بخش 03 - فصل 53

53

Hodges and Jerome run across the baseball field. Jerome is pulling ahead, but Hodges isn’t too far behind. Jerome stops at the edge of the sorry little basketball court and points to a green Subaru parked near the loading dock. Hodges reads the vanity license plate – BOOKS4U – and nods.

They have just started moving again when they hear a furious yell from inside: ‘Where are you, you fucking son of a whore?’

That’s got to be Bellamy. The fucking son of a whore is undoubtedly Peter Saubers. The boy let himself in with his father’s key, which means the front door is open. Hodges points to himself, then to the Rec. Jerome nods, but says in a low voice, ‘You have no gun.’

‘True enough, but my thoughts are pure and my strength is that of ten.’

‘Huh?’

‘Stay here, Jerome. I mean it.’

‘You sure?’

‘Yes. You don’t happen to have a knife, do you? Even a pocketknife?’

‘No. Sorry.’

‘All right, then look around. Find a bottle. There must be some, kids probably come back here to drink beer after dark. Break it and then slash you some tires. If this goes sideways, he’s not using Halliday’s car to get away.’

Jerome’s face says he doesn’t much care for the possible implications of this order. He grips Hodges’s arm. ‘No kamikaze runs, Bill, you hear me? Because you have nothing to make up for.’

‘I know.’

The truth is he knows nothing of the kind. Four years ago, a woman he loved died in an explosion that was meant for him. There’s not a day that goes by when he doesn’t think of Janey, not a night when he doesn’t lie in bed thinking, If only I had been a little quicker. A little smarter.

He hasn’t been quick enough or smart enough this time, either, and telling himself that the situation developed too quickly isn’t going to get those kids out of the potentially lethal jam they’re in. All he knows for sure is that neither Tina nor her brother can die on his watch today. He’ll do whatever he needs to in order to prevent that from happening.

He pats the side of Jerome’s face. ‘Trust me, kiddo. I’ll do my part. You just take care of those tires. You might yank some plug wires while you’re at it.’

Hodges starts away, looking back just once when he reaches the corner of the building. Jerome is watching him unhappily, but this time he’s staying put. Which is good. The only thing worse than Bellamy killing Peter and Tina would be if he killed Jerome.

He goes around the corner and runs to the front of the building.

This door, like the one at 23 Sycamore Street, is standing open.