End of Watch

happened and they're practically hysterical. They spend the whole night making food for this woman and the next morning we all set off to find out who she is and where she lives.'

Annie sipped her wine. Frank was so engrossed in the story that it didn't bother her.

Wagging a finger, she continued, 'We spent the whole day, I'm telling you the entire day, sunup to sundown, talking to people in town trying to figure out who this old gal could be. Some woman from the city staying at one of the cabins? A local? A hermit? Who was this broad? And you know what? And I'm talkin' a little town here. Out in the middle of nowheres. Everybody knows everybody and they know each other's business. But not one person had a clue who we were talking about. Everybody said no, there's nobody like that around here. And this isn't a huge lake, either. Way it's shaped, way the banks were, there's only really four places a person could get a boat in. At the third boat ramp, my aunt tells the story to an old man coming back in. He listens and when my aunt's done he breaks into a big smile.

''Sounds like you met old Ruth,' he says. My mother's crying, 'Who's this Ruth? Where can we find her?' The old man kept smiling. He tilted his head toward the lake. 'Reckon she's out there somewheres,' he said. 'But you ain't gonna find her lest she wants you to.'

'Well, we have all this food,' my mother said. 'We want to thank her. How can we get it to her?'

'The old man shrugged. 'Put it in the lake,' he said. 'That's where you'll find her. Old Ruthie's boat went down about two miles from here, oh, close on to twenty-five years ago.'

'My aunt said, 'You mean ...' and the old man nodded. 'Pulled a little boy outta the lake 'bout six years ago. A woman before that. Pregnant. Heard she had twins.''

Annie sopped her plate with a piece of bread. 'Let me tell you. I never seen my mother cross herself so fast. Speed crossing. If you'd a timed her, she'd a broke a record. So do I believe in guardian angels? Damn right I do.'

'If this old woman had saved so many people how come no one knew who you were talking about?'

'Oh, they knew all right. But the old man said they was afraid of Ruthie. Claimed she'd taken as many lives as she'd saved. Why she saved me, I can't say. Alls I know is, I'm freakin' glad she did.'

'Me too,' Frank said. 'Is that why you do the Mary business? The praying and all that?'

Spearing an onion ring, Annie said, 'That's one reason. I been lucky all my life, you know? But it ain't luck. I call it that, but it ain't. It's providence. I believe someone's watchin' out for me. Someone who's got plans for me. Drives my mother crazy but I tell her, when the bullet with my name on it comes for me there ain't nothin' I can do to stop it. On the other hand, there's nothin' I can do to make that bullet come until it's ready. That's all outta my hands. Meanwhile, I'm grateful for each day I get.'

Frank snapped her fingers. 'I got it. You know who you look like?'

Rolling her eyes, Annie groaned. 'Anne Bancroft.'

'That's right.'

'Pretty slow for a detective. I get people askin' for my autograph all the time. I give it to 'em. I tell you, half a New York thinks Anne Bancroft's real name is Silvester.'

'You're terrible.'

'What? They go away happy, I get my fifteen minutes a fame, and everyone thinks Anne Bancroft's a nice lady. Who's hurt?'

The waitress cleared their plates and over dessert they swapped cop stories. When the waitress slid the bill folder between them Frank reached for it. She put her credit card inside and left the folder by her elbow.

'Give it here,' Annie said, waggling her fingers.

'Nope. It's on me.'

'Don't be ridiculous. Give me the bill.'

'Uh-uh. Think how much money I'd be spending on a hotel. Least I can do is buy you dinner.'

Annie protested, 'You can't feed me every night.'

'Why not?' Frank smiled. 'Just accept it as a small token of my gratitude and let it go at that, huh?'

'Some small token. That's a hundred-dollar bill.'

Frank shrugged. 'One night at the Seventeen. Believe me, it's worth it for the company.'

'Stop with the compliments already. And that goes both ways, you know. The company being worth it.'

Holding the door for Annie on their way out, Frank asked, 'If you want company, why don't you rent one of your rooms out? You're sittin' on a gold mine there.'

'Psh. I tried that. I don't want just any company. Besides, this way Ben and Lisa got a place to stay when they come to visit. Other times I let some of the guys crash there. There's a couple of 'em live outta the city. It's nice for 'em if it's real late or we been working back-to-backs. Oh, yeah, that reminds me, I'm having dinner at my mother's tomorrow. You should join us.'

'That's nice, but with any luck tomorrow we'll be interviewing a suspect and eating at McDonald's.'

Touching Frank's arm, Annie cautioned, 'Don't get your hopes up too high.'

'I know. Wishful thinking. And thanks for the invite but I'll pass.'

'Suit yourself, but you're gonna miss my mother's cooking. She's making spaghetti with my cousin Bill's venison sausage. I'm tellin' you, cookie, it's to die for.'

'I'm sure it is, but you're about all the company I can handle lately.'

'Whaddaya mean?'

Frank shrugged. 'I'm just enjoying all this down time. The surveillance is easy, I've been reading a lot, and it's nice to come back to your place and not have to do anything. No files to work on, no reports due. It's like for the first time in my life I'm starting to unwind. It's nice. And it's about all I can handle at one time. So I appreciate the offer but I think I'll order pizza and finish my book.'

'Rent a movie if you want. There's a Blockbuster couple blocks away. I'll leave you my card.'

'You know,' Frank said, avoiding the cars parked along the sidewalk. 'I feel rotten I gave you such a hard time that first day. You've been nothing but great to me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.'

Annie laughed. 'You came on kinda strong. Then me workin' two homicides for two days straight. It's a miracle we're standin' here at all.'

Frank ribbed, 'Must be my guardian angel lookin' out for me, huh?'

Annie warned, 'Don't you laugh, my friend. Don't you laugh.'

CHAPTER 26

Despite telling Annie otherwise, Frank was excited on Saturday morning. Annie was still sleeping so Frank dressed quietly and slipped out to drop off her extra clothes at a Chinese laundry down the street. By the time she got back Annie was sitting in the kitchen. She had the Times propped in front of her and was talking on the phone.

Frank held up a bag of bagels and Annie said into the phone, 'I got a friend from LA stayin' wit me. She's gone out for bagels already, can you believe it?' She laughed and said, 'I'll talk to you later, hon. Bye-bye.' Hanging up, she told Frank, 'For Pete's sake, I'm gonna have to go on a diet when you leave.'

Even in a baggy blue bathrobe Annie looked fit, and Frank answered, 'Not from what I can see.'

'Yeah, well, you can't see it all, cookie.' Annie patted her tummy. 'Believe me, it's there.'

'Okay,' Frank relented, laying the out the shmears. 'More for me.

'How do you stay so slim?'

'Hardly slim. Gained fifteen pounds since I stopped drinking. I work out when I'm at home. I have a gym and a treadmill. Knees are startin' to bother me though. Can't run as long as I want to.'

'Tell me about it. I used to run in the morning before the kids were up. Got shin splints somethin' awful. Had to quit. I been swimming for about six years now. I try to go three times a week. 'Course I don't always make it, but it's better than nothing.'

'Anything's good,' Frank agreed. 'So if I need to call you today you'll be on your cell phone?'

Annie poured coffee for both of them. 'Yeah. I'll be here working on reports I shoulda gotten to during the week. I'm going to my mother's about three. Offer still stands.'

'No, thanks. Mind if I look at the sports section?'

'All yours.' Annie handed it over. They ate in companionable silence until Frank got up to shower. Flattening the Metro section against the table, Annie said, 'You change your mind, you call me.'

Traffic was heavy out to Canarsie, worsened by a funeral procession as she neared the cemetery. She had to park a couple blocks away until the mourners left, then she claimed a space on the east side of the cemetery. There