“Tell him it’s Raymond Lilly.”
I heard the phone clatter onto a desk. The wait seemed interminable.
“Hello?” he said.
“Reverend, it’s Ray Lilly. Listen-“
“Martha told me you didn’t really hold a gun on her. In fact, she was surprised when I told her you had one.” It took me a moment to remember what he was talking about. “You should know,” Wilson continued in a slow, mopey tone, “that I’m composing my letter of resignation right now. It’s for the best, I think. I love her, but my congregation-“
“Hey!” I shouted into the phone. “Reverend, I don’t care. Understand? Don’t tell me about it, because it doesn’t matter. Have you seen today’s paper?”
“Uh… well, no, I haven’t.”
“The mayor’s life is in danger. Do you hear me? The mayor is going to die, if he isn’t dead already. You can save him. Are you listening?”
I wished I could read his face. His voice was flat and steady as he said: “I am.”
“This is what you’re going to do. You’re going to call four members of your congregation who own guns. They should be people with courage and faith in a reward in the next life, understand? Also, make sure none of them work for Phyllis Henstrick. You’re going to send them to the hospital. Tell them to walk in the front door with their weapons in plain view. They are to walk all the way to the mayor’s room. Two of them will stay inside the room and two will stay in the hall outside the door.”
“I don’t understand why-“
“You just told me, Reverend, that you’re listening. Are you still listening?”
“Okay. I am.”
“Get those people in position. No one, and I mean no one, is to go into the mayor’s room with a weapon.”
“Emmett Dubois is going to take a statement from Frank this afternoon-“
“Emmett is at the top of the list. If he tries to enter that room with his gun, your people are to shoot him. Understand me? This isn’t a joke. No one who works for Henstrick should get in to see him, either.”
I heard him rustle paper on his end of the line. “Lord preserve us,” he said in a low voice. “Peter Lemly has thrown a rock at the beehive. But can’t we just have Frank taken to another hospital? Emmett is-“
“We’re going to have him moved, yes, but that’s going to take time.”
“But guns in a hospital…”
“Reverend, listen to me. Last night, you could have gone out that back door. You could have slipped away from all that trouble and run. You didn’t. You stepped up and took charge. This is another opportunity for you. Dubois, Hammer, and Henstrick have been running this town into a shit hole; it’s time for you to step up and take your place. Hammer Bay needs you, and to hell with that letter you’re writing. That’s just another secret back door.”
It was a corny pitch, but I could hear Wilson’s breathing change. I had him hooked. I just needed him to follow through.
“You’re right,” he said. “Of course, you’re right. I’ll make some calls.”
We hung up.
Cynthia gaped at the newspaper. “I should have realized right away-“
I took the paper from her. “Do you have another car?” I asked. “One that doesn’t have bullets in the engine block?”
“Of course.”
The other car turned out to be an Audi TT. It was smaller than I would have liked, but I didn’t have a lot of choice.
Cynthia revved the engine. I slid the passenger seat back as far as it would go and climbed in beside her. I still had Cabot’s gun in my pocket.
“Where to?” she asked.
“The mayor’s house. You know where it is, right?”
She threw the car into gear and sped into town.
At the first red light, she turned to me. “Can I ask a stupid question?”
“Sure. I’ll bet I have a stupid answer.”
“Shouldn’t Wilson’s people have silver bullets?”
“Christ, I hope not.”
“You don’t know? What if they shoot Emmett and nothing happens? Won’t Emmett kill them?”
“I’m hoping Emmett won’t go that far into the open, but people do unexpected things when they feel cornered.”
“What about the silver? Do we have to have it?”
“I don’t know. And I’ll bet Emmett doesn’t know, either.”
