Part 2 (1/2)
”Omega?”
”It's a women's organization in Evanston. They run a shelter service for abused women. We set up safe houses and move women in and out of them. Hide them from the a.s.sholes trying to beat them up until they can make other arrangements.”
”And you work there?”
”I volunteer. One night we were taking a woman out of her house and the husband showed up drunk. Bashed in my winds.h.i.+eld with a baseball bat.”
”Did you get her out?”
”You bet. I wrote a couple of articles about it for one of my cla.s.ses.”
”Holy s.h.i.+t. I'd like to read them.”
Sarah touched my hand, and I felt my heart jump. ”Thanks, Ian. I'll show them to you. Anyway, that's why I got into this seminar. My teacher loved the stories and pushed for me. Actually, it's kind of ironic now that I think about it.”
”What's that?”
”Me trying to help abused women and hooking up with a jerk like Kyle.”
”You can't quit, Sarah. Not after one cla.s.s.”
”Who said anything about quitting?”
”You just told me you weren't good enough.”
”Oh. I was just venting. I'm plenty good.”
”So you're not gonna quit?”
”And let Jake Havens get the last laugh. Please.” She tipped her eyes toward the front door. ”Speak of the devil.”
I turned and looked. Jake Havens had slipped onto a stool and ordered himself a drink.
Havens was staring at a line of bottles behind the bar. Light glinted off the gla.s.s. I tapped him on the shoulder. It was a workingman's shoulder, full of knotted muscle, tendon, and sinew. Havens turned a fraction.
”What's up?”
”Thought you might like to come over for a drink?”
Havens nodded to the booth and Sarah, alone in it. ”You two pals?” Up close his features were hard and clean, betraying no real interest in the question he'd just asked or whatever response might come back.
”We went to undergrad together,” I said.
”I figured that.” Havens picked up his pint and led the way back to Sarah. Like it was his idea and I could come along if I wanted.
”Sarah Gold. Like the name.” He slid into the booth and immediately owned it. I pulled up a chair. It was almost five now, and Nevin's was filling with an after-cla.s.s, happy-hour vibe. Everything seemed to dim, however, as Havens leaned across the table.
”That your boyfriend who was in here?”
”My ex.”
”You got a lot of ghosts following you around?”
”Excuse me?”
”Forget it.” Havens took a sip of his beer. ”What did you think of today?”
”Honestly?” Sarah said. ”I thought there'd be more guidance.”
”You mean hand-holding?”
She threw Havens's condescension back at him with a smirk of her own. He'd have to do a lot better if he wanted to get under Sarah's skin. Or anywhere else, for that matter.
”I'd think she might want to set up some parameters for our research,” Sarah said. ”Maybe an overview. A little more background on cases she'd like us to look at. A section of the country to focus on.”
”I already have a case.”
”So you told us.” Sarah's eyes brushed mine, then danced away.
”Why don't you take a look?” Havens pulled his backpack onto the table.
”Actually, I've got to get going.” Sarah was on her feet, looking down at Havens, making him seem suddenly small. And being infuriatingly nice about it. Inside, I was tickled. Havens took it in stride.
”Z just e-mailed me. She got the okay from the clerk's office for tomorrow. It's a Sat.u.r.day, but I guess the county people are there in the morning. You guys have cars?”
We both nodded. Sarah slumped into the booth. Havens was back in control.
”Here's what I'm thinking,” he said. ”One of us takes the records center. Goes through all the paper files on Harrison and pulls out whatever's relevant. The other two go to the evidence warehouse. See what's there.”
”I'll take the records center,” Sarah said.
I looked over at her. ”Evidence warehouse sounds like more fun.”
”Picking through the b.l.o.o.d.y clothes of a dead little boy? No thanks.”
Havens shrugged. ”Fine with me. I'll e-mail the addresses to both of you. They open at nine. Z suggested we get there first thing. Joyce, why don't I meet you there ...”
Sarah's head snapped to one side as Kyle Brennan slammed back into the booth beside her. He had both elbows on the table and his nose pressed close to her cheek. ”Miss me?”
Sarah looked more embarra.s.sed than alarmed and pushed at her ex's forearm. He crowded in closer.
”f.u.c.k these losers. Let's get out of here. Head into the city.” Brennan put a hand on her shoulder. His other went under the table.
”Kyle, no.”
”Hey, a.s.shole.” I made a move toward Brennan, not really sure what I hoped to accomplish once I got there. Fortunately, Havens beat me to it.
He dragged Brennan out of the booth and put him on his belly. It took all of three seconds. Brennan flopped like a fish at the bottom of a boat. Havens kept a knee in his spine and a forearm across the back of his neck. ”You need to calm down.” Havens cinched his knee down a touch so the side of Brennan's face pressed flat against the sticky barroom floor. There was a low hissing sound. That was Brennan, struggling to breathe.
”Hey, man. Let him up.” One of Brennan buddies stepped forward, but not too far.