“Look.”
Frank scrutinized the screen, absently munching peanul butter crackers
and draining his coffee. He shook his head.
Jack looked at him. “Look at Luther’s face. You can see it right between
the suits. Look at his face.”
Frank bent forward, almost touching the screen with his face. He
recoiled, his eyes wide.
“Damn, looks like he’s saying something.”
“No, it looks like he’s saying something to somebody.”
Frank looked across at Jack. “You’re saying he’s recognized somebody,
like maybe the guy who popped him?”
“Under the circumstances, I don’t think he’d just be making casual
conversation with some stranger.”
Frank looked back at the screen, studying it intently. Finally he shook
his head. “We’re going to need some special talents on this.” He rose.
“Come on.”
Jack grabbed his coat. “Where to?”
Frank smiled as he rewound the tape and then put on his hat.
“Well first I’m gonna buy us some dinner. I’m married, and I’m also
older and fatter than you. Consequently, crackers for dinner don’t cut
it. Then we’re going down to the station. I’ve got somebody I want you
to meet.”
TWO HOURS LATER SETH FRANK AND JACK WALKED INTO THE Middleton Police
Station, their bellies lined with surf and turf and a couple slices of
pecan pie. -Laura Simon was in the lab; the equipment was already set
up.
After introductions, Laura popped the tape in. The images sprung to life
on a forty-six-inch screen in the corner of the lab. Frank
fast-forwarded to- the appropriate spot.
“There,” Jack pointed, “right there.”
Frank froze the tape.
Laura sat at a keyboard and typed in a series of commands. On the
screen, the part of the frame containing Luther’s image was blocked out
and then magnified in increasingly large degrees, like a balloon being
blown up. Tnis process continued until Luther’s face -seemed to span the
entire forty-six inches.
“That’s as far as I can take it.” Laura spun her chair around and nodded
to Frank. He pushed a button on the remote and the screen again came to
life.
The audio was choppy; screams, shouts, traffic noise and the blended
sounds of hundreds of people served to make what Luther was saying
incomprehensible. They watched as his lips moved open and closed.
“He’s pissed. Whatever he’s saying he is not happy.”
Frank pulled out a cigarette, got a dirty look from Simon and put it
back in his pocket.
“Anybody read lips?” Laura looked at each of them.
Jack stared at the screen. What the hell was Luther saying?
The look on his face. Jack had seen that once before, if he could only
remember when. It had been recently, he was sure of it.
“You see something we don’t?” Frank asked. Jack looked over to see Frank
staring at him.
Jack shook his head, rubbed his face. “I don’t know.
There’s something there, I just can’t place it.”
Frank nodded to Simon to cut off the equipment. He stood up and
stretched. “Well, sleep on it. Anything comes to you, let me know.
Thanks for coming in, Laura.”
The two men walked out together. Frank glanced over at Jack, then
reached across and felt behind his neck. “Jesus, you are a stress
grenade ready to explode.”
“Christ, I don’t know why I should be. The woman I was supposed to marry
I’m not, the woman I wanted to marry just told me to get out of her
life, and I’m reasonably sure I’m not going to have a job in the
morning. Oh, not to mention, someone murdered a person I cared a lot
about and we’re probably never going to find out who it is. Hell, my
life couldn’t get any more perfect, could it?”
“Well, maybe you’re due for some good hick.Jack unlocked his Lexus.
“Yeah, hey if you know anyone who wants an almost-brand-new car, let me
know.”
Frank’s eyes twinkled as he looked at Jack. “Sorry, nobody I know could
afford it.”
Jack smiled back. “Me either.”
DRmNG BAcK, JAck LooKED AT Fus CAR CLOCIC IT WAS AL most midnight. He
passed the offices of Patton, Shaw, looked up at, the stretch of
darkened offices and wheeled his car around, turning into the garage. He