“Should I have Gene Duncan here?” she asked.
“You don't need him,” Firman said, then almost sheepishly added, “Naturally that's strictly up to you. We just want to help you through this.”
She looked at Mayes, and he nodded.
“I feel up to it now,” she said.
Firman said, “So, this is what we have already. Alice came to see you after the model car thing. She'd found the car on the airplane ride and returned it to Mr. Gismano, who was posing as Todd Hartman. She came here to talk to Mr. McCarty about a job.”
“That's good,” Alice said.
“Louis killed the guard outside. Evelyn Gismano, whom you believed was Leslie Wilde, had a gun, the. 38, which she left near the couch. After Louis Gismano shot his wife, he was trying to kill Dr. and Mr. McCarty with his knife. Acting in fear for your lives, Alice picked up Evelyn's gun and shot Louis. Total self- defense. End of story.”
“That's right, isn't it, Alice?”
“No,” she said, rolling her eyes at the ceiling. “I told you already. I brought that gun in my bag and-”
“I think you are mistaken,” Firman interrupted. “That misconception on your part might be problematic for you, Alice. There are legal ramifications as to the gun, which is a weapon that was stolen in a burglary.”
“By Earl Tucker. I said that. I gave you his address.”
Alice looked at the frowning agents and at Natasha.
“But we agreed you were mistaken, because of the excitement,” Mayes said. “Remember?”
“Okay. But Earl deserves to be arrested. Anyway, I saw Leslie… Evelyn, with the gun. She was brandishing it all around the house. What a total bitch.”
“That's all we need,” Firman said. “Isn't that right, Agent Mayes?”
Mayes closed his notebook and pocketed it.
“Okay, whatever. Could I like go take a shower?” Alice asked. “I mean you obviously don't need me to tell my story, right? Just do me one solid and leave in the part where I say, ‘I killed the fucker and I'd do it again.’ Okay?”
“In fear for yours and the McCartys’ lives, you killed the fucker and you'd do it again. Got it,” Firman said, shaking his head.
Dr. McCarty leaned over and put her arm around the young girl's shoulder. “Alice,” she said. “You go take a shower. Pick out something to wear from my things. Whatever suits you.”
“Cool,” Alice said, smiling. “It won't fit though.”
After Alice left the kitchen, Mayes said, “She's going to need some psychiatric help.”
“I agree,” Natasha said. “Her mother and I will see to it.”
“Strange kid or not, it was a brave thing she did,” Firman said.
“Yes, it was. She's odd, I'll give you that, but she's intelligent in so many ways. I guess she's just a teenager. By the way, Agent Mayes, I never did thank you for showing up last night.”
“Wish I'd gotten here sooner.”
“If you hadn't come, Ward would be dead,” she said. “There was no way we could have waited for an ambulance.”
“Dr. McCarty,” Bill Firman said, looking at Mayes before looking back at her. “I want to officially apologize for being such a hemorrhoid.”
EIGHTY-TWO
Thirty- six days later, Natasha parked her Lexus in the garage and held on to Ward's arm to help support him as they entered their home through the kitchen. Her parents had left the day before to return to Seattle. Having them there had been a comfort, but Ward was fully able to walk short distances on his own, despite the painful tightness in his chest and abdomen. The operation on his hand had restored partial use of the fingers, although there was no feeling in them. Therapy would restore some measure of use, and some of the feeling could return in time, but the doctors agreed that his fine- line drawing days were done.
He looked around the living room and was pleased that there were no signs remaining of the events that had put him in the hospital. Except for the new carpet and the gray wool curtains on the windows, it was just the way it had been before.
Slowly, Ward sat down on the couch, and Natasha handed him the remote. “You hungry?”
He tossed the remote aside and took her wrist. “I'm starving, but not for food.”
“Not now, big boy,” she said, laughing.
“Why not? Doctors said I could exercise.”
“Walking is what they had in mind,” she said, laughing and pulling her hand away. “Besides, you might embarrass our friends.”
“What?”
He looked where she was pointing, and laughed at the sight of the wave of smiling people coming up the hallway.
EIGHTY-THREE
On a crisp January morning Natasha stepped up to a podium set on risers outside Carolinas Medical Center- NorthEast under the new sign: THE BARNEY
MCCARTY PEDIATRIC SURGICAL CENTER. The bright sunshine cut the chill off the soft winter breeze.
She looked out at the crowd of doctors, nurses, technicians, local politicians, businessmen, and lawyers, some of them friends of hers and her husband's. With the laughter of several children-a good number of them patients- rising into the air, Dr. McCarty gathered herself to speak.
“I want to thank each and every one of you for coming today. This wing, which we are here to dedicate, stands behind me due to the unselfish donations of a great number of people whose money helped us make it a reality.”
The crowd applauded wildly. Someone yelled out, “And the video game sure didn't hurt!”
“I guess I should mention that the sales from my husband's video game, which I hope all of you own, were certainly a big help, and will ensure that this center will be able to help children without the financial means to cover their care. That is all the more appropriate since most of our patients play video games, Ward's included.”
The crowd laughed and applauded.
“As most of you know, this was a dream of ours that you shared. We wanted to do this in memory of our son, Barney, who, as most of you are aware, died tragically in childhood four years ago.” She felt on the verge of tears, but fought it. “But it was more than money that built it. This dream was paid for with love, creativity, and hard work, as well as the generous donations of so many people.”
She looked out and saw a beaming Flash Dibble. His wife, a perpetually frowning fireplug of a woman a few inches taller than her husband, was wearing a long mink coat. Natasha wasn't crazy about the man, but he had generously contributed a million dollars to the unit, and pledged five more to be paid over that many years.
Ward's uncle Mark and his aunt Ashley stood behind the Dibbles, smiling proudly. In the spirit of his many second chances, Ashley had taken Mark back after he divorced Bunny. Natasha also saw FBI agents John Mayes and Bill Firman near the back of the crowd, and Tom Wiggins, along with Howard Lindley's parents, who'd happily made a six- figure donation since the McCartys’ and Alice's testimony had freed their son from death row.
Natasha paused until the applause ended. “So today, I know that my son, Barney, is here with us in spirit, and his love will live on inside this building, and every child and parent who passes through these doors will have a better opportunity to live healthier, happier, longer, and more productive lives.”
