“Put him on,” Gretchen said.
Henry hated her. He hated himself for not shooting her when he’d had the chance. He hated Archie for giving in to her. He hated the system for not jamming a needle into her arm. “Fuck you, bitch,” Henry said.
“He’ll kill himself, Henry,” Gretchen said. Her voice was reasoned and calm. “He’ll do it slowly with pills. Or he’ll put a gun in his mouth. I’m the only one who can stop him. You know I’m right.”
He did know she was right. He looked at Archie. He was holding out his hand for the phone. His color looked good. He was alert. He looked the best he’d had since he’d been admitted. He looked like he might live.
Henry handed him the phone.
CHAPTER
69
Sorry about the neck, darling,” Gretchen said.
Archie touched the bandage on his throat. “What’s one more scar?” he said.
She paused. “I’m worried about you.”
“Yes,” Archie said, “you’ve always shown such concern for my well-being.”
“Has Debbie left you?” Gretchen asked.
“Yes,” Archie said.
“I don’t want you to die.”
Archie rubbed his face and sighed. “That might not be something you can control.” The plan was to taper him off the painkillers. Then they’d see if his health improved. If it didn’t, he’d need a liver transplant.
“If I hear that you’ve died I’m going to kill the first person I see. The first person I see who reminds me of you. And then the first children I see who remind me of your children.”
She knew exactly how to manipulate him, exactly what to say. He marveled at that. She knew him better than anyone. “You have an interesting response to grief,” he said.
“I’m serious, Archie.”
The thing was, he knew her, too. “It works both ways, sweetheart,” he said. “If I hear about a murder anywhere with anything close to your signature, deal’s off. I’ll use a gun next time.”
“Abstinence then?” she asked.
“Abstinence,” he said.
Henry was leaning close to him, trying to catch every word.
“I like to think of you not being able to end your suffering,” she said.
“I like to think of you not being able to satisfy your bloodlust,” he said.
She laughed. He liked the sound of her laugh. It reminded him of 1940s movie stars. “I enjoyed our romantic getaway,” she said flirtatiously.
Archie glanced at Henry. Henry raised his thick eyebrows.
“If you turn yourself in,” Archie said to Gretchen, “I’ll come and see you every day.”
“Tempting,” Gretchen said. “But it’s too high a price. See you later, darling.”
“See you later,” Archie said.
Archie hit END CALL and held the phone out to Henry.
“Gretchen says hi,” Archie said.
They had moved one of the interns to Parker’s old desk. Parker’s wife had come and packed up all his stuff in a box and taken it away. The flowers were gone. Susan had stolen his Hooters’ mug and it now sat on her desk, filled with pens. She’d finally gotten her mother moved back home from the Arlington. Bliss announced she was pursuing membership, but Susan wasn’t sure how her mother would go over with the Arlington membership committee.
She still hadn’t gotten the Buddha back.
Derek appeared and sat on the edge of Susan’s desk. They were both up for Parker’s job, crime-beat reporter. “I hear they’re running the Molly Palmer story,” he said.
Susan grinned. “The mayor’s confession kind of changed the climate,” she said.
Derek held out his hand. “Parker would be proud,” he said.
Susan took his hand and shook it. “Thanks.”
Derek paused, staring at the ground. “Did you ever wonder why Parker was with Castle that morning?”
“I’m guessing that Castle wanted his side of the story told,” Susan said. “That he offered Parker an exclusive.”
“He was going to scoop you,” Derek said.
Susan reached out and adjusted the Hooters’ mug, so that the owl faced forward. “I know,” she said.
“Doesn’t it piss you off?”
Susan shrugged. “He was a reporter.”
Derek looked at his watch. “Do you want to get a drink?” he asked.
“No,” Susan said.
“Coffee?” Derek asked.
“No,” Susan said.
“Bottled water?” Derek asked.
“No,” Susan said. She tilted her head at Derek. She’d seen herself in the mirror that morning. The bandage, the black eyes. It wasn’t pretty. “I’ll have sex with you,” Susan said. “But I don’t want to get emotionally involved.”
“Okay,” Derek said.
Susan smiled. “Do you have a bed?” she asked, thinking of the hammock.
“Yes,” he said. “And air-conditioning.”
“Wow,” she said.