Annie raised a questioning eyebrow when he returned to the dining room.
'Carrie. Looking for John.' How long could he keep this Teri business to himself? Annie had an annoying habit of putting odd numbers together to get four. Came from reading those damned mysteries all the time.
'Your partner?' Tran inquired. 'I meant to ask, how did you do with that case? The one with the old lady and the mysterious corpse.'
'Still going. We keep digging things up. It just gets spookier.' He brought Tran up to date.
'And not one body turned up? Very strange.'
'No lie. Don't know for sure about the bodies, though. Tomorrow we start checking back, to see what's on the record.'
'Norm,' said Annie, 'I thought O'Lochlain told you they just disappeared. If they'd ever turned up anywhere, his people would have known. Wouldn't they? And he'd have told you, wouldn't he?'
'Maybe. Tommy's a little strange.'
As Cash drifted toward sleep that night he realized that John hadn't called. It didn't matter that much this time, but he was going to have to get onto the kid's case. Otherwise this thing with Teri was going to cause problems.
Cash reached work a half hour late because he had driven Tran in for his first day of work and had gotten, talking with the man's boss.
Tran seemed to have timed his arrival to his job, to avoid the appearance of freeloading.
'Where's John, Beth?' he asked as he pushed in. Smith and Tucholski had the squad room thoroughly fogged already.
'Not in yet.'
'His car's in the lot.'
'Maybe he's downstairs.'
'Maybe. I've got some research to get him started on. Tell him to see me whenever he shows.'
He spent ten minutes reviewing the activities of the previous shifts, then leaned back. It wouldn't be such a bad year after all. The first quarter had been an anomaly. The heavy casualties had been primarily drug-related. That war seemed to have settled out now. Even the papers had found more interesting fare.
The remaining nuts, too, seemed firmly attached to their trees.
Next thing he knew, Beth was shaking him awake. 'Your friend from New York just called. He says the Rochester place is a complete bust if you're looking for something illegal. There's one old man who's lived there forever, and that's it. Just like your Miss Groloch, only this one's never been in any trouble. He said it'd help if he knew what the hell you were looking for.'
'Ah, the heck with it. Should've known I was wasting my time. What about John?'
'Not here. Hang on a minute.' The phone was ringing.
A moment later, 'It was that judge. He said he still hasn't made up his mind, but you're getting closer. You've got him interested.'
'Okay.' He eyed Smith, who was stalking around with one cigarette in hand while another smoldered in his ashtray. The man was talking to himself.
Everybody had problems.
The temptation to run across to the liquor store after a pack of his own was, suddenly, horribly powerful.
'About that dinner I owe you. Would you think I was welshing if I invited you over to the house?'
She was several seconds answering. 'No, that's okay.' She didn't sound enthusiastic, though.
'Hey. Come on. I owe you. I'll do whatever you want.' He had thought that bringing in another shy person might liven Tran's wife. The woman behaved like a lost soul.
Beth brought a cup of coffee. 'I know. Doctor says
'It'll blow over by Monday. It always does. You want to slow him down, just look at his old man like he's the first change you're going to make.'
'Damn!' It was the phone again. 'That thing's been jumping off my desk all morning.' A moment later, 'It's for you. Your wife.'
He took it on his extension. 'Yeah?'
'Did John show up this morning? Carrie just called again. He never came home last night.'
Suddenly, Cash was back in that shack in the Ardennes. The Tigers and Panthers were clanking past with all the sound of hammers pounding the anvils of doom.
The
His guts cramped with the fear.
'Norm! What's the matter?'
Two voices said it. He looked from the phone to Beth.
