They were in the kitchen now, seated around the Formica table, because lights at the rear of the house wouldn’t draw as much attention. Henry, unshaven, brow creased with worry, wore a pale blue dress shirt, the trousers to a dark blue pinstripe suit, and black oxfords. Darlene was in a high-necked plain white blouse and severe long black skirt; apparently, what she intended to wear to the meeting this morning, a meeting that had now become something else, leaving her uncertain and afraid. She said, ‘How can I tell them I just changed my mind?’
‘People do it all the time,’ Mackey assured her.
Parker said, ‘You were hot, you were angry, but now you’re cooled off, now you don’t want to make trouble for somebody if she really didn’t do anything.’
‘Which she didn’t,’ Mackey said.
‘But they’re going to look at me,’ Darlene said. ‘They’re going to want to know why I changed my mind, and all I’ll be able to think about is you two back here, threatening Henry.’
Mackey turned to Henry. ‘Do you feel threatened?’
‘Yes,’ Henry said. He sounded surprised.
Mackey gave him his full attention. ‘Then let me ask you this,’ he said. ‘What do youwant Darlene to do?’
‘I don’t want anyone to be hurt,’ Henry said. ‘I don’t want anybody to be
ruined.’
‘Henry,’ Mackey said, ‘you’re a braver guy than you know you are. You risk ruin all the time, I know you do, and why? Because you love Darlene. You got your father the jewelry guy to cover for you tonight, because Darlene didn’t want to be alone after what happened to her dance studio. That was tough to ask him that, wasn’t it?’
Henry nodded. He looked miserable. ‘Yes,’ he said.
‘I was hysterical,’ Darlene said. She was apologizing.
‘Sure you were,’ Mackey told her, and said to Henry, ‘But you did it. You risk everything because you love Darlene, and that’s what I’m doing with Brenda. So I’ll ask you, what do you want Darlene to do?’
Henry was already shaking his head halfway through the question. ‘I can’t put that on’
‘Yes, you can, Henry,’ Mackey said. ‘She’s gonna leave here at eight-thirty glance at kitchen clock less than three hours from now. We’re gonna let her walk out the door, get in the car, drive away. Do you want her to go tell the cops she changed her mind, she doesn’t think that was Brenda parked there late at night after all, she doesn’t want to file a complaint she knows is a lie? Or do you want her to say there’s two armed and desperate criminals in her house, and they’re holding her lover, you, holding him hostage there? Because then there’s a big standoff, a shootout, and a lot of things happen, maybe even the house burns down’
‘The law does that sometimes,’ Parker said. ‘They always say it was an accident.’
‘That’s right,’ Mackey agreed. ‘Took down a whole neighborhood in Philly a few years ago.’ To Henry he said, ‘So all kinds of things could happen, if Darlene tells the law we’re in here, and you’re in here with us, but the one thing that will definitelyhappen is that you’ll be dead. My guarantee, Henry. You won’t have to worry about ruin any more.’
Darlene, sounding desperate, said, ‘I want to do it, I knowyou two are capable of anything, but I don’t know if I cando it. I think they’ll look at me, and they’ll know,and then the police will come here and everything will happen just the way you say it will, even though I tried, and we’ll allbe destroyed, every one of us.’
Parker said, ‘The meeting this morning. Is this with the detectives?’
‘No, it’s an assistant district attorney,’ Darlene said, ‘in her office. She’s Elise something, I don’t remember what.’
Parker nodded. ‘We heard about her,’ he said. ‘Let me tell you the exact words we were told about her, by somebody who’s seen her and knows her. He said, “She’s a young woman with little experience and no feel for the job.” Is that the way Elise strikes you,Darlene?’
Darlene, wide-eyed, said, ‘How do you people knowall these things?’
Parker said, ‘Is that a good description of Elise?’
Darlene thought, then nodded. ‘Yes. You can tell, she’s really mostly bluffing.’
You can outbluff Elise,’ Parker told her.
Mackey said, ‘Henry? Do you think she can do it?’
Henry looked at the table, deliberately meeting no one’s eye. ‘Honestly,’ he said, ‘I pray she can do it.’
Mackey grinned at Darlene. ‘So it’s gonna work out. It isn’t gonna be a piece of cake, we all know that, but you can deal with Elise.’
‘I’ll try,’ Darlene said. She looked at Henry. ‘I really will do my best.’
‘I know you will,’ he said.
Leaning back, a pleased smile on his face, Mackey said, ‘So now we got plenty of time for a nice breakfast, and we could even rehearse if you want, up to you. I wouldn’t want you to be overtrained. And when you leave, your car’s in the driveway.’
Henry sat up. ‘You mean, that man took mycar?’
‘He’s a local boy,’ Mackey explained. ‘He’s too well known around here, it seemed a good idea to leave while he could. Don’t worry, he’ll treat your car well, he won’t be going over any speed limits, you can be sure of that. And once Brenda’s out of that Fifth Street station, you can call in a stolen car report, no problem. He’ll be into some other transportation by then.’ Getting to his feet, he said, ‘Darlene, I’m no sexist. Lemme help you make breakfast.’
8
