Six

KELLY WOKE WITH a sweet hangover. She was drunk on love and had no intention of seeking out a cure, remedy, or antidote. She felt great.

She was up earlier than usual. If she’d slept during the night, she wasn’t aware of it. Elgin had filtered through her mind with the kind of dreams that defied sleep, that were more real and powerful than those beyond REM. Her dreams filled her to the brim with energy and enthusiasm for the day.

“You look fine and happy today,” Tommy Shaw commented when she entered the bar a little before noon, whistling a light, airy tune.

“Thank you,” she said, her smile bright enough to blind him. She glanced at the silent Del Rio seated beside him and felt a pang of disappointment that it wasn’t Elgin. Del Rio’s sour expression and the reminder of the injustice carried out the day before weren’t enough to dampen her spirits, however. “I think I’m in love and I feel terrific,” she told them, unabashed.

“You haven’t seen Baker since yesterday then,” Tommy said.

“Well, not since last night.”

“He came here after he saw Internal Affairs?”

She nodded and poured herself some orange juice. “And he’s coming back this morning. We’re going sightseeing.”

“Didn’t he tell you what happened?”

“With Joey Hart’s money?” Tommy nodded, and Del Rio continued to watch her intently. “Yes, he told me. And I don’t believe he took it. I think Joey made it up. Guys like that do it all the time. I’ve heard you say so a thousand times.”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“But what?” she asked, not liking the tone of his voice.

“How well do you know Baker? I mean, really know the guy? He wanted me to vouch for him, but, well…I don’t know him all that well.” He looked miserable over his indecision.

Kelly made an effort to reexamine her instincts, and still came to the same conclusion. “I know him. He didn’t take Hart’s money.” Then, as it occurred to her, she said, “He was counting on your support.”

Tommy lowered his gaze from hers, and he had the grace to appear shameful.

“You’re not going to back him?” she asked, confused by his behavior and frightened for Elgin at the same time.

“I can’t,” he said. “If they believe Hart, I’m their only other suspect.”

“But with the two of you telling the truth, how could they believe Hart?”

“I.A. knows how much the drugs were worth…and the dealer wasn’t having a close-out sale. If we hadn’t picked up the drugs with the money, there would be no way of knowing and Baker’s story would be more believable. As it is…” He shrugged helplessly.

“But you know he didn’t take it,” she insisted. “Maybe there was a prepayment for part of the drugs, and the money in the suitcase was the balance. Maybe the suppliers miscalculated and brought too much. Maybe—”

“Maybe your friend Baker took the money,” Del Rio inserted before she could think of another explanation.

“I can’t believe you’re so eager to see him guilty,” she said, addressing herself to Tommy and ignoring Del Rio, who always seemed to think the worst of people, anyway.

“It’s him or me, Kel.”

Kelly was speechless. She’d known Tommy all her life. Never once had she seen him back away from the truth or sacrifice another man’s safety for his own. She was certain that if both he and Elgin told the same story, the investigators would believe them over Joey Hart. Unless, of course, they couldn’t tell the same story.

The gears in her brain began to grind and toil over the possibilities. Elgin was already under investigation. Even though he was angry and embarrassed that I.A. didn’t believe him, he acted fairly confident that the truth would come out and he would be cleared eventually.

Tommy, on the other hand, was actually frightened that the light of suspicion would shift in his direction if he involved himself with Elgin. Why? Could it be that what Elgin had heard about Tommy when he first arrived in town was true? No. Kelly couldn’t believe that Tommy was a crooked cop. She wouldn’t believe it. In distrust, her gaze slid to Del Rio.

“Well, I still don’t think he did it, Tommy,” she said, setting her empty juice glass in the small sink behind the bar. She planned to discuss the subject in depth at a later time, when Del Rio wasn’t around. She had a feeling Tommy would tell her a different story then. As a warning to her friend, she added, “And I think you’re making a big mistake. There’s a lot to be said for loyalty, you know. He didn’t for a minute believe all the rumors that were going around about you.”

The coffee cup Tommy had lifted stopped midmotion. The look he gave her was sharp, keen, and guarded. “What rumors?”

“The ones about you being dirty. He hardly knew you, but he knew you well enough to realize he was dealing with jealousy, and to take it in stride.”

“Jealousy.”

“Yes. It made sense to me. I mean, with the new house and the cars and the trips, people are bound to talk…and resent you.”

“And Baker thought it was jealousy?” he asked.

“Of course.” High on her mental list of things to do that day was reopening the conversation she’d had with Elgin about the rumors circulating about Tommy. She knew they weren’t true, but she’d never put anything beyond Del Rio. He’d find it as easy to be a thief as he found it to be mean and nasty. If Del Rio was skimming, Tommy would be guilty by association and included in the rumors, whether he knew about the crimes or not.

Kelly also understood the code. She wasn’t sure where it came from, but it seemed to her that every organized or unorganized group of men had the same code of silence. Gangsters, high-school boys, cops…She guessed it had something to do with the male’s sense of honor and the strange structure of their egos, and she was intensely glad that women weren’t bound quite so tightly to the unwritten rule of remaining silent in the presence of dark and evil secrets. If she had the goods on Del Rio, she’d turn on him in a second.

“And what did you tell him about me?” Tommy asked, a strange tension in his voice.

“Nothing but the truth, so help me God,” she said, raising her right hand. “What’s the matter with you? You’re acting as if you were under investigation, instead of Elgin.”

“See-It-All Tours at your service,” Elgin announced as he entered through the front door of the bar. “Hey, Shaw. Del Rio. I’d invite you guys to go with us, but you’d need a suspension, or at least a day off to qualify for this excursion. Sorry.”

Kelly wondered how much of his high-spiritedness was real and how much of it was a front to hide his feelings from his fellow officers. Either way, she admired his gumption and was thrilled to see him again. Her heart tripped into double time at the sound of his voice. Her skin prickled with excitement at the sight of him.

“Hey, man, how ya doin’?” Tommy asked in greeting.

Elgin paid him little attention. He scanned the room and seeing only the three at the bar, he walked boldly behind it and took Kelly into his arms.

“I’m great,” he said, then he kissed her like he hadn’t a care in the world, except for her. When he was finished and she was weak with desire, he added, “Just plain great.”

“Obviously,” Tommy said, smirking. “Have you two known each other long?”

“Long enough.” He winked at Kelly as her overheated blood washed into her cheeks. “Ready?”

“Yes.” She’d been ready since the night before. Not only for the sightseeing tour, but for everything else he obviously had on his mind. He hadn’t taken a second glance at Tommy or Del Rio since he’d entered the bar. He had eyes only for her and they were bright and clear, filled with warmth and wanting.

“Let’s go then. I’ve got a surprise for you,” he said, guiding her toward the door with one hand at the small of her back.

“’Bye, guys,” she called over her shoulder to Shaw and Del Rio. “Tell Hildie to hold the fort.”

“Tell her to call in the other bartender too,” Elgin added. “Now that I’ve got her, I’m taking her over the state line and I don’t plan to bring her back.”

They were out on the sidewalk before she could protest.

“Elgin, I can’t. I need to work tonight. I can’t afford…”

He placed his index finger to her lips to silence her. “I’ll pay the other bartender to baby-sit the family business tonight. I want to spend the whole day with you. And as much of the night as you’ll let me. Please. I need this. I need you.”

Lord, it was hard to deny him anything, she thought. Especially when he touched her, or looked at her with so much longing in his eyes. Had her life been drab and routine only two days earlier? She could barely remember. Elgin made a glass of ordinary water seem like a hollow-stemmed champagne glass full of bubbles. He filled her mind with hundreds of wonderful thoughts and images. Even the summer heat seemed bearable because it was a part of their time together.

“Come on, Kelly. One night away from the bar. Say yes. I promise I won’t make a habit of it…Well, I can’t promise that, but I’ll promise to try not to make a habit of taking up all your nights.” He paused, and when she continued to play reluctant, enjoying his earnest pursuit, he said, “Come here. I’ve got something over here that’ll tip the scales. Close your eyes and don’t peek.”

She obeyed him instantly, caught up in his excitement, loving a good surprise.

“You’re peeking.” His hand covered her closed eyes.

“I am not,” she said, letting him lead her closer to the sounds of passing traffic. A motorcycle and several cars zoomed past, sounding quite near, yet she still hadn’t stepped off the curb.

“Are you into phallic symbols at all?” he asked.

“What?” she asked, startled.

He chuckled, “Never mind.” Carefully keeping her eyes covered with his hand, he leaned slightly away from her. “I thought about you all night long, so by the time I got up this morning I was feeling sort of….overloaded. Know what I mean?”

“Maybe,” she said, wary and noncommittal.

“Maybe, hell. The pressure’s on, babe. And don’t even try to tell me you can’t feel it. I told you how it was going to be with us. Here. Bend your knees a little.” He held her by the waist with his other hand, maneuvering her into a sitting position. “Watch your head. Good. Now don’t open your eyes till I tell you.”

A car door closed, but it didn’t have the loud squeaky thunk of a taxi door. It was a soft thrump, like a valve closing on a vacuum. It was cool inside the car, and quiet, all the street noise blocked out. Kelly felt as if she were sitting in an airtight tube that had the fragrance of being new and extravagant, along with soft leather seats.

The door on the opposite side opened and she heard, felt, and sensed him getting in beside her.

“Okay, open,” he said, his voice high and tight with exuberance.

She opened her eyes and saw the posh black interior of a very expensive car. She seemed to be sitting only about six inches off the ground as she stretched her neck to take in the hood of the car. It was phallic all right. Hot red in color, it was long, smooth, and rigid. Built to be driven hard and fast.

“Isn’t this great?” Elgin sounded like a teenager. A quick glance in his direction was enough to let her know he was feeling like one too. “Have you ever ridden in one of these?”

“What is it?” She craned to look out the windows. “A Corvette?”

“Yes.” It was a reverent whisper. He relaxed against the headrest. “But not just any Corvette. A ZR-one. Duel overhead cam, thirty-two-valve, all aluminum five point seven liter TPI V-eight. Computer-controlled six-speed manual transmission. Three hundred and seventy-five horses under the hood…” The litany went on for several more minutes.

“Where did you get this?” she finally broke in, sharing his awe, touching everything within her reach.

“Where do you think?” He didn’t give her time to think. He sat up and laid his hand over the key in the ignition. “Are you ready?”

“I’m not sure.” She grinned at him. “You’re not going to do anything crazy in this, are you?”

“Depends on what you mean by crazy,” he said, returning her smile with secrets and surprises in his eyes.

“I mean, are you going to drive around the city like a maniac and get us both killed in this thing, or are you going to hang out the window and whistle at chicks, or drag race with the cabbies, or—”

“Who me?” He looked shocked that she’d think such a thing. He turned the key, and the car rumbled to life, purring in idle. “I am nothing if not careful. The only chick I want is sitting beside me. And I’m a sore loser, so I won’t race the cabbies.” He paused briefly, then added, “However, I do plan to do something crazy.”

“What?” She couldn’t help laughing. With most of the life-threatening possibilities eliminated, she felt safe in trusting his judgment. Truth be known, she felt like doing something a little crazy herself.

“Sit back and trust me. You’re going to love it.”

Kelly leaned back against the seat and got comfortable. But before he put the car in gear, he turned to her and in a hesitant manner said, “I’ve changed the agenda a little. Is that okay with you?”

“You’re the tourist,” she answered, noting an odd feeling in her abdomen. Elgin was always so definite and assured of his actions. He amazed her whenever he slowed down or backed up to ask if his plans agreed with her wishes. It was very endearing and pleased her immensely.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as he pulled away from the curb. The brownstones in her neighborhood passed by and soon became another neighborhood with tenement buildings, then warehouses. She hardly noticed.

She felt light and free like a soul in the clouds. She wasn’t sure where he was taking her and she didn’t care. She left it all up to him. She didn’t even question him when he merged onto the interstate. They were together and alone and that was all that mattered to her.

“What a big sigh,” he said, entering her thoughts some time later. “Are you bored?”

“No.” She stretched, long and lazy. Elgin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. She sighed heavily once again and said, “This is great.”

He glanced at her and smiled. “I should have taken the top off, so the wind could blow through our hair.”

Were they to spend the whole day driving the highways and byways of the state of New York? she wondered. She was going to comment, then changed her mind. The insurance and rental on a Corvette probably nearly equaled a week of his pay. And if a day in a Corvette made him happy, that was fine with her. She was content to be with him.

“Aha,” he said, grinning as he took another quick look in her direction. “I’ll bet you think we’re going to spend the whole day driving around in this great display of my horniness for you, don’t you? Well, we’re not. The car’s for me. I’ve got other things planned for you.”

She groaned in mock despair. “Now I’m really nervous.”

“Don’t be. Trust me. I plan to make you very happy today.”

“I’m already happy.”

“Then get ready to be happier, and let me know when you see empty fields with grass and trees.”

“We’re driving to Vermont?”

He was truly startled when he glanced at her this time. “Haven’t you ever been out of Brooklyn?”

“Of course, I have.” She pretended to be indignant. “I go into the city and I have brothers who live in the Bronx and Queens. I get around.”

“That’s not around,” he said, flabbergasted. “You’ve really never been out of the city?”

She laughed. It was like the joke the night before, when she had him convinced that Bailey and her grandfather would kill him for familiarities taken outside the institution of marriage. Teasing him was irresistible. Something about the way he had total faith in every word she uttered compelled her to fib to him.

“I’m teasing,” she said. “I had big plans in college, remember? I can’t imagine now how I ever thought I’d get rich as a sociologist, but I had my dreams. I used to see myself toiling for the good of mankind by day and retiring to the country at night. When I got older, I’d write a couple of books and get fat and famous on my country estate. We used to drive for hours, looking at farmhouses and small communities to settle in.”

“We?” He had visions of her and Tommy Shaw meandering through the country, making plans for the future. He almost threw up.

“Angie, Tommy, and I,” she answered. “That’s how Tommy and Angie met. Angie and I had classes together at college and got to be friends while Tommy was at the police academy. I introduced them and it was love at first sight.” She sighed with great melodrama. “It was all so terribly romantic.”

“Ever regret it?” he asked, needing to hear her answer, to make sure there was nothing but friendship left between her and Shaw.

“What? Not moving to the country?”

“Introducing Shaw to Angie. He told me that the two of you used to date.”

“He called it dating?” As Elgin tried to recall Shaw’s exact words, she went on. “We’ve always been friends, nothing else. We were both awkward teenagers. Late bloomers is what my mother called us, but ugly and miserable was more like it. It was convenient for Tommy and me to do things together, that’s all.” She was thoughtful in her recollections. “We did kiss, though.”

There was a snort of disgust from her companion.

“But we discussed it thoroughly beforehand.”

“You discussed kissing?”

“Well, we talked about everything in those days. I was closer to Tommy than I was to most of my girlfriends. I always felt I could tell him anything, even more than my own brothers. One night we were talking about kissing, you know, what it would be like to kiss some other boy or some other girl. So…we sort of experimented…on each other.”

“And?” The look on his face told her he was sure it would be like kissing a goldfish or the family dog.

“And…we grew up and started kissing other people.”

“Pretty uneventful, huh?” He smirked. “You two didn’t experiment with anything else did you?”

She laughed, and in her head she threw away one fabulous fib after another. “No. But we still talked until Angie came along, and then we talked a little less. There’s Del Rio too. Now Angie and I talk a lot, and Del Rio is Tommy’s best friend. Things change. It’s not like it used to be.”

“So, you don’t really know Shaw as well as you used to,” he said casually, hoping and praying for a small crack in her loyalty to the man. If there was a breath of doubt in her about Shaw, then he could step in and bring it to life. He could tell her the truth.

“What’s not to know? People don’t change that much as they get older. He’ll always be my friend, someone I can trust and depend on.”

This was the perfect opportunity to bring up her suspicions about Del Rio, Kelly thought, but she wasn’t sure of how to ease it into the conversation without sounding overly concerned. She certainly didn’t want to make trouble for Del Rio if her feelings were incorrect. She wanted to warn Elgin that he couldn’t count on Tommy for support during the investigation, too, but it didn’t feel like the right time. She decided to wait for her next chance and tell him the whole story then.

They continued to drive, farther and farther away from the city, their worries, and their responsibilities. They talked about the past and the future as they cruised into New Jersey. Cityscapes dwindled to suburban terrain. The contours of the land changed and the countryside grew green and lush, dotted with rural settlements. It was like sailing through space together, far from civilization, quiet and isolated, inaccessible to the rest of the world.

Well away from any large city, where farms and small towns were the norm, Elgin left the highway to speed along the country roads as if he knew where he was going. They both pointed out pretty scenes and farms that were neat, tidy, and classic in appearance.

“We could be anywhere,” he said. “Farms look the same whether they’re in New York or Montana. Of course, some are bigger than others, and in the South, they have white pillars in front of everything. But for the most part, country looks like country, just like big cities resemble each other.”

“You don’t know anyone from Texas, do you?” she asked, conscious of being relaxed to the point of limpness. “They say everything in Texas is bigger and better than anywhere else in the world. There was a guy in the bar one night who…”

She went on to tell an entertaining but trivial story about a man from Texas, all the while impressed by how comfortable she was with Elgin. When they had nothing to say, the silence was peaceful and unstrained. No comment was too mundane, no reflection too personal. He was intelligent and informed. He made her laugh, and seemed to know all the things that would amuse her or catch her interest. Best of all, he gave her the feeling that everything he did and said was for her pleasure.

“Look there,” he said, downshifting and slowing to a near halt. “That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. What do you think?”

She followed his gaze across an open field to a thick stand of trees. She couldn’t see what lay beyond the trees, but from within its depths a stream curled and twisted its way out through the tall grass and underbrush. No buildings were in sight, no sign of civilization save a small herd of black-and-white cows. It was a picture-postcard scene, an advertisement for God’s handiwork.

“I think it’s beautiful. I haven’t been out of the city in so long, it’s hard to remember there are still places that look like that.”

“Wanna get out and wiggle your toes in the stream?” he asked, his voice pure temptation.

“And have some farmer come along with his shotgun and shoot us?” she said. “No thanks. I’m a good window-shopper.”

“What’s a good window-shopper?”

“Someone who can enjoy and appreciate what they see through a window without having to go into the store to touch it or try it on.”

“Uh-uh. No window-shopping. Not today. Not ever when you’re with me.” He set the car in motion again, unreasonably angered by her words and determined to see Kelly where she belonged—on a blanket in the shade of one of the trees across the meadow.

Her explanation of window-shopping had hit him like a belly punch. It hadn’t occurred to him until that moment, but window-shopping was the way she lived her life. He knew she hadn’t planned it. He’d bet that when she was younger, she’d gone into all the shops and picked through the merchandise, elbowing and shoving her way through the throng to grab what she wanted out of life.

But something had happened. He wasn’t sure what it was, her father’s death, her mother’s, the lack of jobs after college, but something had gotten in the way of what she wanted. Discouragement had set in, and she’d started settling for rain checks and substitutes. Dissatisfaction and disappointment had worn down her enthusiasm for shopping, and soon she was simply looking through the windows at the life she wanted, telling herself that she enjoyed and appreciated what she had because she thought it was all she could ever have.

“When you’re with me, you can have anything you want,” he said, driving farther down the road, looking for an access to the field. “All you have to do is point and tell me what you want.”

He knew his words involved a big commitment to her, but a woman who wanted to be a social worker wasn’t likely to ask for the moon. Yet as he thought about it, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that if she did ask for the moon, he’d do all in his power to get it for her. Hell, he wanted to give her everything, whether she wanted it or not. Falling head over heels in love with Kelly Branigan was a stupid thing to do in his position, but he wasn’t dumb enough to deny that he’d done it. He could barely stop looking at her, and the more he came to know her, the harder it was to look away.

Slowly, as if the tires were filled with nitroglycerin, he drove the car onto the grassy field and parked in the shade of the willow and maple trees that grew along the stream.

Kelly got out of the car cautiously, looking for a farmer.

“Are you ready for your first surprise?” Elgin asked. She turned to see him releasing the glass hatch on the rear of the car.

“This must be where you pull a rabbit out of your hatch,” she said, straight-faced.

He grimaced. “You need to get out in the fresh air more often,” he said, looking seriously concerned. “Come help me.”

She laughed and moved obediently to his side, ready for anything he happened to take out of the car. Instead of a rabbit, he withdrew a blue-and-black plaid blanket and a large picnic basket.

“A picnic,” she exclaimed, delighted. “I haven’t done this in years.”

The farmer and his shotgun forgotten, she took hold of his arm for balance and placed a sweet, grateful kiss on his cheek. A man of opportunity, Elgin took full advantage of her nearness and quickly wrapped himself around her.

“For me, it’s been years since I’ve wanted to go on a picnic…in the country with a beautiful woman,” he said, punctuating his words with soft kisses. He leaned back against the car, in no hurry, content simply to hold her. “This is my way of proving how disciplined and cultured I can be.”

The little frown between her brows encouraged him to explain.

“Well, if it were up to me, I’d grab you by the hair and drag you off to my cave. I want to be alone with you, Kelly, the two of us, without distractions, without bumping into people on the streets, without friends and family. Just us.”

His words echoed in her heart, and with each resounding vibration a warmth unlike any she’d known before radiated through her body. It illuminated the vast spaces of her soul, the fine, ornate chambers of her heart, the hallowed halls of her mind, and all the dusty nooks and crannies of her being that were seldom used. It wasn’t the lusty heat his eyes, mouth, and hands could ignite so deliberately and with such ease that stunned her into submission. It was a glowing warmth that made her feel unique and treasured, something she’d never felt before.

“What about those cows over there?” she asked, idly playing with the soft hair near his ear.

He looked over her shoulder at the bovine creatures across the field, chewing their cuds, appearing brain dead to outside stimuli. “Well, if they come over here and start talking to us, we’ll pack up our basket and leave.”