the cars had their headlights on. The wipers struggled with the rain. Then I turned back. Hawk had put his gun away, though he still stood by the wall. I took in some air and let it out and walked to the file cabinet where the coffeemaker sat. I opened the bottom drawer and took out a bottle of Bushmills Irish whiskey, and four of the little transparent plastic cups that always horrified Susan when I used them. I poured an inch of whiskey into each and handed out the cups.
Everyone stared at me.
I raised my cup.
“One for the road,” I said.
Adelaide looked quickly at Rugar. Rugar smiled at her.
“He has taken our deal,” Rugar said.
We drank. Adelaide handled the straight booze as well as anyone. Then Rugar stood. Adelaide stood up with him.
“We will never be friends,” Rugar said. “But we will never again be enemies.”
I nodded. Rugar glanced at Hawk and nodded once. Hawk nodded back. Then Rugar and Adelaide left. I sat back down behind my desk and poured another drink. Hawk sat down on the other side of my desk and held out his cup and I poured him some.
“You let him go,” Hawk said.
I nodded.
“Soft as mush,” Hawk said.
I nodded.
We drank our whiskey.
“Had him right here,” Hawk said. “Between us. Had a confession, witnessed by me. And you let him go.”
I nodded. We drank some more whiskey. The rain hammered down in the near darkness.
“You think you can get Heidi without him?”
“Gonna try,” I said.
“Ten times the work it woulda been, you hadn’t let him go.”
I nodded. We hadn’t turned the lights on in my office. We sat in semidarkness drinking straight whiskey.
“What would you have done?” I said after a while.
“Let him go,” Hawk said.
His face was without expression.
