O’Meara entered the room carrying a phonebook and we both knew what that was about. He kicked the door shut behind him and walked swiftly over to me and whacked me across the face with the book. It hurt so badly that I instantly tasted blood and felt sick.
‘Okay, okay,’ I said, ‘I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hit me with that again. What the fuck’s your problem?’
‘Rick, you know damn well what’s my problem.’
‘Me?’
‘Bingo.’
‘Well, sorry I guess, but his wife hired me.’
‘Yes, I know. You fell for Clytemnestra.’
‘Impressive reference for a flatfoot.’ O’Meara swung the phonebook back, ready to deliver another blow, but I said, ‘Seriously, please don’t do that again. I’m not here to fight.’
‘You’re here because you can’t follow orders and have no respect for authority,’ he said. ‘But authority will simply knock you down when you get out of line. And, Rick, you’re out of line.’ Then, of course, he hit me across the face with the phonebook and for a second I blacked out.
‘Man!’ I said, sniffling, nose bloody. ‘We’ve known each other for a long time and I get it — you’re a cop and I’m a private dick and we don’t like each other — but I was hired by the wife of a murdered man and now you’re beating me up for doing my job.’
‘Rick, you’re horrible at your so-called job.’
‘So be it, so you think. But you don’t need to beat me like a fascist.’
‘Rick, the world is fascist, first off, and secondly, you’re lucky you’re not dead.’
‘Doesn’t feel like it right now.’
‘I want you to leave town.’
‘Can I have till sunup since sundown’s past?’
‘If you don’t leave town you’re dead.’
‘You’re going to kill me?’
‘Someone will. I’m doing you a favour.’
‘What have you got yourself involved in?’
‘Don’t ask questions.’
‘What the fuck’s going on? Who are these people?’
‘Leave town.’
‘Where’s Elaine?’
‘I have no idea but I suspect she’s far, far from here.’
‘Where’s Elaine?’
‘I’m not lying, Rick. I have no idea.’
‘What were you paid for?’
‘What are you implying?’
‘I’m not implying anything, O’Meara. I’m asking you straight: What did they pay you for?’
‘No one’s paid me for anything, Rick. I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘Cut the crap. It’s time to stop playing games. I know Bouvert and Adamson have paid you for something.’
Not surprisingly, he whacked me with the phonebook again.
‘Listen to me, motherfucker!’ he said, dropping the phonebook and pulling my hair back and spitting on my face. ‘You better shut the fuck up right now and stop asking questions or I’ll kill you myself. And next time no phonebook, instead a pistol-whipping,’ and he let go of my hair and pulled out his Glock from his shoulder holster, waving it in my face like a tough guy. ‘I don’t give a shit what you think, Rick — you don’t have a clue. I’m warning you that you need to leave town before you get yourself killed by asking too many questions.’
‘So if you think someone might kill me why don’t you do something about it? You’re the police.’
‘I am doing something about it, asshole, so don’t get in my goddamn way.’
‘I don’t believe you.’
‘I don’t care. Get on a plane or bus or train and get out of town.’
‘If I don’t …?’
‘Leave town?’
‘Yeah.’
‘I thought I made that clear. You’ll be killed. The only thing I could do to protect you is to lock you up. Or, you could leave town. Two choices.’
‘What are you going to arrest me for?’
‘I don’t know. I’ll stuff a bag of heroin in your shirt pocket. Whatever it takes. It’s not hard.’
‘I need twelve hours to solve this case.’
‘All right, seriously, stop it. Enough jokes.’ He put his gun away, back in its holster. ‘You’re deluded. You’re a delusional man. Leave or I’ll put you away for a long time, not just for the duration of this case. If I lock you up because you’re sniffing around this case, it’ll be for the rest of your life, capisce?’
‘O’Meara — ’
‘Do you understand?’
‘Yes. Yes, I understand.’
He uncuffed me and offered me a handkerchief for my bloodied nose.
‘You’ll wait here and an officer’s going to escort you home, you’re going to pack a bag, and then he’ll see you to the train station or the airport or the bus depot, your choice — ’
‘Thanks.’
‘ — and you’re going to get on your chosen mode of transportation and you’re going to travel to your chosen destination and you’re not going to show your face around here for a long, long time.’
‘Deal.’
‘I’m not really giving you a choice. Well, this or prison or death, I guess, so I am giving you a choice.’
‘I’ll get on a train and disappear for a while.’
‘Rick, that’s the first thing you’ve ever said I’ve liked.’ He opened the door to the interrogation room.
‘O’Meara,’ I said, holding the handkerchief to my nose.
‘Yeah … ’
‘See you in the funny pages.’
‘See you in the funny pages, Rick.’
24
The same officer who shot me up with electricity drove me back to my apartment, where I was supposed to pack and then hop on a train, not to return for some time. Of course, however, I’d made my plan of escape on the car ride home. It’d stopped raining and the temperature had dropped. Officer McLaughlin was short but muscular, top heavy, with a broad chest and broad shoulders. He clearly plays rugby on weekends, I thought, and when I asked him, he was astonished, and he responded in the affirmative.
‘How’d you know?’ he said.
‘Because I’m a detective,’ I said, and unlike O’Meara he didn’t make any derogatory remarks; he just seemed impressed.
I was growing to like Officer McLaughlin, despite the fact that he tased me, and I was feeling a little guilty that I was about to skip out on him, which would no doubt get him in a world of trouble and affect his career; for this, truly, I felt bad, but I had a case to solve and I wasn’t about to get on a train and leave town, not yet.
When we arrived at my place, I offered Officer McLaughlin a cup of tea or coffee, having nothing else to offer, and he accepted a cup of tea, and I started to pack a bag, with some clothes and my camera, et cetera. I wanted to pack some weaponry but didn’t want to look too suspicious. I told him I had to use the washroom to get cleaned up — wash away the blood — and pack my toiletry kit and he said that was fine but to be fast. I said thanks.