'So am I. Matter of fact, Deacon and me gonna meet at dark, and we gonna discuss it. But I told you to stay out of this. I'm gonna handle it my own self.'
'That ain't gonna work for me, Nigel.'
Lorenzo told Nigel of the assault on Rachel Lopez. He told him about Lee's Camry being left at the car wash, and how he felt certain that Rico Miller had done the crime.
'Last thing Melvin lookin' to do is go back to prison,' said Lorenzo. 'He had no reason to go at Miss Lopez like that.'
'And you think Miller had a reason.'
'That boy don't need a reason. In his fucked-up mind, maybe he thought he was helping Melvin. I had money to bet, I'd say Miller did Green and Butler too.'
'That woman gonna make it?'
'I don't know. She got cut up bad. She's over at Washington Hospital Center now.'
'You gonna be there at the office?'
'Yeah.'
'I better call Black's mother before she leaves out the building. It's near quitting time for her.'
'I'll wait to hear from you.'
Lorenzo went down to the basement to check on the dog he'd brought in from Congress Heights. Mark Christianson was in the kennel, staring down into the open cage where Lincoln, the aggressive pit, had been. Some of the other dogs were making noise, looking for attention. Their barks and yelps echoed in the cool cinder-blocked room.
'Irena put Lincoln down?' said Lorenzo.
'She had it done while I was out on calls.' Mark looked at his bandaged hand, as if the bite was the reason the dog had been destroyed.
'It ain't on you,' said Lorenzo.
'I know it.'
'You believe in God, right?'
'I believe there's someone higher than us.'
'But do you believe that he's up there moving us around like chess pieces or somethin'?'
'Of course not.'
'Neither do I. Things happened to that dog on this cruel earth to make it the way it was. Wasn't its fault, but still. It's not like God is gonna step in now, point his finger down from heaven, and touch that animal, make it so it can live around people and other animals the right way.'
'What's your point?'
'Irena did her job. 'Cause that dog was too far gone to change its ways. He had to be put down. You see that, don't you?'
'Yes.'
Lorenzo went to the cage where the cream pit bull lay. She had been treated by a vet with dressings and bandages, and was awake on her belly, her snout resting between her paws.
Lorenzo crouched down, whistled softly, and put his knuckles up against the cage. 'How you doin',
girl?'
The dog whined happily and tried to crawl forward, but thought better of it and stayed put.
'That your hold?' said Mark.
'I got her earlier today. Impounded her from an apartment down in Southeast.'
'Have any trouble getting her out?'
'No,' said Lorenzo.
Cindy called out to Lorenzo from the top of the stairs. Someone was on the line for him and did not want to leave a message.
Lorenzo stood and tried to walk past Mark. Mark put his hand around Lorenzo's biceps.
'You all right?' said Mark.
'Why?'
'You look different.'
I look the way I used to, thought Lorenzo. You never knew me when I had this kind of hard on my face.
'I'm fine.'
'You feel like having a beer tonight or something?'
'I got plans tonight,' said Lorenzo.
'I know what happened down there in Congress Heights. I came down to back you up after Cindy radioed in the call, but you had already left. Someone on the scene told me what went down.'
