You dont want to push me right now.
Kate held her ground but her voice quavered a little. I simply want a few explanations before I allow you in my vehicleand besides, you said you had your own.
I do. Its out on Willings. Youre going to drive me around. And damn it, youre going to stop elocuting while you do it.
When she opened her mouth to protest, he came toward her and he did it fast. Kate gave an involuntary cry and took a step in retreat. She brought her hand up to ward him off.
Unfortunately, it was the one with the wine in it.
His gaze flashed to it. Misdemeanor. Slap on the wrist if you have no priors.
What?
For stealing the wine. Is that why you wanted a lawyer?
I brought the wine!
Did you charge McGaffney for it?
Of course!
Then youre a criminal if you leave here with it. Unless he gives his permission.
Hes dead! Then she realized that he was deliberately provoking her into forgetting her question. Why wont you just talk to me?
Because you do it funny.
I do not!
He turned his back to her. Come on. Drive me around to Willings and give me some vague directions in case I lose you in traffic.
Some cop, she muttered.
A stillness came over him. Come again? he said neutrally.
In for a penny, she thought. Arent you trained for this? For tailing people?
What Im trained for, he said without looking at her, what Ive spent fourteen years working my way up in the ranks for, is a hell of a lot more than what Im doing right now. Im not happy about that. So if youre smart, youll stop ticking me off.
Kate knew suddenly that that wouldnt happen if they stood out here for days. She rubbed him the wrong way, and that made her heart sink in a way that was all too familiar.
I just want to understand, she said quietly.
He finally looked at her. Do you know who that guy was? The dead one?
Of course. Phillip McGaffney.
Not his name. Who he was.
I She broke off, took a deep breath. No.
Second in line for the OBannon throne.
OBannon? She knew the name from somewhere, but couldnt place it.
Some say third in line. There are probably a hundred or so gun-wielding idiots in this city who think that Charlie Eagan damn well ought to replace OBannon instead. Ten to one, those are the guys who killed McGaffney.
Kate finally understood what he was talking about, and it almost knocked her legs out from under her. Youre talking about, likethe mob?
Im talking about like the mob.
Kate gave up the effort. She sank slowly to sit on the street. I served dinner to a member of the mob?
Dont lose any sleep over it. They eat just like the rest of us.
I served dinner to a member of the mob. She looked up at him. The woman?
Shes known in these circles, too.
I tackled her.
Though Raphael had thought five minutes
ago that he would never smile again, he felt a grin pull at his mouth. Wish I could have seen that part.
She was being stupid.
Allegra is known for it.
Allegra Kate whispered it, giving a name to the very strong, very tall woman who had been trying to fling herself all over Phillip McGaffneys body. I dont feel very well, she murmured.
Raphael lost the urge to smile. Youre about to feel worse.
Why?
The way the department has it figuredand I agree with themis that something went way wrong here tonight.
Then tell me.
McGaffney iswasflamboyant. It wasnt his style to entertain ladies at home, especially when they look like Allegra. If he was home, he was alone. Everybody knew that. So tonight was out of pattern.
She still didnt get it.
His killeror killersdidnt know you or Allegra were there. He fought the urge to ask what exactly she had been doing there. He hadnt seen anything in that house that would have required a caterer. But that would come later, after midnight. We cant keep a lid on both of you being here. Not indefinitely. The press are vultures. Thats why Im going to stick close to you for a while until this either blows up or cools down.
He reached and gave her a hand up. Kate came to her feet unsteadily. Theyll try to hurt me?
Honey, youre as good as dead unless someone is around to stop it.
Kate looked at him sharply. When she did, something happened to the streetlight in the distance. It blurred and tilted.
Raphaels instinct to protect started in his toes. She swayed, and he grabbed her shoulders. Hey
Dont touch me.
Raphael jerked his hands back. Anger drummed behind his eyes, giving him a headache. That should be no problem.
I didntI mean Kate trailed off and closed her eyes. Damn him. He had all the compassion, the sensitivity, of a rock. Hed laughed with that other cop in the dining room with a dead man no more than two feet away. She could talk until sunup, and he wouldnt understand that she felt as though any kindness right now would shatter her.
In all her twenty-eight years, she had never really known fear. Now it made her palms sweat even as everything rational inside her struggled with what hed just said, picking for some way to convince herself it wasnt true. Youre as good as dead.
She couldnt believe any of this.
Kate stepped around him, holding herself together. Im going home.