“What... what do you want with me?”
Nolan’s grin disappeared. “Don’t fuck around.”
“I’m... I’m not... oh Lord, good Lord, man!”
“You know why I’m here.”
“They... they made me do it.”
“Who made you do what?”
“Your friend... Jon... the boy...” The doctor closed his mouth, his eyes.
“Ainsworth,” Nolan said, his voice flat, nothing in it at all, “I’m the one who advised Jon to go to you. To help him about his uncle. So I share the guilt I’m sure you feel right now. Why don’t you get that guilt off your shoulders? Pretend this is confession and I’m a priest. Pretend you’re face to face with Christ himself and you can’t lie, because the consequences are too goddamn great.”
“I was helping Jon,” Ainsworth said, his face tight with sincerity, “believe me. I like the boy. You know that, you believe that, don’t you, Nolan? I like him, and Planner, too. He came for help and... so did these other men. I didn’t... didn’t know, didn’t guess there was any relation between these other men and Planner’s... death.”
“What did these men look like?”
“One of them was old, the other was young. Father and son, I think they were. Sure of it, from... from their conversation. The father was short and thin, had a dark tan. His hair was white and cut in a butch. He was maybe sixty years old. His eyes, I noticed his eyes especially... they were set close together, and dark. His son had the same eyes, but not so... so frightening. The son was light-complected, skinny, his hair was sort of long, and, brown, I think. His hair wasn’t as long as... as Jon’s, but it was longer than his father’s.”
“Did they use any names?”
“The son’s name was Walter. I think. I only heard the name used once, and I can’t be positive about it. The father’s name was... it was Charlie. At least that was what... what Jon called him.”
Nolan sighed. “You better tell it all.”
“The older man had been shot in the thigh. It wasn’t a bad wound, but he passed out from it and that scared his kid enough to bring him to me. While I was treating the older man, Jon showed up. We had some papers to fill out, regarding Planner’s death, you see, and... well, he just showed up. It was a coincidence that they were here at the same time, you have to believe that! I didn’t betray Jon, you have to believe that! I like the boy.”
Nolan put his hand on Ainsworth’s throat. He didn’t squeeze, or grip the flesh; he just laid his hand alongside the doctor’s throat and said, “What happened to Jon? What did they do to him?”
“They... they took him with them.”
Nolan removed his hand. He took a step back, then another. He began to pace for a moment. He was stunned by what the doctor had told him. He was also somewhat relieved, as it meant Jon was maybe still alive. But it made no sense. Charlie should have shot Jon, should kill him, and then take right off. Get the hell out of the country. Now.
But this was no ordinary man. No sane, reasoning mind.
This was Charlie.
Nolan walked back over to Ainsworth and slapped him hard. “Is that the truth?”
Ainsworth’s eyes teared, and his tongue licked feebly at blood in the corner of his mouth. “Why... why’d you hit me?”
“Is it the truth?”
Ainsworth nodded and kept nodding until Nolan took Ainsworth’s chin in one hand and looked at him, like an archeologist studying a skull.
“Was Jon all right when you saw him last?”
“Yes. Yes he was. Well, he was unconscious, but...”
“Unconscious?”
“Yes, you see I gave the boy something to put him out, so he wouldn’t be any trouble to them in the car. The older man... Charlie? The older man, Charlie, said he wanted me to give Jon something that would keep him out for four hours... which I assume was the approximate length of time they had to travel.”
“You saw them put Jon in their car? What kind of car was it?”
“I... I helped them. We wrapped him in a blanket and put him on the floor in the backseat. Of an Oldsmobile, last year’s model, I believe, blue, dark blue. It... it was a good thing that I gave him a shot and put him out, you know.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because that... that older man, Charlie, he... didn’t seem to like Jon much. Jon... sassed him. And the one named Charlie was... was rough with the boy.”
Nolan heard Karen make a noise behind him. He turned and she was crying. He should have thought about that before, should have known her emotional attachment to the boy would make this hard for her. He should’ve had her leave the room. But he hadn’t. He hadn’t thought of anything, really. Just get to Ainsworth and shake the truth out of him.
“Are you... are you going to let me go, now?” The doctor was much more calm now; his face had returned to its natural color.
“Not just yet,” Nolan said.
Greer was lighting up a cigarette. “You want one, Nolan?”
“No thanks, I gave it up.”
Greer shrugged. “Thought you might have some other use for it.”
Ainsworth’s face turned pale again.
Nolan said, “No. I can do fine with just my hands.”
All at once the doctor began to shake and sweat, as though he were going into a dance routine. “I told you everything, Nolan! Those men forced me to help them, at gun point! I wouldn’t...”
“How much did they pay you?”
“Nothing. I assume I’ll be paid through... nothing.”
“You assume what?”
“Nothing... nothing. I just meant to say I... assumed I was lucky to get off with my life.”
“You said you assumed you’d be paid through somebody. Who?”
“Nolan, please...”
“I don’t want to hit you, Ainsworth. I’m not the sort of guy that gets his rocks off hurting people. Don’t make me do something I find distasteful. That’ll just make me mad and you’re the only one around I’d have to take it out on. So tell me who.”
“His name is Sturms.”
Karen said, “There’s a Sturms in town who has an insurance agency. I’ve heard some rumors about him. Having to do with drugs.”
Nolan turned to Ainsworth. “Well?”
“It’s true,” he admitted. “Sturms is... important in town. I help him out with things. He’s the one that sent those two men to me.”
Nolan turned to Greer. “Untie him.”
Greer nodded and went over to Ainsworth and did so.
Nolan said, “Karen, how you doing?”
She smiled and said, “At least Jon is alive.”
“That’s how I look at it.”
“Do you think you can find him?”
“Yes.” He went over to Ainsworth and picked him up by the lapels. He dragged him over to the couch and plopped him down, kicking the kitchen chair to one side. He picked up the phone from off the end table and tossed it on Ainsworth’s lap. “Call your Sturms. Get him over here.”
“I... I can’t do that.”
“Ainsworth.”
“Okay. Okay, okay, just give me a moment to... compose myself.”
“If you try anything, I’m going to feed that phone to you.”
“Listen, I’m scared of you, all right? Does that satisfy you, Nolan? I’m scared to death of you, is your ego satisfied? I’m scared to death and I’m going to do whatever you say so... so don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried.”
Ainsworth swallowed. He picked up the receiver and dialed. It took a while to get an answer, but finally the doctor said, “Sturms? Ainsworth... I’m sorry, really I’m sorry, but we got a problem... you got to get over here right away, I can’t talk about it on the phone... I can’t... I can’t handle it, I don’t have my bag with me. Okay.” He told him the address and hung up.