Part 5 (1/2)

I SPENT THAT WHOLE DAY at the Hall, on the phone with the field or at a grid map of the city overseeing the manhunt for Frank Coombs.We placed a watch on several of his known acquaintances and places where we thought he might run, including Tom Keating's. I did a trace on the yellow Bonneville that had picked Coombs up and ran the phone numbers found on his desk. No help there. By four, the guy who had rented the house in South San Francisco had turned himself in insisting it was the first time he had met Coombs.Coombs had no money, no belongings. No known manner of transport. Every cop in the city had his likeness. So where the h.e.l.l was he?where was Chimera? And what would he do next?I was still at my desk at seven-thirty when Jill walked in.She was only a few days out of the hospital. She had on a brown wrap raincoat, with a Coach briefcase slung over her shoulder. ”What're you still doing here?” I shook my head. ”Go home and rest.””You got a minute?” she asked.”Sure, pull up a chair. Afraid I don't have a beer to offer.”.”Don't worry” She smiled, opening her bag and removing two Sam Adamses. ”I brought my own.” She tilted one toward me.”What the h.e.l.l.” I sighed. We had no trace on Coombs, and it was clear in Jill's face that something was bothering her. I figured it was Steve, already humping some new deal, leaving her alone again.But as soon as she unzipped her case, I saw the blue personnel folder. And then a name, Boxer; Martin C.”I must've told you,” Jill said, cracking her beer and sitting herself down across from me, ”that my father was a defense lawyer back in Highland Park.””Only a hundred times.” I flashed her a smile.”Actually he was the best lawyer I ever saw. Totally prepared, unswayed by race or what a client could pay. My dad, the totally upright man. Once, I watched him work a case at night at home for six months to overturn the conviction of an itinerant lettuce farmer who was falsely convicted on a rape charge. A lot of people back then were pus.h.i.+ng my dad to run for Congress. I loved my dad. Still do.”I sat there silently, watching her eyes grow moist. She took a swig of beer. ”Took me until I was a senior in college to realize the b.a.s.t.a.r.d had cheated on my mother for twenty years. The big upstanding man, my hero.”I broke into a faint smile. ”Marty's been lying to me all along, hasn't he?”Jill nodded, pus.h.i.+ng my father's dog-eared personnel file along with a deposition across my desk. The deposition had been folded open to a page highlighted in yellow. ”You might as well read it, Lindsay.”I braced myself and, as dispa.s.sionately as I could, read through Kenneth Charles's testimony. Then I read it over again. All the while, a sinking feeling of disappointment. And then fear. My first reaction was not to believe it; anger filled me. But at the same time, I knew it had to be true. My father had lied and covered up his whole life. He had conned and bulls.h.i.+tted and disappointed anyone who ever loved him.My eyes welled up. I felt so betrayed. A tear burned its way down my cheek.”so sorry, Lindsay. Believe me, I hated to show you this.” Jill reached out a hand and I took it, squeezed hard.For the first time since becoming a cop, I had no idea what to do. I felt a chasm widening; it couldn't be filled with anything that resembled duty or responsibility or right.I shrugged, draining the last of my beer. I smiled at Jill.”So whatever happened to your father? Is he still with your mom?” ”f.u.c.k, no,” she said. ”She was so tough sometimes, so cool. I just loved her. She threw him out when I was in law school. He's been living in a two-bedroom condo in Las Colinas ever since.”I started to laugh, a painful laugh that mixed with the disappointment and the tears. When I stopped, I was left with this crushed feeling in my heart and all these questions that wouldn't go away. How much had my father known? What had he kept silent about? And finally what was his connection to Chimera?”Thanks,” I said. I squeezed Jill's hand again. ”I owe you, sweetie.””What are you going to do, Lindsay?”I folded my jacket over my arm. ”What I should've done a long time ago. I'm going to find out the truth.”

Chapter 97.

MY FATHER WAS IN THE MIDDLE of a game of solitaire when I got home.I shook my head, slightly averting my eyes. I trudged into the kitchen, pulling a Black & Tan out of the fridge. I came over and sank into the chair across from him.My father looked up, maybe feeling the heat of my eyes.”Hey, Lindsay.””I was thinking, Dad... about when you left.” He continued flipping through the deck of cards. ”Why do you want to go through that now?”I kept my gaze on him. ”You took me down to the wharf for some ices. Remember? I do. We watched the ferries coming in from Sausalito. You said something like, ''m gonna get on one of those in the next few days, b.u.t.tercup, and I won't be back for a while.' You said it was something between you and Mom. And for a while I waited. But for years I always wondered, Why did you have to leave?”My father's lips moved as if he were trying to frame a response, then he stopped.”You were dirty weren't you? It was never about you and Mom. Or the gambling, or the booze. You helped Coombs murder that boy. That's what it was all along. Why you left? Why you came back? None of it had anything to do with us. It was all about you.My father blinked, trying to spit out a reply. ”No... ””Did Mom even know? If she did, she always gave us the party line, that it was your gambling, and the alcohol.”He put down the deck of cards. His hands were trembling.”You may not believe it, Lindsay, but I always loved your mother.”I shook my head, and I wanted to get up and hit my father. ”You couldn't have. No one could hurt someone they love that much.””Yes, they can.” He wet his lips. ”I've hurt you.”We sat there, frozen in silence, for a few moments. The washed-over anger of so many years was hurtling back at me.”How did you find out?” he asked.”What does it matter? I was going to find out eventually.”He looked stunned, like a fighter hit with a solid uppercut. ”That trust, Lindsay, it's been the best thing to happen to me in twenty years.””Then why did you have to use me, Dad? You used me to get to Coombs. You and Coombs killed that boy.” ”I didn't kill him,” my father said, and shook his head back and forth, back and forth. ”I just didn't do anything to stop it.”A breath came out of him that seemed as if it had been held inside for twenty years. He told me how he had run after Coombs and found him in the alley. Coombs's hands were wrapped around Gerald Sikes's throat. ”I told you things were different then. Coombs wanted to teach him a little respect for the uniform. But he kept squeezing. ''s got something,' he told me. I shouted at him, ' go!' When I realized it had gone too far, I went for him. Coombs laughed at me. ' is my territory Marty-boy. If you're scared, get the f.u.c.k out of here.' I didn't know the kid was going to die... When Fallone came on the scene, Coombs let the kid drop and said, ' b.a.s.t.a.r.d was trying to pull a knife on me.' Tom was a vet; he sized it up fast. Told me to get lost. Coombs laughed and said, '...' No one ever disclosed my name.”My eyes stung with tears. My heart felt as if it had a rip in it. ”Oh, how could you? At least Coombs stood up. But you... you ran.”I know I ran,” he said. ”But I didn't run the other night. I was there for you.”I closed my eyes, then opened them again. ”It's truth time. You weren't there for me. You were following him. That's why you're back here. Not to protect me... to protect yourself. You came back to kill Frank Coombs.”My father's face turned ashen. He ran his hand through his thick white hair. ”Maybe at first.” He swallowed. ”But not now... It changed, Lindsay.”I shook my head. Tears were running down my cheeks, and I angrily wiped them away.”I know you think that everything that comes out of my mouth is a lie. But it's not. The other night, helping you escape, was the proudest moment of my life. You're my daughter. I love you. I always have.”My eyes were still wet, and words came out I wished I could grab back. ”I want you to go. I want you to pack up and go back to wherever you were for the past twenty years. I'm a cop, Dad, not your little b.u.t.tercup. Four people have been killed so far. You're involved somehow. And I have no idea how much you know or what you're hiding.”My father's face went slack. I could see in the evaporating glow of his eyes how much this hurt.”I want you out,” I said again. ”Right now.”I sat there, my arms folded around Martha, while he went into the guest room. A few moments later, he came out with his things packed. He looked small suddenly and alone.Martha's ears stood up. She sensed that something was wrong. She moseyed over to him, and he gently patted her head.”Lindsay, I know how much reason I've given you to hate me, but don't do this now. You've got to watch out for Coombs. He's going to come after you. Please, let me help.”My heart was breaking. I knew that the minute he walked out the door, I would never see him again.”I don't need your help,” I said. Then I whispered, ”Good-bye, Daddy.”

Chapter 98.

FRANK COOMBS leaned stiffly against a pay phone on the corner of Ninth and Bryant. His eyes were riveted on the Hall of Justice. It had all been leading here.The pain in his shoulder cut through his body as if someone were probing at the edges of the wound with a scalpel.For two days he had kept undercover, slipping down to San Bruno, hiding out. But his picture was on the front page of every paper. He had no money. He couldn't even go back and get his things.It was almost two o'clock. The afternoon sun pierced his dark gla.s.ses. There was a crowd on the front steps of the Hall. Lawyers huddling in discussions.Coombs took in a calming breath. h.e.l.l, what do I have to be afraid of? He continued to stare toward the Hall of Justice.They should be afraid.The service revolver was holstered to his waist, thanks to old faithful, Tom Keating. The clip was filled with hollow points. He extended his shooting arm. Okay. He could do this.Coombs turned toward the pay phone. He placed a quarter in the slot and dialed. No more second chances. No more waiting. This was his time. Finally, after twenty-two years in h.e.l.l.On the second ring, a voice answered, ”Homicide Detail.””Put me through to Lieutenant Boxer.”

Chapter 99.

WE HAD A LINE on one of Coombs's prison cronies who had fled to Redwood City. I was waiting for a call back.All morning, I had pushed the murder case forward while in the back of my mind I replayed the devastating scene with my father. Was I right to judge him for things that had happened twenty years before? More important, what was my father's involvement with Chimera?I was finis.h.i.+ng a sandwich at my desk when Karen stuck her head in. ”Call on line one, Lieutenant.””Redwood City?” I asked as I reached for the phone.Karen shook her head. ”This person said you would know him. Said he was an old friend of your father's.”My body stiffened. ”Put it on four,” I said. Four was the common line shared by the office. ”Start a trace, Karen. Now.”I jumped out of my chair, urgently signaling to Jacobi in the outer room. I held up four fingers, pointing to the phone.In seconds, the office exploded into a state of alert. Everybody knew this had to be Chimera.We needed ninety seconds to get a solid read on the trace.Sixty to narrow it down to a sector of town. If he was even calling from town. Lorraine, Morelli, and Chin all ran in, their faces tight with antic.i.p.ation.I picked up the phone. In the squad room, Jacobi picked up as well. ”Boxer,” I said.... Anything to keep him on the G.o.dd.a.m.n line.I looked at my watch; thirty-five seconds had gone by.”Where are you, Coombs?””Always the departmental small talk, huh, Lieutenant?I'm starting to lose some respect for you. You're supposed to be a smart chick. Make your Marty-boy proud. So tell me, how come all these people are dead and you still don't have it figured right?”I could feel him sneering at me. G.o.d, I hated this man.”What is it, Coombs? What haven't I figured out?””I heard your daddy ran out on you about the time I went to jail,” he said.I knew what he was building up to tell me. Still, I had to keep him on the line. In the outer room, Jacobi was listening, but he was also watching me.Coombs snickered. ”You probably thought that the old man was jacking off some barmaid. Or that he left some bad markers out on the street.” Coombs put on a voice of mock sympathy. ”G.o.d, it must've been tough when he took off and your mom died.””I'm going to enjoy nailing you, Coombs. I'll be there when they start the drip at San Quentin.””Too bad you won't have the chance, sweetheart. But I wanted to tell you something important. Listen. Your old man did leave markers. To me... I own them... I took the fall. For him. For the whole police department. I own them all. I did the time. But guess what, little Lindsay? I wasn't alone.”Every fiber in my body tightened. My chest nearly exploded with rage. I glanced at Jacobi. He nodded to me as if to say, a Few more beats... Keep him on.”You want me, Coombs? I saw the photo in your room. I know what you want. I'll meet you anywhere... ””You want the killer so bad, it's almost touching. But sorry, I have to pa.s.s on your offer. I've got one more date.””Coombs,” I said, glancing at the clock, ”you want me, let's go at it. Can you beat a woman, Frank? I don't think you can.””Sorry, Lieutenant. Thanks for the fun talk. But it seems like, everything that happens, you're just a tad too late. I still don't think broads belong in the department. Just an opinion.”I heard a click.I ran out into the squad room. Cappy had a line going with Dispatch. I was desperately hoping Coombs hadn't used a cell phone. Cells were the hardest to trace. One -more date... I didn't know what the h.e.l.l Coombs was threatening. What was next? What?”He's still in the city,” Cappy shouted to me. He reached for a pen. ”He's in a phone booth. They're trying to narrow it down.”The detective started to write, then he looked up. His face was screwed in disbelief. ”He's in a booth... at the corner of Ninth and Bryant.”All of our eyes met, and then everybody in the room was moving.Coombs was calling from a block away.

Chapter 100.

I STRAPPED ON MY GLOCK and yelled a call for closest available unit. Then I charged out of the office. Cappy and Jacobi trailed on my heels.Just a block away... What was Coombs going to do?I didn't wait for the elevator. I bounded down the back stairs as fast as my legs would carry me. In the lobby, I pushed through staffers and civilians standing around and burst through the gla.s.s doors leading to Bryant Street.There was the usual ma.s.s of people milling around on the front steps at lunchtime: lawyers, bondsmen, and detectives.I turned my gaze toward Ninth, craning my head to spot anything. No one who looked like Coombs. Cappy and Jacobi caught up to me.”I'll go ahead,” Cappy said.Then it hit me. One more date. Coombs was here, wasn't he? He was at the Hall of justice.”Police,” I shouted, signaling the unsuspecting crowd. ”Everybody stand alert.”I scanned through the startled crowd for his face. My Glock was at the ready. Bystanders looked at me in wide-eyed surprise. Several crouched down or started to move away.This is what I remember about what happened next:A uniformed cop came up the stairs, walking toward me. I hardly noticed; I was scanning for Coombs's face.The uniform came out of the crowd, the face obscured behind sungla.s.ses and the visor of his hat. He was holding out his hand.I focused right past him, scanning- down the street, searching for Coombs. Then I heard someone shout my name. ”Hey! Boxer!”Everything exploded on the steps of the Hall. Jacobi, Cappy, yelling, ”Gun... ”My eyes flashed toward the cop. In that instant, the strangest thing came clear to me. His blues. He was wearing a patrolman's uniform that I hadn't seen in a while. I fixed on the face, and to my shock, it was Coombs. It was Chimera. I was the date he was planning to keep.Someone spun me from behind as I raised my Glock.”Hey!” I yelled.I saw Coombs's gun spurt orange. Twice. Nothing I could do to stop it.Then everything got incredibly crazy and confused. Chaos. Terror.I know that I got off a shot before my body went numb with pain.I saw Coombs lurch forward, his gla.s.ses flying off, his gun pointed my way. He staggered, but he was still coming for me. His dark eyes glared with hate.Then a scary shooting gallery erupted in front of the Hall.A cacophony of loud, echoing pops... five, six, seven in rapid succession, coming from all directions. People were screaming, running for cover.Coombs's blue uniform erupted in bursts of bright red. Cappy and Jacobi were firing at him. His body hurtled backward, jerking with the hits. His face showed terrible pain.The air was laced with a burning cordite smell. The echo of each shot crashed in my ears.Then it was eerily quiet. The silence was startling to me.”Oh, Jesus,” I remembered saying, finding myself down on the concrete steps. I didn't know for sure if I'd been shot.Jacobi was leaning over me. ”Lindsay, stay right there. Be still.” His hands were on my shoulders, and his voice reverberated through my brain.I nodded, inventorying my body for a wound. Shouts and walls echoed all around, people rus.h.i.+ng everywhere.I reached for Warren's arm and slowly pulled myself up.He tried to give me an order: ”Lindsay, stay down. I'm telling you now.”Coombs was on his back, ruptures of crimson oozing out of his blue s.h.i.+rt.I pushed by Jacobi. I had to see Coombs, had to look into his eyes. I hoped he was still alive, because when the monster took his last breath, I wanted him staring up at me.A few uniforms had formed a protective ring around Coombs, ordering everyone to stay clear.Coombs was still alive, labored sounds escaping from his heaving chest. An EMS team came running, two techs lugging equipment. One, a woman, began ripping at Coombs's b.l.o.o.d.y s.h.i.+rt. The other was taking his pressure and setting up an IV.Our eyes met. Coombs's gaze was waxy, but then his mouth twitched into an ugly smile. He tried to say something to me.The EMS woman was backing people off, shouting out his vitals.”I have to hear what he's saying,” I told the tech. ”Giv” me a minute here.””He can't talk,” she said. ”Give him room to breathe, Lieutenant. He's dying on us!””I have to hear,” I said again, then I knelt down close.Coombs's uniform s.h.i.+rt had been cut open, a mosaic of ugly wounds exposed.His mouth quivered. He was still trying to talk. What did he want to tell me?I leaned closer, the blood on Coombs smearing my blouse. I didn't care. I put my ear close.”One last...,” he whispered. Every breath was a fight for him now. Was this how it ended? With Coombs taking his secrets straight to h.e.l.l?One last...? One last target, one last victim? I stared into his eyes, saw the hatred still there.”One last what, Coombs?” I asked”Blood bubbled out of his mouth. He took in a hard breath, husbanding the last of his strength, straining against the power of his own death.”One last surprise.” He smiled.

Chapter 101.

COOMBS WAS DEAD. It was over, thank G.o.d.I had no idea what Coombs had meant, but I wanted to spit his words back in his face. One last surprise... Whatever it was, Chimera was gone. He couldn't hurt us anymore.I hoped it didn't mean he had left' one last victim before he died.”C'mon, Lieutenant,” Jacobi muttered. He gently pulled me up.Suddenly, my legs buckled. I felt as if I had no control over the lower part of my body. I saw the look of alarm on Warren's face. ”You're hit,” he uttered, wide-eyed.I looked down at my side. Jacobi peeled back my jacket, and a wet red gash appeared on my right abdomen. All of a sudden my head began to spin. A current of nausea rose.”We need help here,” Jacobi shouted to the EMS tech. He and Cappy eased me back to the ground.I found myself staring over at Coombs, as the female tech who had peeled away the dead man's s.h.i.+rt rushed over to me.G.o.d, this was so unreal. They took off my jacket, slapped a blood pressure monitor on my arm. It was as if it were happening to somebody else.My gaze stayed fixed on the killer, the G.o.dd.a.m.n Chimera.Something a little strange, something not tracking. What was it?I pulled myself out of Jacobi's grip. ”I have to see something... ”He held me back. ”You have to stay right here, Lindsay. There's an ambulance on the way.”I pulled away from Jacobi. I got up and went over to the body. Coombs's police uniform had been peeled back off of his chest and arms. Raw wounds spotted his chest. But something was missing; something was all wrong. What was it?”Oh, my G.o.d, Warren,” I whispered. ”Look.””look at what?” Jacobi frowned. What the h.e.l.l is wrong with you?””Warren... there's no tattoo.”My mind flashed back. Claire had discovered pigment from the killer's tattoo under Estelle Chipman's fingernails.I put my hands underneath Coombs's shoulders and rolled him slightly. There was nothing on his back. No tattoos anywhere.My mind was whirling. This was unthinkable but Coombs couldn't be Chimera.Then I pa.s.sed out.

Chapter 102.

I OPENED MY EYES in a hospital room, feeling the constraining pull of the IV line stuck in my arm.Claire was standing over me.”You are a lucky girl,” she said. ”I talked to the doctors. Bullet grazed your right abdomen but didn't lodge. What you've basically got is one of the nastiest floor burns floor burns you'll ever see.” you'll ever see.””I heard floor burns go well with powder blue, don't they?” I said softly my lips parting in a weak smile.Claire nodded, tapping the taped bandage on her neck. ”So I'm told. Anyway, congratulations... You've earned yourself a cozy desk job for the next couple of weeks.””I already have a desk job, Claire,” I said. I blinked a confused look around the hospital room, then I pulled myself up into a sitting position. My side ached as if it were on fire.”You did good, girl.” Claire squeezed my arm. ”Coombs is dead, and now safely ensconced in h.e.l.l. There's a mob of people outside who want to talk with you. You're gonna have to get used to the accolades.”I closed my eyes, thinking of the misplaced attention about to come my way. Then, through the haze, it hit me. What I had discovered before I blacked out.My fingers gripped Claire's arm. ”Frank Coombs didn't have a tattoo.”She shook her head and blinked back. ”So...?”It hurt to talk, so the words came out in a whisper. ”The first murder, Claire. Estelle Chipman... She was killed by a man with a tattoo. You said it.””I could've been wrong.””You're never wrong.” I flashed my eyes.She eased back on her stool, her brow creased. ”I'm doing the autopsy on Frankie-boy Monday morning. There could be a highly pigmented section of skin, or a discoloration somewhere.”I managed a smile. ”Autopsy... ? My professional opinion is that he was shot.””Thanks.” Claire grinned. ”But someone's got to take the bullets out of him and match them up. There'll be an inquiry.””Yeah.” I blew out a gust of air and dropped my head back on the pillow. The whole incident, seeing the cop coming up to me, realizing it was Coombs, the flash of his gun, all came back to me as broken fragments.Claire stood up, brushed her suit skirt. ”You ought to get some rest. Doctor said they might release you tomorrow. I'll check back in the A.M.” She leaned down and gave me a kiss. Then she made her way to the door.”Hey, Claire...” She turned back. I wanted to say how much I loved her, how grateful I was to have such a friend. But I just smiled and said, ”Keep your eyes peeled for that tattoo.” She turned back. I wanted to say how much I loved her, how grateful I was to have such a friend. But I just smiled and said, ”Keep your eyes peeled for that tattoo.”

Chapter 103.

I SPENT THE REMAINDER of the day trying to rest. Unfortunately, a steady stream of bra.s.s and press paraded through my room. It was credit by a.s.sociation, sound bite time. Everyone wanted to have their picture taken with the wounded hero cop.The mayor stopped by, accoumpanied by his press liaison and Chief Tracchio. They held an impromptu press conference at the hospitial, praising me, citing the great work done by the city's homicide detail, the same unit they had almost pulled off the case.After the commotion finally died down, Cindy and Jill dropped in. Jill brought a single rose in a gla.s.s vase and placed it on my bedside table. ”You won't be in here long enough to warrant more.” She grinned.Cindy handed me a wrapped videotape. I opened it. Zena, the Warrior Woman. Zena, the Warrior Woman. She winked. ”I hear she does her own stunts, too.” She winked. ”I hear she does her own stunts, too.” I pulled myself up and lifted my stiff arms around them in a hug. ” I pulled myself up and lifted my stiff arms around them in a hug. ”Don't squeeze back,” I warned with a smile. squeeze back,” I warned with a smile.”They giving you any good pills?” Jill asked.”Yeah. Percocets. You should try this sometime. Definitely worth the risk.” For a moment, we all just sat there without talking. For a moment, we all just sat there without talking.”You did it, Lindsay,” Cindy said. ”You may be f.u.c.king crazy, but no one can say you're not a h.e.l.luva cop.” ”Thanks.” ”Thanks.” ”Don't think this getting-shot thing lets you out of my exclusive. I'll give you some time to recover. How's six?” ”Don't think this getting-shot thing lets you out of my exclusive. I'll give you some time to recover. How's six?” ”Right.” I chuckled. ”Bring me back a chicken enchilada from Susie's.” ”Right.” I chuckled. ”Bring me back a chicken enchilada from Susie's.” ”Doctor said we could only come in for a minute,” said Jill. ”We'll call you later.” They both smiled and backed toward the door. ”Doctor said we could only come in for a minute,” said Jill. ”We'll call you later.” They both smiled and backed toward the door.”You know where to find me, ladies.” Around five, Jacobi and Cappy stuck their heads in. Around five, Jacobi and Cappy stuck their heads in.”We were wondering where you were,” Jacobi muttered, deadpan. ”You didn't show up for the afternoon meeting.” I grinned, climbed out of bed a little stiffly. ”You guys are the heroes. All I did was dive out of the way to save my b.u.t.t.” I grinned, climbed out of bed a little stiffly. ”You guys are the heroes. All I did was dive out of the way to save my b.u.t.t.” ”s.h.i.+t.” Cappy shrugged. ”We just wanted to say that despite the fact the mayor's recommending you for the Medal of Honor, we still love you.” ”s.h.i.+t.” Cappy shrugged. ”We just wanted to say that despite the fact the mayor's recommending you for the Medal of Honor, we still love you.” I smiled, tugged at my green hospital gown, and slowly lowered myself into a chair. ”You guys got a bead on what happened?” I smiled, tugged at my green hospital gown, and slowly lowered myself into a chair. ”You guys got a bead on what happened?” ”Chimera came at you is what happened,” Jacobi said. ”He shot, we took him out. End of story.” ”Chimera came at you is what happened,” Jacobi said. ”He shot, we took him out. End of story.” I tried to remember the sequence of events. ”Who got off the shots?” I tried to remember the sequence of events. ”Who got off the shots?” ”I got four,” Jacobi said. ”Tom Perez, from Robbery, was next to me. He got off two.” ”I got four,” Jacobi said. ”Tom Perez, from Robbery, was next to me. He got off two.” I looked at Cappy. I looked at Cappy.”Two,” he added. ”But shots were coming from all around. IAB's taking statements.” ”Thanks.” I smiled gratefully. Then my expression changed. I looked hard at the two of them. ”How do you figure this? The same guy who takes out Tasha Catchings and Davidson from a hundred yards like it's a layup only ”Thanks.” I smiled gratefully. Then my expression changed. I looked hard at the two of them. ”How do you figure this? The same guy who takes out Tasha Catchings and Davidson from a hundred yards like it's a layup only grazes grazes me from point-blank range?” me from point-blank range?” Jacobi looked at me a little confused. ”Is there something you're trying to tell us, Lindsay?” Jacobi looked at me a little confused. ”Is there something you're trying to tell us, Lindsay?” I sighed. ”All along, we were looking for a guy with a tattoo, right? The same man who killed Estelle Chipman. Linchpin of the case.” I sighed. ”All along, we were looking for a guy with a tattoo, right? The same man who killed Estelle Chipman. Linchpin of the case.” They nodded blankly. They nodded blankly.”There was none on Coombs. Not a mark.” Jacobi shot a glance at Cappy, then back at me. ”What're you trying to say? That Coombs isn't our man? That we tied him in to each of the murders, found those clippings in his room, that he tried to pop you not once but twice. But that it wasn't him?” Jacobi shot a glance at Cappy, then back at me. ”What're you trying to say? That Coombs isn't our man? That we tied him in to each of the murders, found those clippings in his room, that he tried to pop you not once but twice. But that it wasn't him?” My mind wasn't working clearly. The events of the day, the medication. It was chickens.h.i.+t compared to everything that pointed clearly at him. ”I guess what I mean is, you ever know Claire Washburn to be wrong?” My mind wasn't working clearly. The events of the day, the medication. It was chickens.h.i.+t compared to everything that pointed clearly at him. ”I guess what I mean is, you ever know Claire Washburn to be wrong?” ”No.” Jacobi shook his head. ”But I don't know you to be wrong too often, either. Jeez, I can't believe I said that.” ”No.” Jacobi shook his head. ”But I don't know you to be wrong too often, either. Jeez, I can't believe I said that.” They told me to get a good night's sleep. They told me to get a good night's sleep.”My gut feeling,” Jacobi said, turning back on his way out the door, ”is that when the medication wears off and you have a chance to look at everything in the light of day, you'll see you made a pretty good bust.” I smiled at them. ”We all did.” I smiled at them. ”We all did.” That night I couldn't sleep. I lay on my back, my side throbbing, but I was also feeling the blurry warmth of a couple of Percocets. I looked around the dark room, strange, unnatural, and the truth sank in about how lucky I was to be alive. That night I couldn't sleep. I lay on my back, my side throbbing, but I was also feeling the blurry warmth of a couple of Percocets. I looked around the dark room, strange, unnatural, and the truth sank in about how lucky I was to be alive.Jacobi was right; it was was a good bust. Coombs was a murderer. All the facts played out. He had been trying to kill me at the end. a good bust. Coombs was a murderer. All the facts played out. He had been trying to kill me at the end.I shut my eyes and tried to drift off, but the tiniest voice tolled in my head. One voice, sneaking through all that was certain, all that seemed plausible.I tried to force myself to sleep, but the voice got louder.How could he have missed?

Chapter 104.

I WAS RELEASED the following morning.Jill came and got me, pulling her BMW up to the curb outside San Francisco General as they wheeled me out in a chair. The press was there. I waved to all my new pals, but I refused to talk to them. The next stop wsa home, a hug for Martha, a shower, a change of clothes.By the time I walked into room 350 at the Hall with a slightly stiff gait Monday morning, it was as if it were business as usual: The entire detail gave me a round of applause.”Game ball belongs to you, Lieutentant,” Jacobi said, handing me the brush.”C'mon” -I waved them off-”let's wait for the inquiry.” ”The inquiry? What's that gonna prove?” he said. ”Do the honors.” ”The inquiry? What's that gonna prove?” he said. ”Do the honors.” ”L.T.,” said Cappy, his eyes clear and proud, ”we've been saving it. For you.” ”L.T.,” said Cappy, his eyes clear and proud, ”we've been saving it. For you.” ”Do it, L.T.” ”Do it, L.T.” Maybe for the first time since Mercer promoted me, I felt like the head of Homicide, and that all the doubts of worth and rank I'd carried with me my whole career were markers on an old journey, miles behind. Maybe for the first time since Mercer promoted me, I felt like the head of Homicide, and that all the doubts of worth and rank I'd carried with me my whole career were markers on an old journey, miles behind.I wented over to the board were our active cases were listed and I brushed Tasha Catchings's name off the board. Art Davidson's, too.I felt filled with a quiet but exultant joy. I felt relief and satisfaction.You can't bring the dead back. You can't even make sense of why things happen. All you can do is the best you can to let the living believe their souls are at peace.The detectives circled around me and watched.I wiped Earl Mercer's name off the slate.

Chapter 105.