going to put the wife of a hero cop and the mother of a little
eight-year-old boy in prison?'
'You wouldn't do that,' the third kid said, although he spoke only
after a hesitation. A thread of uncertainty fluttered in his voice.
She continued to surprise herself by speaking with an intensity and
bitterness she didn't have to fake. 'Wouldn't I, huh? Wouldn't I? My
Jack, two partners shot down beside him in one year, and him lying in
the hospital since the first of March, going to be in there weeks yet,
months yet, God knows what pain he might have the rest of his life,
whether he'll ever walk entirely right, and here I am out of work since
October, savings almost gone, can't sleep for worrying, being harassed
by crud like you. You think I wouldn't like to see somebody else
hurting for a change, think I wouldn't actually get a kick out of
hurting you, hurting you real bad? Wouldn't I? Huh? Huh? Wouldn't
I, you little snot?'
Jesus. She was shaking. She hadn't been aware that anything this dark
was in her. She felt her gorge rising in the back of her throat and
had to fight hard to keep it down.
From all appearances, she had scared the three taggers even more than
she had scared herself. Their eyes were wide with fright in the
moonlight.
'We . . . been here . . . before,' gasped the kid whom she'd
kicked.
'How often?'
'T-twice.'
The house had been hit twice before, once in late March, once in the
middle of April.
Glowering down at them, she said, 'Where you from?'
'Here,' said the kid she hadn't hurt.
'Not from this neighborhood, you aren't.'
'L.A.' he said.
'It's a big city,' she pressed.
'The Hills.'
'Beverly Hills?'
'Yeah.'
'All three of you?'
'Yeah.'
'Don't screw around with me.'
'It's true, that's where we're from--why wouldn't it be true?'
The unhurt boy put his hands to his temples as if he'd just been
overcome with remorse, though it was far more likely to be a sudden
headache. Moonlight glinted off his wristwatch and the beveled edges
of the shiny metal band.
'What's that watch?' she demanded.
'Huh?'
'What make is it?'
'Rolex,' he said.
That was what she'd thought it was, although she couldn't help but
express astonishment: 'Rolex?'
