In the Wrong Hands, стр. 27
Leo checked the window. As expected, it was swollen and could only open downward a few inches. No one could fit through it. He looked out. Through the leaves of the courtyard’s large maple tree, he saw a gardener pulling weeds but nothing else. No killer in sight.
He checked the remaining two rooms, including the pastor’s office. The only door left was the fire exit at the end of the hall.
“Yeah, that’s how he got out…shit.”
The guy was just a little too fast for the Dirty Harry wannabe from South Philly.
In the distance, he heard the main entrance to the sanctuary open and close… Lynch and Gomez no doubt. They were probably going to tear him a new asshole for not going to the street as instructed.
7. Sitting in Zed Zed
Silently, Arthur acknowledged that the Unjudged was Samuel’s idea, but that didn’t change the fact that, despite his strength of vision, Samuel was no war-time president. Arthur had finally come into his own. Everyone rallied behind him as he waved an invisible banner bearing the sigil of Jeremy. There was no confusion on the matter. They were at war.
Sitting in Zed Zed, once again across the street from Frankie and Jimmy’s, Arthur wished his wimp of a former advocate could see...
You’d have just let this bastard slide. I know it! Take a look! This is what you do when someone throws down the gauntlet! This is how you repay someone who is trying to take it all away from you!
The van was almost full. Traci was in the passenger’s seat. Bubbs, Rick, and Steven were in the back. Traci tapped Arthur on the shoulder and pointed down the street.
“How about that alley?”
“Too close to the bar.”
“We can’t run him all over town.”
“I said it’s too close.”
Rick spoke up.
“I don’t see what the problem is. The industrial complex is right across the bridge.”
“Too far.”
“Artie, it’s not too far. It’s just across the bridge.”
Artie turned ready to jump over the seat and pummel Rick for his impudence, but Traci got herself between them.
“Artie come on. He’s just throwing out ideas like the rest of us.”
“Fucking stupid ideas!”
Rick refused to let up.
“The industrial complex will work.”
“It fucking will not! How are we going to outrun an entire bar from here to the industrial complex, jackass?”
“You just got done saying the alley is too close!”
“Fuck you!!”
Steven and Bubbs thrust their arms in front of Rick, partially to shield him and partially to shut him up. Arthur took a sloppy swing around the back of his captain’s chair and caught Bubbs on the forearm. It was like punching a bowling ball. He let out an intimidating scream to hide the pain, but no one was fooled. He faced forward to wiggle his fingers in private.
Rick swatted away his protectors and pressed his lips together to show he’d surrendered to the futility of arguing.
At the risk of making things worse, Traci made herself heard again.
“We don’t have to run.”
Arthur didn’t have friends. His ambition, self-absorption, and general assholiness left no room. He allowed no one into his life that didn’t have something he could exploit. Bubbs had moron strength; Steven could get drugs; Rick hated cops; Traci had a devious mind and a sweet ass…and whenever she made one or the other available, Arthur paid attention.
“Explain.”
“We’ll need a patsy.”
She paused to make sure she had Arthur’s interest and approval. She had both, so she continued. She also knew she needed to clarify things for Bubbs.
“Someone will need to risk getting caught. I was thinking maybe someone…with a bicycle.”
The corners of Arthur’s mouth turned up slowly. He didn’t much relish the idea of dealing with the little puke again, but he had an inkling of where Traci was going, and he liked it.
Without taking his eyes off of her, he turned on the radio and slid his hand up her shirt. The three in the back collectively rolled their eyes, broke out the cards, and played Skat for cigarettes while Traci hopped onto Arthur’s lap and rode him like a ranked bull.
Ah! The spoils of war!
8. Father Leo’s Office
Leo sat behind his desk still recovering. Lynch sat across.
“I thought you said you were going to be at St. Matthew’s today.”
“Yes. I meant to be. Pastor Karney got called to the Diocese and asked me to hear confessions.”
Lynch had been writing in his notepad since he sat down. Leo might have felt more intimidated were he not preoccupied with adrenaline and feeling stupid.
“Do you know why?”
“Why what?”
Lynch didn’t look up.
“Why he got called to the Diocese?”
“He didn’t say specifically… (topic shift) …Jim, I hope you don’t think I was trying to throw you off my trail this morning when…”
“No, no, no. Not at all. I get it.”
He tapped his pencil on his pad and locked eyes without lifting his head.
“What I don’t get is why you were in the church when I arrived and not out on the street like I told you.”
“Oh yeah. About that… I’m a moron.”
Lynch laughed.
“Fair enough. May I guess that you wanted a look at the guy in case he got away?”
“You may, and you’d be correct.”
“I’m not gonna lie to you. It was pretty dumb, but no blood no foul. You got a Mulligan so…”
“So, in the unlikely event that I ever find myself in a similar situation again, my ass is in the parking lot.”
Lynch smiled inquisitively. He’d never heard a priest swear before. Leo read the look correctly and responded to it.
“The word ‘ass’ is in the bible you know.”
“Yes, but in the bible, it means ‘donkey,’ doesn’t it?”
“Fine, then I’ll bring my donkey to the parking lot.”
“Well played. So, what happened today?”
Leo recounted the events from the moment Constance finished her confession to the moment Lynch arrived as they were forever burned into his brain.
“Well Father, the guy has…”
Balls? Stones? Cajones?
“…nerve. I’ll give him that.”
He flipped over another page and clicked his mechanical pencil.
“Mind if we talk about Saturday, Leo?”
Do I have a choice?
Lynch started off with all the