40
Chief Redbone left not long after that. Laura remained until it was dark, staring out at the bay and the ocean beyond. It was a short walk to the Gibson Inn, but as Laura started back she became aware of someone in the corner of her eye angling toward her at a rapid pace.
She was reaching for the Sig Sauer on her hip when she smelled the aftershave.
Old Spice. A familiar shape.
She left the gun where it was as Frank Entwistle materialized beside her. She heard the tiny wheezes through his nostrils he always made whenever he tried to keep up with her.
“What are you doing here?”
“Thought you could use some backup. Emotionally speaking.”
“Emotionally speaking.”
“Yeah, you know. Be your sounding board.” He waved his cigarette and the cherry danced around them like a flying saucer.
Laura was weary of this.
“If you’re so tuned in to me and my problems, why didn’t you give me a heads-up on the booby trap?” Why didn’t you save Andy Descartes?
In the dark, his face was the color of ash and about as amorphous. “Could you slow down a little? You know I have a bum knee.”
He stopped, so she stopped too. “To answer your question, I’m not a mind-reader. I don’t have a crystal ball either.”
“Then what the hell are you?”
He shrugged his shoulders in his ill-fitting coat and loosened his tie.
“I been tryin’ to figure it out. You’re not the only one who’s affected by this situation.” He swiped at his forehead with the back of his hand. “Damn, it’s humid here. This is only a hunch, kiddo, but it could be I’m part of your subconscious.”
Laura watched as a stream of cars came down the Gorrie St. Bridge, headlights flaring behind the dead homicide dick and turning him into a silhouette.
“Why are you here?”
He shrugged. “Beats me.”
“Then why do you keep showing up?”
“Look, you’re the one who’s pulling all the strings. It’s pretty clear you need me.”
“Need you?”
Her phone chirped. She recognized the number that flashed on the screen—Victor’s home phone.
Frank was saying, “If I were you I’d—“
“Just a second,” she said to Entwistle, holding up a hand. She wanted to catch Victor before it went to voice mail. Maybe he’d had some luck tracing Lundy.
Entwistle said: “You sure you want to answer that?” just as Victor said something in her ear.
Laura stared from the phone in her hand to Entwistle. “Why wouldn’t I want to an—”
“Why wouldn’t you what?” asked Victor.
Laura looked at the spot where Entwistle had been. Gone.
Gradually it came through, what Victor was saying.
Frank Entwistle was right; Laura wished she could somehow deflect the words coming from Victor’s mouth.