Sacrifice

I took a black silk scarf out of my pocket, held it out to Wolfe.

'Okay to put this on now? Just for a minute, until we get into the room?'

She took it from me, adjusted the thick band over her eyes, tied it over her long hair. Held out her hand to me. I helped her from the back seat.

We were in the first-floor garage to Max's warehouse.

132

Max shut the garage doors, walked past us, started up the stairs.

'There's no railing,' I said to Wolfe. She put her hand lightly on Max's back, mine went to her waist. Even in the high heels, she handled the climb like it was level ground.

At the landing, we walked past Max's dojo to a room at the end. Luke was talking to Teresa, being himself, explaining something, a deck of cards in his hand.

I nodded to Teresa, took off the blindfold as Max floated down the hall like smoke. He'd wait at the top of the stairs. Nobody'd bother us.

'Hello, Luke,' Wolfe said.

He nodded at her gravely. 'You want to talk to me again?'

'No. Just to listen, all right? You're safe here— with your friends. I haven't come to take you.'

'Okay.'

Wolfe sat down on a straight chair, smoothed her skirt, crossed her legs.

'You can smoke here,' Luke said.

She flashed a smile, reached in her purse. I looked over her shoulder. No gun, no tape recorder. Caught Teresa's eye, nodded.

I cracked a wooden match, lit Wolfe's cigarette.

'How have you been doing, Luke?' she asked.

'Okay.'

'Don't be afraid. Your friend is here.'

'Who?'

'Him,' she said, nodding her head in my direction.

'Who's he?' the kid said, face cleaned of deception, innocent. Mama was teaching him more than cards.

Wolfe's smile was brighter this time. 'His name is Burke.'

'Hello,' the boy said, extending his hand for me to shake.

I sat down in a chair next to Wolfe, moved her ashtray so we could both use it.

'Are you ready to work now, Luke?' Teresa asked.

'Yes,' he said, sitting in a child-size armchair, looking straight at her.

Teresa didn't use a girasol, didn't use anything at all. The library articles told me about this— how the multiples get used to reaching a trance state in therapy— the splits are born from autohypnosis anyway. 'Relax,' is all Teresa said, and the boy's eyes started rapid-fire blinking. Then closed.

'Can I talk to Toby?' Teresa asked.

'What is it now?' Toby's voice, pitched like Luke's but with a sharp, sarcastic undertone.

'How are the others doing?' Teresa.

'How should we be doing? I mean, nobody's hurting the baby, but Luke, you know him, he's still scared. But he's better. We don't get out so much anymore.'

'What did they do to the baby?'

'They don't do nothing to the baby. What's wrong with you? It's Luke they do it to.'

'The baby, she doesn't feel things?'

'The baby runs away. I told you all this. The baby runs away. Susie.'

'Do you like babies?'

'I don't care about them.'

'Does Luke like babies?'

'Yeah. Luke's a sucker. He likes everyone. He even liked them. When they'd scare him, the baby would come out. To take the pain.'

'Did you ever come out when they scared him?'

'Do I look crazy to you, lady? I did…once…to talk to them…and…they hurt me.'

'How did they hurt you, Toby?'

'It wasn't me…when they started, Luke came back. When they hurt him, the baby came. The runaway.'