Jimmy is confused. He asks Tom, What are you talking about?
After he dropped you and me off, Tom says, he went back there. He told them Jack was shooting at him, and he shot at Jack just to scare him, he didn't mean to hit him, but he's a lousy shot. He said he got scared and ran but now he came back.
Wait, says Jimmy, wait.
What's Jimmy asking Tom to wait for? He doesn't know.
Tom says, They have him at the station, he's making a statement. That's what the cops said. They said he gave them the gun.
The gun? Jimmy feels stupid, he doesn't understand anything.
When he said he'd get rid of it, with the cans? He didn't. He gave it to them. He told them it's his.
Why?
Jesus, Jim. Why do you fucking think?
Shit, says Jimmy. He knows why. He wants to say, So he can be a fucking hero, so he can save your ass. And mine. This is Markie, climbing a tree without thinking how he's going to get down, like always, like always.
But Jimmy can't say this to Tom, because Marian's watching him, her eyes wide now because she knows for sure something bad's going on. Her hand is in his, like she wants to help him, like whatever the bad thing is, it'll be better if the two of them know about it together.
Jim? says Tom.
What?
Marian's there with you?
Yes, Jimmy says.
Say I called to tell you about . . . about Jack. Don't say anything else. I got to find out what's going on. I got to think, what to do.
Jimmy nods as though Tom could see him. He puts the phone down, turns to Marian, but he can't say anything, he just looks at her and then suddenly wraps his arms around her, holds her close.
She's warm, and he's so cold.
Now it's morning, the sun's pouring down on Jimmy and Markie and Tom in the car, but Jimmy's still cold.
They didn't arrest Markie last night, they let him go home because the way he told the story about shooting Jack, it was self-defense and there's nothing to say it wasn't. The cops all know Markie, the cops all know everyone in Pleasant Hills, they know Markie has a kid, they don't see him going anywhere. Markie's grinning.
See, he says, it's what I figured. I'm an upstanding citizen. They believed me. Everybody'll believe me. It was an accident, it was because he was shooting at me. This way you guys are cool, and even, no one thinks it was Eddie, so there's no war. Your guys, Tom, yours and Big Mike's, they don't go after Eddie's guys, and Eddie's guys don't come back over here. Nobody gets popped, man. Everybody's cool.
You're fucking crazy, Jimmy says again, and he knows this thing Markie's doing, it's wrong; but he's thinking about how they didn't arrest Markie, thinking maybe, just maybe, this is wrong but it could be a good answer.
Then Tom, who's been quiet since he got in the car, Tom says, The gun.
No, says Markie, grinning wider, like he thought of this, too. No, it's okay. I wiped it. I wrapped my hand on it like I shot it. Even if they find your prints on it, Tom, I'll say I showed it to you a couple days ago. Everything's cool.
The gun's not registered, says Tom.
So? Markie says.
Markie, man, even if they buy the whole rest of it, Tom says, they'll still send you up for the gun.
But, says Markie, and his grin wobbles. What do you mean? Just the gun?
Yeah, says Tom. He closes his eyes, leans on the backseat like he's too tired to say anything else.
But, says Markie again. But I'm clean. I'm an upstanding citizen.
Tom's eyes open. He jerks forward. Christ, where have you been? he shouts. It's their big thing.
Everything's silent, the trees aren't even rustling, the birds aren't singing.
Then Markie says, How long?
What?
For the gun. How long?
Markie, fuck, you're not serious, says Jimmy.
Tom starts to say something. Then he stops. He keeps staring at Markie, but his face changes. He seems to Jimmy like maybe he's seeing something different from what he thought he was.
Tom says, First offense, no priors? Good lawyer, sixteen months. Behave inside, you're out in five.
Okay, says Markie.
