“I’m taking you out to dinner.”
“What if I don’t want to go?”
“You will.”
“You’re awfully sure of yourself.” He leaned over and kissed me as he removed his jacket from my shoulders.
“I don’t want you by yourself right now.” He put the jacket on and looked very handsome in his precise, somber way. We found a big brightly lit truck stop that featured everything from T-bones to a Chinese buffet. I ate egg drop soup and steamed rice because I did not feel well. Men in denim and boots heaped ribs and pork and shrimp in thick orange sauces on their plates and stared at us as if we were from Oz. My fortune cookie warned of fair-weather friends while Wesley’s promised marriage. Marino was waiting for us at the motel when we got back at shortly after midnight. I told him what I knew and he was not happy about it.
“I wish you hadn’t gone up there,” he said. We were in Wesley’s room.
“It’s not your place to be interviewing people.”
“I am authorized to investigate any violent death fully and to ask any questions I wish. It’s ridiculous for you to even say such a thing, Marino. You and I have worked together for years.”
“We’re a team, Pete,” Wesley said.
“That’s what the unit’s all about. It’s why we’re here. Listen, I don’t mean to be a hardass, but I can’t let you smoke in my room. ” He put his pack and lighter back into his pocket.
“Denesa’s told me Emily used to complain about Creed.”
“She knows the police are looking for him?” Wesley asked.
“She’s not in town,” he evasively replied.
“Where is she?”
“She’s got a sick sister in Maryland and went up there for a few days. My point is. Creed gave Emily the creeps. ”
I envisioned Creed on the mattress sewing up his thumb. I saw his crooked stare and pasty face, and I was not surprised that he might have frightened a little girl.
“A lot of questions still aren’t answered,” I said.
“Yeah, well, a lot of questions have been answered,” Marino countered.
“To think that Creed Lindsey did this doesn’t make sense,” I said.
“It’s making more sense every day.”
“I wonder if he has a television in his house,” Wesley said.
I thought for a minute.
“Certainly, people don’t have much up there, but they seem to have TVS.”
“Creed could have learned all about Eddie Heath from television. Several of these true crime and news shows did segments on the case. ”
“Shit, stuff about that case was all over the friggin’ universe,” Marino said.
“I’m going to bed,” I said.
“Well, don’t let me hold you up.” Marino glared at both of us as he got up from his chair.
“I sure wouldn’t want to do that.”
“I’ve about had enough of your insinuations,” I said as my anger boiled up.
“I sure as hell ain’t insinuating. I’m just calling’em as I see’em.”
“Let’s not get into this,” Wesley calmly said.
“Let’s do.” I was tired and stressed and fueled by Scotch.
“Let’s just do it right here in this room, the three of us together. Since this is all about the three of us.”
“It sure as hell isn’t,” Marino said.
“There’s only one relationship in this room, and I’m not part of it. My opinion of it’s my own business, and I have a right to it.”
“Your opinion is self-righteous and wrongheaded,” I said, furious.
“You’re acting like a thirteen-year-old with a crush.”
“If that ain’t just the biggest load of bullshit I ever heard.” Marino’s face was dark.
“You’re so damn possessive and jealous you’re making me crazy.”
“In your dreams.”
“You’ve got to stop this, Marino. You’re destroying our relationship.”
“I wasn’t aware we had one.”
“Of course we do.”
“It’s late,” Wesley warned.
“Everybody’s under a lot of stress. We’re tired. Kay, now is not a good time for this.”
“Now is all we’ve got,” I said.
“Marino, goddam it, I care about you, but you’re pushing me away. You’re getting into things here that are scaring me to death. I’m not sure you even see what you’re doing.”