Read Online While Galileo Preys by Joshua Corin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joshua Corin
Ads: Link
home.
As she waited for the e-mail software to load, she occupied her mild ADD by also opening her Web browser. What was happening in the world today? Her browser went to its MSNBC home page and she scanned the headlines. Earthquake in Pakistan, rally for Governor Kellerman in his home state of Ohio, Congress reinvestigating farm subsidies in Nebraska and Wyoming…
Her eyes then found the story about the shooting at the hospital.
In the kitchen, Rafe had poured himself a glass of milk. His chicken marinara had been a bit too spicy and he was hoping a cold glass would soothe his indigestion. Or perhaps, he pondered with amusement, indigestion was just symptomatic of the warm glow he had felt ever since the restaurant.
And then his wife said, “Fuck,” and began to fumble through her purse. She took out her cell phone and began dialing.
“Who are you calling?” he asked calmly. The kitchen clock read 8:26 p.m. Not terribly late. Maybe she was calling Amy Lieb. After all, they both were in that silly book club and—
“Tom,” she said. “It’s me.”
That’s right. She hadn’t called him back yet. Rafe tried not to eavesdrop, but his better angels were asleep on the job. Make sure you let him down easy, babe. We don’t need to piss off the federal government.
Esme was fiddling with her computer. “No, I just read the story. I was out with Rafe.”
Rafe sipped his milk. Good girl. Name-drop the husband.
Wait—just read what story?
“I’m checking the flights now,” she said. “The earliest I can take is a 6:05 a.m. flight out of LaGuardia. I’ll have to change planes in Dallas, but I should get into Amarillo at 11:45 a.m.”
Rafe placed the glass of milk in the sink. “Esme.”
She didn’t look at her husband, but instead put up her hand to shush him. “No, Tom. I’ll pay for it. The Bureau can reimburse me.”
“Esme.”
Rafe marched into the living room.
This time she looked at him.
“Tom, I’m going to have to call you back. Okay. Talk to you soon.”
She hung up.
Rafe stared at her. Then:
“Esme, what the hell was that?”
“Rafe, listen, there’s been another shooting. At the hospital in Texas. The fire chief, the one who survived the thing at the aquarium—the sniper walked right into the hospital and shot him.”
“So—”
“He shot Tom, too.”
Rafe could swear there were tears in her eyes. He threw up his hands in exasperation. “Tom has a very important and dangerous job. People in dangerous jobs get hurt. It happens.”
“Don’t talk to me like I’m a—”
“Then don’t act like one! Your going down there isn’t going to make him heal any faster, Esme.” He cocked his head, studied his wife for a moment. “But that’s not why you’re going down there, is it?”
She stood up. “Listen…”
“How long?”
“What?”
“How long do you plan on being away? A week? A month? Sometimes it takes the FBI years to catch these guys. Are you going to be gone a year, Esme? I need to know so when our daughter asks, I can tell her.”
“That isn’t fair.” She balled her hands into fists. “I fly down there and—what? What do you expect is going to happen? I’m going to rejoin the fucking Bureau? I’ll be there as an extra pair of eyes. I’ll be there to put in my two cents—which shouldn’t take very long—and then I’ll be on the next plane back home. I promise.”
“What about Sophie? Who’s going to pick her up after school?”
“We can let Sophie stay after school with the Kleins or the McKinleys. It’s not a big deal. I’ll call Holly McKinley right now to make sure.”
She started dialing.
Rafe wanted to smack the phone out of her hand. A part of him even wanted to smack her —and that’s what gave him pause. He would not be the villain here. He was not the one who…
But being stubborn would accomplish nothing. Correction: being stubborn would just carve out an abyss between them which would widen and deepen with time.
As she waited for the e-mail software to load, she occupied her mild ADD by also opening her Web browser. What was happening in the world today? Her browser went to its MSNBC home page and she scanned the headlines. Earthquake in Pakistan, rally for Governor Kellerman in his home state of Ohio, Congress reinvestigating farm subsidies in Nebraska and Wyoming…
Her eyes then found the story about the shooting at the hospital.
In the kitchen, Rafe had poured himself a glass of milk. His chicken marinara had been a bit too spicy and he was hoping a cold glass would soothe his indigestion. Or perhaps, he pondered with amusement, indigestion was just symptomatic of the warm glow he had felt ever since the restaurant.
And then his wife said, “Fuck,” and began to fumble through her purse. She took out her cell phone and began dialing.
“Who are you calling?” he asked calmly. The kitchen clock read 8:26 p.m. Not terribly late. Maybe she was calling Amy Lieb. After all, they both were in that silly book club and—
“Tom,” she said. “It’s me.”
That’s right. She hadn’t called him back yet. Rafe tried not to eavesdrop, but his better angels were asleep on the job. Make sure you let him down easy, babe. We don’t need to piss off the federal government.
Esme was fiddling with her computer. “No, I just read the story. I was out with Rafe.”
Rafe sipped his milk. Good girl. Name-drop the husband.
Wait—just read what story?
“I’m checking the flights now,” she said. “The earliest I can take is a 6:05 a.m. flight out of LaGuardia. I’ll have to change planes in Dallas, but I should get into Amarillo at 11:45 a.m.”
Rafe placed the glass of milk in the sink. “Esme.”
She didn’t look at her husband, but instead put up her hand to shush him. “No, Tom. I’ll pay for it. The Bureau can reimburse me.”
“Esme.”
Rafe marched into the living room.
This time she looked at him.
“Tom, I’m going to have to call you back. Okay. Talk to you soon.”
She hung up.
Rafe stared at her. Then:
“Esme, what the hell was that?”
“Rafe, listen, there’s been another shooting. At the hospital in Texas. The fire chief, the one who survived the thing at the aquarium—the sniper walked right into the hospital and shot him.”
“So—”
“He shot Tom, too.”
Rafe could swear there were tears in her eyes. He threw up his hands in exasperation. “Tom has a very important and dangerous job. People in dangerous jobs get hurt. It happens.”
“Don’t talk to me like I’m a—”
“Then don’t act like one! Your going down there isn’t going to make him heal any faster, Esme.” He cocked his head, studied his wife for a moment. “But that’s not why you’re going down there, is it?”
She stood up. “Listen…”
“How long?”
“What?”
“How long do you plan on being away? A week? A month? Sometimes it takes the FBI years to catch these guys. Are you going to be gone a year, Esme? I need to know so when our daughter asks, I can tell her.”
“That isn’t fair.” She balled her hands into fists. “I fly down there and—what? What do you expect is going to happen? I’m going to rejoin the fucking Bureau? I’ll be there as an extra pair of eyes. I’ll be there to put in my two cents—which shouldn’t take very long—and then I’ll be on the next plane back home. I promise.”
“What about Sophie? Who’s going to pick her up after school?”
“We can let Sophie stay after school with the Kleins or the McKinleys. It’s not a big deal. I’ll call Holly McKinley right now to make sure.”
She started dialing.
Rafe wanted to smack the phone out of her hand. A part of him even wanted to smack her —and that’s what gave him pause. He would not be the villain here. He was not the one who…
But being stubborn would accomplish nothing. Correction: being stubborn would just carve out an abyss between them which would widen and deepen with time.
Similar Books
