BooksBarbecue
Back Die Next Save as PDF
Chapters (97)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. SIX MONTHS LATER
  25. 20.
  26. 21.
  27. 22.
  28. 23.
  29. 24.
  30. 25.
  31. 26.
  32. 27.
  33. 28.
  34. 29.
  35. 30.
  36. 31.
  37. 32.
  38. 33.
  39. 34.
  40. 35.
  41. 36.
  42. 37.
  43. 38.
  44. 39.
  45. 40.
  46. 41.
  47. 42.
  48. 43.
  49. 44.
  50. 45.
  51. 46.
  52. 47.
  53. 48.
  54. 49.
  55. 50.
  56. 51.
  57. 52.
  58. 53.
  59. 54.
  60. 55.
  61. 56.
  62. 57.
  63. 58.
  64. 59.
  65. 60.
  66. 61.
  67. 62.
  68. 63.
  69. 64.
  70. 65.
  71. 66.
  72. 67.
  73. 68.
  74. 69.
  75. 70.
  76. 71.
  77. 72.
  78. 73.
  79. 74.
  80. 75.
  81. 76.
  82. 77.
  83. 78.
  84. 79.
  85. 80.
  86. 81.
  87. 82.
  88. 83.
  89. 84.
  90. 85.
  91. 86.
  92. 87.
  93. SIX MORE MONTHS LATER
  94. 88.
  95. 89.
  96. Discover More
  97. About the Author

Once the police cruisers arrive, the stakeout cops look at Joey, and Joey looks expressionlessly back at them before turning and continuing up the street, where he was heading—to get a goddamn sandwich for lunch.

50.

50.

Steve is processed and released under a simple arrangement. Give up your gun, and we let you go.

Steve actually debates it. Isn’t sure he agrees to it. Isn’t sure he wants to be without his gun with Joey Richter loose.

Zack and Emily are there at the station to support Steve through processing. Making sure he doesn’t try anything crazy again. Making sure he doesn’t fall apart even further. Come further unglued.

Steve doesn’t know how good he’s getting it, for what he just tried. Zack had called Lopez once more as Steve was being processed, and Lopez had intervened, and this is what the police had proposed.

Zack looks at Steve. “Steve, this is a good arrangement. You’re lucky. Don’t risk this. Don’t mess this up.”

Steve still seems disoriented. Still not himself, outside himself, confused by his own thoughts and actions of the last few hours. “Okay, okay,” he says to the two young detectives and to Zack. He nods acceptance and watches his handgun get carried away by one of the detectives, disappearing into the bowels of the station.

“You’re going home, Steve,” says Rodriguez, the Hispanic one—fit, handsome, oddly perfect features. “We’re letting your friends take you home, and you’re going to stay there and relax and not try anything, and not think about Joey Richter. We’re watching him, okay? We’ve got plenty of eyes on him. We just proved it to you, right? We were right there.”

Well, I was right there, thinks Zack, but he stays quiet.

Rodriguez nods imperially to Zack and Emily. “Take him home. Keep him there. He’s lucky.”

“Now he’s walking around, and I’m unarmed, and he knows I tried to kill him,” says Steve morosely, back in his apartment.

Zack and Emily stay quiet. Emily puts on water for tea. She bought some cookies for all of them. She opens them now.

“This is a guy who’s eye for an eye. Who holds grudges. Who gets even. Who doesn’t forget.”

A guy who doesn’t forget? Who won’t let it go? Who’s that, Steve?

“Look what he did after you made a deal, Zack. He came after you.”

“Like they said, like they proved, they’re watching him.”

“You think he can’t slip a tail? A guy like that? He’s probably just waiting for the moment when he wants to. Or needs to.”

“Steve, don’t forget, he’ll assume you’ve still got your gun, right? He doesn’t know the cops took it away. His last view of you was leveling it at him…”

“Before you grabbed it and the two undercovers tackled me,” says Steve.