Part 13 (1/2)
”You don't want coffee. You bring that fax number with you?”
”Of course not, why would I do that?”
”Because my partner told you to get rid of it and you didn't. So now you will. No copies, nothing.”
”I don't see why it's such a big deal,” she said. She hadn't started driving yet, since Parker had climbed in.
”You don't have to see,” he told her, and nodded at the winds.h.i.+eld. ”Drive on, don't be conspicuous.”
”This isn't the way it was supposed to be,” she said, but she put the Infiniti in gear and drove it through the parking area, a moving advertis.e.m.e.nt for milk.
”We can do it one of two ways,” Parker told her. ”We can drive to your place, you go in and get the number, and any copies you made, and bring it out and give it to me. Or you can take me back to my car and I'll go to your house myself and search a little.”
”Oh, my G.o.d, no.” The threat seemed to raise a host of horrible visions in her mind. ”All right,” she said. ”We'll go there, I'll get the number.”
”Along the way,” he said, ”you can tell me what this meeting's about.”
She frowned, not speaking, and steered them out of the rest area and eastward on the Ma.s.sPike. Up to eighty, along with everybody else, she said, ”The policewoman knows I did it.”
”You're out walking around,” he said.
”She can't prove prove I did it, but she I did it, but she knows knows I did it. She doesn't know why. Jake's tried to convince her it was because he wouldn't come back to me, and that I wasn't really trying to kill him, I was just trying to make him pay attention to me, but she isn't sure she buys it. She isn't dumb.” I did it. She doesn't know why. Jake's tried to convince her it was because he wouldn't come back to me, and that I wasn't really trying to kill him, I was just trying to make him pay attention to me, but she isn't sure she buys it. She isn't dumb.”
”That's too bad,” Parker said.
Elaine Langen gave him a quick sidelong glance. ”Because I am?” When he didn't answer, she said, ”As soon as there's a robbery, she'll know Jake was lying, she'll know we're both involved.”
”As you say,” Parker said, ”she can't prove it.”
”Maybe she can.” Elaine Langen was very upset. ”She'll know know it, and she'll poke and pry, she'll look for inconsistencies, she'll question me and question me, and I don't know if-” it, and she'll poke and pry, she'll look for inconsistencies, she'll question me and question me, and I don't know if-”
”Don't say that,” Parker said.
She looked at him, not understanding. ”Don't say what?”
”Don't say you'll cave in and tell this woman everything you know,” Parker told her. ”Don't say that to me, don't say it to my partner, don't even say it to Jake.”
”But I don't-”
”Whichever one of us you say it to,” Parker interrupted, ”will kill you.”
She swerved, the car jolting as she stared at him.
”Stay in your lane. You don't want to attract a trooper.”
”No, I-” She controlled the car, but not herself. Leaning forward over the wheel, staring wide-eyed and openmouthed out the winds.h.i.+eld, as though seeing some horror on the far horizon, she said, ”How can you say that? How can you just say a thing like that?”
”Because it doesn't have to happen. I'm giving you advice, Mrs. Langen. You're in something very deep. It's over your head out here. You gotta keep swimming. If you don't keep swimming, you're gonna drown. No use blaming me for it, or my partner, or Jake. You swim, or you drown.”
”You drown me.”
”Easily. You're dead before you can worry about it.”
They had reached the exit. She steered the Infiniti down the ramp, and Parker pointed at a diner some distance away. ”Pull into the parking lot there.”
”I'm afraid to stop.”
”I don't have that fax number yet. Pull in.”
She pulled in, switching off the engine, and sat with both hands on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the dashboard. ”What now?”
”You were going to say,” Parker told her, ”call it off, the cops are too close, they're suspicious already, we can't go through with it.”
Blazing up, forgetting to be terrified, she turned her head to glare at him, fingers clutching the wheel even tighter as she said, ”That's right! And it's true, they are are. They're suspicious, they believe I shot Jake, they don't really buy the reason Jake gave them, if this robbery happens they'll know that's the reason. They'll just come after me. I don't know how strong I am.”
Parker said, ”Remember you decided, my partner and me, we're good cop, bad cop?”
She didn't follow. ”Yes?”
”This woman cop you've got.”
”Detective Second Grade Gwen Reversa.”
”Is she good cop or bad cop?”
”Good, at least so far. I mean, she's on her own. So there is no bad cop.”
”Yes, there is,” Parker said. ”Me.”
The look she gave him turned bleak.
Parker said, ”Everything she says to you, every hour she spends on you, just keep reminding yourself. This is the good cop. The bad cop is out there, and he's not very far away, and he doesn't go for second chances.”
”I'm sure you don't.” Her voice now was a whisper, as though all strength had been drained from her.
”The bad cop is nearby.”
She closed her eyes and nodded.
”Talk to the good cop all you want,” Parker said. ”But always think about the bad cop.”
”I will.” Whispered again, this time almost a prayer.
”Good,” Parker said. ”Let's drive to your house, you can get me that fax number and drive me back to my car.”
She nodded, and started the engine.