Decker didn’t respond right away. Finally, he said, “You want to drive, Hotshot?”

Rina smiled. “You’re doing fine, darling.”

“Jesus, how’d you talk me into letting you come?”

“Because you need another set of eyes and someone who can shoot.”

Decker whipped his head around. “What?”

Rina gasped, Decker slammed on the brakes. He almost rear-ended the car in front of him.

“You okay?” Decker said.

“Maybe I should drive, Peter.”

“I’m a fine driver,” Decker said. “What did you mean by someone who can shoot? I thought you gave up guns.”

Rina didn’t answer.

“Rina…”

Slowly she unbuttoned her jacket. She was wearing her Colt .38 snub-nose detective special inside her waistband.

Decker said, “I don’t believe it—”

“It’s not loaded—”

“Why are you so obsessed with guns? Last time you had a chance to fire it, you froze—”

“I didn’t freeze,” Rina shot back.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, oh!” Rina closed her jacket and crossed her arms. “I didn’t shoot your weirdo friend because I had this sixth sense that he wasn’t going to hurt me—”

“Oh, that’s worth a lot!”

“He didn’t, did he?”

“You didn’t know that!”

“Yes, I knew it—”

“How’d you know it—”

“I just knew—”

“You just knew—”

“Yeah, I just knew.”

Decker held up his hands and flopped them back on the steering wheel. His “weirdo friend” had been an old war buddy waiting for someone to push his self-destruct button. He’d tried to get Rina to detonate him by advancing upon her as she held a loaded gun. When she’d refused to pull the trigger, he’d taken the gun from her, aimed it at her head. But a moment later, he gave it back to her and simply walked away. Decker had known immediately what the bastard had been after. He had wanted retribution for his love murdered in the war. He blamed Decker and maybe that was justified. Decker had never told Rina about the incident. He wouldn’t ever tell her. Some things were just too painful to admit to anyone, even your wife.

He slammed on the brakes again. Rina didn’t say anything. Her silence was more potent than words.

“Rina, let me ask you something.”

“Sure.”

“Why on earth are you carrying a gun—the very one that you supposedly sold? First of all, you know I’ve got my piece, so what do you need yours for? Second, why are you carrying a weapon into an area like Crown Heights?”

“I told you it’s unloaded.”

“Then why bother bringing it? What is it with you? You have a strong desire to be Bonnie and Clyde?”

“Just Bonnie.”

“That’s not funny,” Decker said. “I find your preoccupation with guns extremely disturbing. It almost got your head blown off.”

“You’re sounding very parental.”

“Stop it, Rina.”