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* * *

The phone’s sharp ring yanked him from the dark waters of sleep like a tow cable toward the shore. Frank reached for the thing on his nightstand as it vibrated and sounded. His wife stirred. One of his daughters made a noise in the next room. Frank lifted the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

“Detective O’Ryan?”

“It’s just Officer… whatever. Who is this?”

“Sergeant Limos from Stygian Falls Township. I have Vic Ajax in my station and he needs a ride home.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Let me put it this way. You either come get his ass or I’m going to arraign him at eight AM.”

* * *

Frank rapped his knuckles on the Police Department’s front door and waited. A tired-looking officer let him in and extended his hand. “Hi Frank. Sergeant Limos. Sorry about this.”

“What the hell happened?”

Limos shook his head and said, “Your partner is in a real bind. He went to his ex-wife’s house all liquored up, demanding to see his kids. His car is sideswiped to shit.”

“How many cars did he hit?”

“No clue. We don’t even know where that occurred. Hopefully they were out of town, if you catch my drift,” Limos said. “I won’t be offering any information on that aspect.”

“Are you going to charge him?”

“Not unless I have to. The ex was pretty hot-to-trot when I left, but I’m hoping she cools down by tomorrow morning. One thing, though. He’s not allowed back there, or I am going to lock him up. No seeing the kids, no going into the neighborhood, none of it until further notice. Make sure he understands that.”

“Jesus,” Frank whispered. “What the hell happens now?”

Limos clapped him on the shoulder and said, “Take him home and pray for the best. Hey, let me ask you something. How’s the Chief holding up?”

“Holding up over what?”

Limos shook his head, “Has to be a terrible thing to lose one of your guys. All the time he’s got on the job and nothing like that ever happened. Now, as he’s getting ready to ride off into the sunset, tragedy strikes.”

“He seems to be doing just fine,” Frank said.

“Such a shame. I feel bad for the guy. All those years in police work with no problems, and then he has to deal with a tragedy like that. Let him know I was asking about him, huh?”

“Heck’s widow and kids are okay too, in case you were wondering,” Frank added.

“Sure, sure,” Limos said. “Your partner’s right this way.”

Frank followed Limos down the hall to the interview room and saw Vic sitting at the table, hunched forward. Frank opened the door and said, “Get your shit, let’s go.”

Vic grabbed his coat and stood up, his face red and sullen. He shouldered past Frank down the hallway toward the front door. Frank unlocked his car and Vic got in and slammed the door behind him. Frank got into the car and started the engine. “Just don’t say anything, all right?” Vic said. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“Don’t want to hear it?” Frank said.

“That’s right. I don’t want to fucking hear it. I don’t give a shit, so fuck off.”

Frank grabbed the steering wheel so hard he thought it might break. He gritted his teeth and yelled out, “You are a fucking idiot! You preach all this holier-than-thou bullshit about The Job and how great you are at it, and then you go and do something stupid enough to get fired and arrested. For what? Because your ex-wife is a cunt? Okay, she’s a fucking cunt. The kids will grow up and see it for themselves someday, but now you aren’t even allowed to see them anymore because you act like the dirtballs we deal with every day. You’re supposed to be better than they are, Vic, not emulate them!”

Vic didn’t respond. He turned and looked out the window. “I don’t care anymore, Frank. I just want it to end.”

“Good. Go end it then. What the fuck do I care?” Frank slowed the car down to stop at a red light and took a deep breath. “Listen, it’s late and I’m upset. Let’s just—”

Vic grabbed the door’s handle and popped it open. He was out of the car before Frank had time to shift into park. “Where are you going? It’s the middle of the night and we’re miles from your house.” Vic was already off of the road, heading into the woods. Frank stood up from the driver’s side and said, “Hey! Get back in the goddamn car, Vic! This isn’t funny. My knee hurts. I’m exhausted. I will leave your ass here.”

Vic spun around and glared at Frank, his eyes red and streaming with tears. “I am sick of being used by everyone around me, Frank. I give everything I have to Danni, and she only ever wants more. It’s never enough. I give everything I have to the Chief, and he only shines me on with promises that will never come true. The only time I feel alive is when I’m standing in blood and guts or talking to child molesters, Frank. Don’t you see how fucked up that is? For one second, try and imagine how fucked up that is.”

“Maybe you need a different job.”

“Do you know why I became a cop? I was curious,” Vic said. “I wanted to peek behind the curtain of evil, but what I saw can’t be unseen, Frank. No matter how hard I try. All I had to hold onto was the kids, and without them, it’s like the lights have all gone out.”

Frank balanced on the roof of the car, breathing sharply to try and fight through the pain, “Just get away from it then, Vic. Quit. Go find something that makes you happy. I’ll help you look.”

“And do what? Stock shelves? Ring a register? The only thing I’m qualified to do is make a seventy-five year old feel good enough about raping a child that he confesses to it. My whole life is a sick joke, Frank, and I’m done. I’m just done.”

“You’re not done,” Frank said. He moved to close his door and barked in pain as his knee gave out. “Hang on, Vic,” Frank gasped. He climbed on the asphalt to get to the front bumper, pressing himself up against the hot headlights. “Vic? Vic!” He worked his way across the hood, hand over hand, limping to the passenger side of the car. He caught a glimpse of Vic in the distance, running into the woods, going toward the darkness.

13

There was a boatman standing on a dark shore, holding a lantern. The lantern’s flame flickered in the wind as Frank approached. He walked across the grey shale and it crunched like bones under his feet. The boatman was hooded and long flowing robes covered his frame. He extended a hand toward him and Frank stopped walking.

“What do you want?” Frank said. “Why am I here?”

The boatman did not respond. Shale cracked and broke behind him and Frank turned to see a man approaching the boatman. “Hi, partner.”

Frank’s mouth opened to speak but nothing came out. “Heck?” he finally whispered.

“In the flesh,” Joseph Hector said, smiling. “Well, not really. You get the idea.”

The boatman turned his hand toward Hector, and Hector snarled, “You already got my money, you son of a bitch. Get your hand out of my face.”

The boatman turned back to Frank and presented his open hand again. His lantern’s light cast strange shadows on the shore as the black sea splashed against the sides of his boat. “Is that what he wants?” Frank said.

Hector put his arm around Frank and said, “Not from you my friend. Go back that way.”

Frank looked back across the gray dunes. “There’s nothing out there.”

“Just keep walking until you find something.”

Hector turned to leave and Frank grabbed him by the arm, “Don’t go. I have so much to say to you. So much to ask.”

“I can’t go with you, Frank. I have to stay here.” Hector made a fist with his right hand and blew into the center of it, producing two small pieces of wax in his palm. He took Frank’s hand and dropped them into it and said, “Put these in your ears and never take them out.”