Outside Cotton’s house, four police black-and-whites, two EMS vans, and half-a-dozen unmarked cars were parked on the street and in the driveway. The rotating bubble-gum lights on the squad cars flashed red and yellow on the fronts of the house and the bushes. A dozen neighbors—some in overcoats thrown on over pajamas—rubbernecked.
A uniformed cop led Brenda from the house to a patrol car.
Two EMS workers carried Cotton across the front lawn on a gurney. A couple of uniform cops walked alongside.
“You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions,” a cop told Cotton, who said, “I know. I’m an attorney.”
The EMS workers slipped Cotton into the back of the EMS van.
Two other EMS workers carried Harry out of Cotton’s house on another gurney.
Friday and Rossiter walked alongside.
“I should pull you in for resisting arrest,” Rossiter told Harry.
“You were making me coffee,” Harry said, “not reading me my rights.”
“The pipe you handcuffed me to,” Rossiter said. “It’s got one of those new plastic couplers. Hand-tightened. I had it unscrewed before you were in the car.”
“Why didn’t you come after us?” Friday asked.
“Harry may be crazy,” Rossiter said, “but he’s never been stupid. Or dangerous. No matter what the court says.”
Friday gave a worried glance at Harry.
“What will the court say?” she asked. “Now?”
“After all this?” Rossiter asked. “They’re not going to give him a medal. But it’ll be hard to stick him in a straitjacket when he was the one who caught on to Cotton.”