Chutsky gave a small snort as if he thought I was joking and he got it. Yeah, that’s right, he said. So where are you thinking he might be, buddy?

Actually, I’m not thinking about it at all, I said.

Dexter, Deborah said with a warning tone in her voice.

Chutsky frowned. It was a very strange expression without eyebrows. What do you mean? he said.

I mean, I don’t see why it’s my problem anymore. I don’t see why I or even we have to find him. He got what he wanted—won’t he just finish up and go home?

Is he kidding? Chutsky asked Deborah, and if he’d only had eyebrows they would have been raised.

He doesn’t like Doakes, Deborah said.

Yeah, but listen, Doakes is one of our guys, Chutsky said to me.

Not one of mine, I said.

Chutsky shook his head. All right, that’s your problem, he said. But we still have to find this guy. There’s a political side to this whole thing, and it’s deep doo-doo if we don’t collar him.

Okay, I said. But why is it my problem? And it seemed like a very reasonable question to me, although to see his reaction you would have thought I wanted to fire bomb an elementary school.

Jesus Christ, he said, and he shook his head in mock admiration. You really are a piece of work, buddy.

Dexter, Deborah said. Look at us. I did look, at Deb in her cast and Chutsky with his twin stumps. To be honest, they did not look terribly fierce. We need your help, she said.

But Debs, really.

Please, Dexter, she said, knowing full well that I found it very hard to refuse her when she used that word.

Debs, come on, I said. You need an action hero, somebody who can kick down the door and storm in with guns blazing. I’m just a mild-mannered forensics geek.

She crossed the room and stood in front of me, inches away. I know what you are, Dexter, she said softly. Remember? And I know you can do this. She put her hand on my shoulder and lowered her voice even farther, almost whispering. Kyle needs this, Dex. Needs to catch Danco. Or he’ll never feel like a man again. That’s important to me. Please, Dexter?

And after all, what can you do when the big guns come out? Except summon your reserves of goodwill and wave the white flag gracefully.

All right, Debs, I said.

Freedom is such a fragile, fleeting thing, isn’t it?

Dexter 2 – Dearly Devoted Dexter

CHAPTER 28