Patricia Cornwell – Hammer02 Southern Cross

‘I will if he asks me,’ Hammer replied. ‘We need a very simple user’s manual for COMSTAT. We’ve got to get this computer business straight. We’re what? Three months into this? A fourth of our year is up. And they still can’t use the computer? Both of you see how bad that is?’

‘Yes.’ Brazil got serious. ‘I do. If we don’t leave that much with them, I guess we’ve failed.’

‘I’m sorry to heap more on you.’ Hammer began pacing. ‘But we need the manual ASAP.’

‘How soon is as soon as possible?’ West asked suspiciously.

Two weeks from today, at the outside.’

‘Jeez.’ West sat down on the small couch. ‘I’m already working days and riding with patrol, detectives, inspectors, you name it.’

‘Me, too,’ Brazil said. ‘Plus I’ve got this website stuff.’

‘I know, I know.’ Hammer stopped to look out the window at the downtown skyline. ‘I have my computer at home. I’ll add my thoughts, too. We’re all in this together. I think the thing to do is give each of us our own responsibility. Andy, you’re more into programming, commands and all that. You can handle the how-to technical part of it, and Virginia, you can help put it in very basic, black-and-white terms, nuts and bolts, that the cops will be able to follow.’

West wasn’t sure if she’d been insulted or not.

‘I’ll try to add the concepts, philosophies, put it all in context,’ Hammer said. ‘Then — Andy, you’re the writer — you can compile the whole thing.’

‘I agree this has to be done,’ West said, ‘but if you ask me, the only thing that’s going to really turn the guys on to COMSTAT is if they see it works.’

‘They aren’t going to see if it works if they can’t work it,’ Hammer replied logically.

Hammer walked out of the office. Brazil and West looked at each other.

‘Shit,’ West said. ‘Look what you’ve gotten us into.’

‘Me!’ Brazil exclaimed.

‘Yes, you.’

‘She suggested the user’s manual, not me.’

‘She wouldn’t have suggested one if you weren’t a writer.’ West saw the holes in her logic but would not back down.

‘Oh, I see. So now everything’s my fault just because I know how to do something in general that I’ve been told to do specifically and that you’ve been asked to help with, sort of

West had to unravel this for a moment.

‘What do you mean, sort of?’ she asked. ‘It sounds to me like my involvement is more than a sort of

Brazil’s phone rang.

‘Brazil. Oh, hi.’ His voice softened and he paused as the other person talked. ‘You’re so thoughtful,’ Brazil said, listening again. ‘The usual place is fine,’ he said as the voice chattered on. ‘I’ll look forward to it,’ Brazil said. ‘I’ve got to go.

‘Sorry,’ he said to West.

‘Do you have any idea how much I’m going to hate writing computer instructions?’ she asked in an uneven, strained voice as she imagined Brazil’s wealthy, beautiful landlady. ‘And you’re not supposed to make personal calls at work!’

‘I didn’t make it. She called me. And you’re not the one who has to do the writing. I am,’ Brazil replied.

‘Well, writing, after all is said and done, is the easy part.’

Brazil’s anger mounted.

‘You don’t have any right to say it’s easy,’ he said.

‘I can say anything I want,’ she replied.

‘No you can’t.’

‘Yes I can,’ she asserted.

‘Then you write it.’

Tuck no,’ she answered. ‘I’ve got enough to do.’

‘Excuse me,’ a voice behind them spoke up.

Fling was holding his schedule book, standing outside the door, afraid to walk in. West and Brazil stopped their bickering and stared at him.

‘I’m out of here.’ West left.

‘Officer Brazil,’ Fling said, ‘I just wanted to remind you of your 1:56 appointment at Godwin High School. I believe you’re speaking in the auditorium to all the students?’

‘Dammit,’ Brazil muttered as he checked the time. ‘Do you know how to get there from here?’

‘No,’ Fling said. ‘I didn’t go there.’

‘Huh?’ Brazil’s mind was racing.

‘I went to Hermitage,’ Fling said.

‘Wait.’ Brazil popped up from his desk. ‘Virginia, come back here!’