[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
But I didn t get hurt.
Her hand drifted to her neck.
Decker s eyes clouded with fury.
You ve been through the wringer, he said with
feeling.
Peter, I d like to go home. The boys will be back
from camp in less than twenty minutes.
Did you make a statement?
She shook her head.
Briefly tell me what happened. I ll get an official
statement from you later. All right?
She nodded and related the incident as quickly as
she could.
Rina, we re going to need the car and its contents
for evidence. Eggs, empty bottles, the whole bit. This
is going down as an assault with a deadly weapon and
possibly an armed robbery, so I d like photos and good
detailed notes. I can have one of the patrolmen drive
you home.
That s fine. She hesitated, then asked: Do you
need a photo of the egg in my hair?
Goddam assholes, he muttered. No, I saw it. I ll
record it. Look, don t say anything about this to any-
one at the yeshiva. At least keep it under wraps until
I ve talked to you officially. And it ll be a while before
I ll make it over there. I m swamped with work. It s
the heat. Brings out all the roaches. And for some
134 / Faye Kellerman
reason, this week they ve all been juveniles. The three
of us have pulled so much overtime, we re ready to
camp out at the station.
He took a long drag and blew out a wisp of smoke.
I m sorry, Peter.
Her words rang in his ears, and he shook his head
and laughed.
Will you listen to me? You ve been threatened with
a knife, and I m prattling on like some five-year-old
brat. I m the one who should be sorry.
She gave him a reassuring nod.
I ll try to be at your place by nine, he said.
I ll be at the mikvah by then.
Tell you what. I ll pick you up there and walk you
home.
She knew what the others were going to think, but
too bad. She told him to be there around ten-fifteen.
How s the new guard working out? he asked.
Fine. She laughed shakily. At the rate I m going,
I think I ll hire her as my full-time bodyguard.
Decker smiled, but he was beginning to think that
that might not be a bad idea. He loaded her into a
police car, and she rode away, thankful the kids hadn t
been there.
Call a transport vehicle, Doug? Decker asked Walsh.
One should be here in about an hour. Must be a
hell of a busy day. He turned to his part-
THE RITUAL BATH / 135
ner, Folstrom. Chris, you know Pete?
I don t think we ve ever met. The young cop exten-
ded his hand.
Decker shook it and regarded the rookie. You re
the kid who tried to bust me for running a light, he
said.
Folstrom smiled back, but his cheeks had turned
pink.
Don t worry about it. Decker grinned. The only
people who drive like that are assholes and cops. And
sometimes it s mighty hard to tell the difference.
The girl s from Jewtown? Walsh asked.
Decker winced at the reference, which now seemed
like a racial slur.
Yeah.
Was she involved in the rape case over there?
As a witness, not as the victim.
You think there might be a connection? Folstrom
asked.
Who knows?
Decker related Rina s version of the incident to the
officers. When he was done, he asked: You boys have
any details to add?
Her side of the story jibes with the good Samarit-
an s, said Doug.
Poor guy, said Folstrom. He saw the boys rousting
the girl and tried to help out. All he got for his efforts
was a bloody nose.
He s fucking lucky that is all he got, Walsh said.
And the kid pulled a knife on her? Decker asked.
136 / Faye Kellerman
Walsh nodded. By the time our unit arrived, the
other three punks had fled the scene, but this little prick
had a knife at the girl s throat.
Why didn t he split with the others? Decker asked.
Seems the little gal from Jewtown had the presence
of mind to kick him in the balls. It held him back,
delaying his escape time considerably.
Decker broke into full laughter. Good for Rina, he
thought.
She didn t tell you that? Folstrom asked.
Must have slipped her mind, Decker replied. He
stared at the prone figure on the ground until he placed
a name with the face. Cory Schmidt. A bad apple. He d
had a few minor dealings with the kid in the
past disturbing the peace, loitering, malicious mis-
chief. The punk was preordained to fuck up big, and
this time he had. He walked over to the boy and gently
poked the kid s side with the tip of his shoe.
Hey, Cory, Decker said. What s happening?
Looks like you pissed in your pants.
Fuck off, Decker. I wanna lawyer.
I am a lawyer.
I mean a real lawyer. Not some goddam pig.
You ll get a lawyer. You ll get a lawyer and your
parents, too. We re going to make sure you re well [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl rafalstec.xlx.pl
But I didn t get hurt.
Her hand drifted to her neck.
Decker s eyes clouded with fury.
You ve been through the wringer, he said with
feeling.
Peter, I d like to go home. The boys will be back
from camp in less than twenty minutes.
Did you make a statement?
She shook her head.
Briefly tell me what happened. I ll get an official
statement from you later. All right?
She nodded and related the incident as quickly as
she could.
Rina, we re going to need the car and its contents
for evidence. Eggs, empty bottles, the whole bit. This
is going down as an assault with a deadly weapon and
possibly an armed robbery, so I d like photos and good
detailed notes. I can have one of the patrolmen drive
you home.
That s fine. She hesitated, then asked: Do you
need a photo of the egg in my hair?
Goddam assholes, he muttered. No, I saw it. I ll
record it. Look, don t say anything about this to any-
one at the yeshiva. At least keep it under wraps until
I ve talked to you officially. And it ll be a while before
I ll make it over there. I m swamped with work. It s
the heat. Brings out all the roaches. And for some
134 / Faye Kellerman
reason, this week they ve all been juveniles. The three
of us have pulled so much overtime, we re ready to
camp out at the station.
He took a long drag and blew out a wisp of smoke.
I m sorry, Peter.
Her words rang in his ears, and he shook his head
and laughed.
Will you listen to me? You ve been threatened with
a knife, and I m prattling on like some five-year-old
brat. I m the one who should be sorry.
She gave him a reassuring nod.
I ll try to be at your place by nine, he said.
I ll be at the mikvah by then.
Tell you what. I ll pick you up there and walk you
home.
She knew what the others were going to think, but
too bad. She told him to be there around ten-fifteen.
How s the new guard working out? he asked.
Fine. She laughed shakily. At the rate I m going,
I think I ll hire her as my full-time bodyguard.
Decker smiled, but he was beginning to think that
that might not be a bad idea. He loaded her into a
police car, and she rode away, thankful the kids hadn t
been there.
Call a transport vehicle, Doug? Decker asked Walsh.
One should be here in about an hour. Must be a
hell of a busy day. He turned to his part-
THE RITUAL BATH / 135
ner, Folstrom. Chris, you know Pete?
I don t think we ve ever met. The young cop exten-
ded his hand.
Decker shook it and regarded the rookie. You re
the kid who tried to bust me for running a light, he
said.
Folstrom smiled back, but his cheeks had turned
pink.
Don t worry about it. Decker grinned. The only
people who drive like that are assholes and cops. And
sometimes it s mighty hard to tell the difference.
The girl s from Jewtown? Walsh asked.
Decker winced at the reference, which now seemed
like a racial slur.
Yeah.
Was she involved in the rape case over there?
As a witness, not as the victim.
You think there might be a connection? Folstrom
asked.
Who knows?
Decker related Rina s version of the incident to the
officers. When he was done, he asked: You boys have
any details to add?
Her side of the story jibes with the good Samarit-
an s, said Doug.
Poor guy, said Folstrom. He saw the boys rousting
the girl and tried to help out. All he got for his efforts
was a bloody nose.
He s fucking lucky that is all he got, Walsh said.
And the kid pulled a knife on her? Decker asked.
136 / Faye Kellerman
Walsh nodded. By the time our unit arrived, the
other three punks had fled the scene, but this little prick
had a knife at the girl s throat.
Why didn t he split with the others? Decker asked.
Seems the little gal from Jewtown had the presence
of mind to kick him in the balls. It held him back,
delaying his escape time considerably.
Decker broke into full laughter. Good for Rina, he
thought.
She didn t tell you that? Folstrom asked.
Must have slipped her mind, Decker replied. He
stared at the prone figure on the ground until he placed
a name with the face. Cory Schmidt. A bad apple. He d
had a few minor dealings with the kid in the
past disturbing the peace, loitering, malicious mis-
chief. The punk was preordained to fuck up big, and
this time he had. He walked over to the boy and gently
poked the kid s side with the tip of his shoe.
Hey, Cory, Decker said. What s happening?
Looks like you pissed in your pants.
Fuck off, Decker. I wanna lawyer.
I am a lawyer.
I mean a real lawyer. Not some goddam pig.
You ll get a lawyer. You ll get a lawyer and your
parents, too. We re going to make sure you re well [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]