here were out in the bushes.”
She could feel the rush of anger behind
her, then just is quickly sensed him gain control again.
“You ought to have told me, Ray.”
He sighed.
“Well, we got maybe two more hours till
dawn, three to the state line. So I figure the state line’s out for tonight.
And yeah, she’s right. We’ve got to assume they’ll make this car once they find
him. For all we know whoever the asshole is is already
calling it in. So we need another car or a place or preferably both. Maggie’s
is out because they know she’s with us and her place is probably out for the
same reason. So your question’s pretty good, Ray. What do you fucking suggest, Counselor? And don’t say give yourselves up
or I’ll figure you’re too damn stupid to be a lawyer.”
“You think I should help you?”
“I’d say it’s in your goddamn best
interests, yeah.” - And she knew he thought she was considering his threat. But
she wasn’t.
She was considering something else
entirely.
So that when she spoke the hesitancy in
her voice was phony but not the least untrue .
She was a trial lawyer and part of lawyering was
about performance and the correct and useful stance so she knew damn well it
wouldn’t show.
“Okay ... all right. I know a place. It might work anyhow.”
“So tell.”
“You ever hear of a place called
Hole-in-the-Wall?” she said, and then turned toward him.
He was smiling.
* * *
The night was awash in artificial light.
Police flashlights slow-arced through the scrub and field along either side of
the road. Flashbulbs burst sudden and stark against the human ruins
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