I looked up at her. I said, 'The thing is, murder is different. Taking a human life, that's something completely different. Nobody should be allowed to get away with that. Nobody should ever be allowed to get away with that.'

'I don't follow you.'

'He didn't do it, damn it. He didn't, he's innocent, and nobody cares. Eddie Koehler doesn't care. I know Eddie Koehler. He's a good cop.'

'Matt- '

'But he doesn't care. He wants me to coast and not even make an effort because he wants that poor bastard to go to jail for a murder he didn't commit. And he wants the one who really did it to get away with it.'

'I don't think I understand what you're saying, Matt. Look, don't finish that drink, huh? You don't really need it, do you?'

Everything seemed very clear to me. I couldn't fathom why Trina seemed to be having difficulty following me. I was enunciating clearly enough, and my thoughts, at least to me, flowed with crystalline clarity.

'Crystalline clarity,' I said.

'What?'

'I know what he wants. Nobody else can figure it, but it's obvious.

You know what he wants, Diana?'

'I'm Trina, Matt. Honey, don't you know who I am?'

'Of course I do. Slip of the tongue. Don't you know what he wants, baby? He wants the glory.'

'Who does, Matt? The man you were talking to?'

'Eddie?' I laughed at the notion. 'Eddie Koehler doesn't give a damn about glory. I'm talking about Jerry. Good old Jerry.'

'Uh-huh.' She uncurled my fingers from around my glass and lifted the glass free. 'I'll be right back,'

she said. 'I won't be a minute, Matt.' And then she went away, and shortly after that she was back again. I may have gone on talking to her while she was away from the table. I'm not too certain one way or the other.

'Let's go home, Matt. I'll walk you home, all right? Or would you like to stay at my place tonight?'

I shook my head.'Can't do that.'

'Of course you can.'

'No. Have to see DougFuhrmann . Very important to see old Doug, baby.'

'Did you find him in the book?'

'That's it.The book. He can put us all in a book, baby. That's where he comes in.'

'I don't understand.'

I frowned, irritated. I was making perfect sense and couldn't understand why my meaning was evidently eluding her. She was a bright girl, Trina was. She ought to be able to understand.

'The check,' I said.

'You already settled your check, Matt. And you tipped me, you gave me too much. Come on, please, stand up, that's an angel. Oh, baby, the world did a job on you, didn't it? It's okay. All the times you helped me get it together, I can do it for you once in a while, can't I?'

'The check, Trina.'

'You paid the check, I just told you, and- '

'Fuhrmann'scheck.'It was easier to talk clearly now, easier to think more clearly, standing on my feet.

'He cashed a check here earlier tonight. That's what you said.'

'So?'

'Check would be in the register, wouldn't it?'

'Sure. So what? Look, Matt, let's get out in the fresh air and you'll feel a lot better.'

I held up a hand. 'I'm all right,' I insisted. 'Fuhrmann'scheck's in the register. Ask Don if you can have a look at it.' She still didn't follow me. 'His address,' I explained. 'Most people have their address printed on their checks. I should have thought of it before. Go see, will you?

Please?'

And the check was in the register and it had his address on it. She came back and read off the address to me. I gave her my notebook and pen and told her to write it down for me.

'But you can't go there now, Matt. It's too late and you're not up to it.'

'It's too late, and I'm too drunk.'

'In the morning- '

'I don't usually get so drunk, Trina. But I'm all right.'

'Of course you are, baby. Let's get out in the air. See? It's better already. That's the baby.'

Вы читаете In the Midst of Death
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