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Lanny’s pique ht have been pretense; he couldn’t sustain it Or perhaps soe scared him, for his pinched eyes widened He chewed on his lower lip as if gnawing on a disturbing thought that he wanted to bite up, spit out, and never again consider Although he glanced at his atch, Billy waited
"What’s true enough," Lanny said, "is I’m sometimes a lazy cop Out of boredom, you know And maybe because… I never really wanted this life"
"You don’t owe me any explanations," Billy assured hi is… whether I wanted this life or not, it’s what I’ve got now It’s all I have I want a chance to keep it I gotta read that new note, Billy Please giveto yield the paper, which was now damp with his own perspiration, Billy unfolded and read it If you don’t go to the police and get them involved, I will kill an uno to the police, I will kill a young mother of two You have five hours to decide The choice is yours
On the first reading, Billy comprehended every terrible detail of the note, yet he read it again Then he relinquished it
Anxiety, the rust of life, corroded Lanny Olsen’s face as he scanned the lines "This is one sick son of a bitch"
"I’ve got to go down to Napa"
"Why?"
"To give both these notes to the police"
"Wait, wait, wait," Lanny said "You don’t know that the second victi to be in Napa Could be in St Helena or Rutherford--"
"Or in Angwin," Billy interrupted, "or Calistoga"
Eager to press the point, Lanny said, "Or Yountville or Circle Oaks, or Oakville You don’t knohere You don’t know anything"
"I know so at the note, flicking sweat off his eyelashes, Lanny said, "Real killers don’t play these ga it in the breast pocket of his uniform shirt, Lanny pleaded, "Letthe paper fro down to Napa"
"Oh,Don’t be stupid"
"It’s the end of his ga to kill a young mother of two Just like that, are you?"
"I’ll pretend you didn’t say that"
"Then I’ll say it again You’re going to kill a younganyone"
" ‘The choice is yours,’" Lanny quoted "Are you going to choose to make two orphans?"
What Billy sa in his friend’s face, in his eyes, was not anything that he had seen before across a poker table or anywhere else He seeer
"The choice is yours," Lanny repeated
Billy didn’t want a falling-out between them He lived on the more companionable side of the line between recluse and her that divide
Perhaps sensing his friend’s concern, Lanny took a softer tack: "All I’ is throw me a line I’m in quicksand here"
"For God’s sake, Lanny"
"I know It sucks There’s no way it doesn’t"
"Don’t try to ain Don’t hammer me"
"I won’t I’m sorry It’s just, the sheriff’s a hardass You know he is With e, and I’ as he met Lanny’s eyes and saw the desperation in the worse than desperation that he didn’t want to name, he couldn’t compro to the Lanny he’d known before this encounter
"What are you askingcapitulation in the question, Lanny spoke in a still oing to be all right"
"I didn’t say I’d do whatever you want I just need to knohat it is"
"I understand I appreciate it You’re a true friend All I’aze from the tavern to the cracked blacktop at his feet, Billy said, "There’s not e, it was six hours Now it’s five"
"I’et off work at seven, so that’s probably when the clock starts ticking Midnight Then before dawn he kills one or the other, and by action or inaction, I’ve made a choice He’ll do what he’ll do, but I don’t want to think I decided it for hio to Sheriff Palle that’ll save my ass"
A familiar shriek, but seldom heard in this territory, raised Billy’s attention froulls kited against the eastern heavens They rarely ventured this far north from San Pablo Bay
"Billy, I need those notes for Sheriff Palulls, Billy said, "I’d rather keep them"
"The notes are evidence," Lanny said plaintively "That bastard Palmer will rip me a new one if I don’t take custody of the evidence and protect it"
As the suulls to seaside roosts, these birds were so out of place that they seeht a creeping chill to the nape of Billy’s neck
He said, "I only have the note I just found"
"Where’s the first one?" Lanny asked
"I left it ininto the tavern to ask Ivy Elgin the ive onna want to coet the first note then"
The problem was, Ivy claimed to be able to read portents only in the details of dead things
When Billy hesitated, Lanny grew insistent: "For God’s sake, look at me What is it with the birds?"
"I don’t know," Billy replied
"You don’t knohat?"
"I don’t knohat it is with the birds" Reluctantly, Billy fished the note froave it to Lanny "One hour"
"That’s all I need I’ll call you"
As Lanny turned away, Billy put a hand on his shoulder, halting hi Palured out how to tweak the story to givethe word
Falling silent, the circling sea gulls wheeled away toward the westering sun
"When I call," Lanny said, "I’ll tell you what I’o to him"
Billy wished that he had never surrendered the note But it was evidence, and logic dictated that Lanny should have it
"Where are you going to be in an hour--at Whispering Pines?"
Billy shook his head "I’ ho"
Iht, Billy Remember?"
"How does this psycho knohat choice I make? How did he knoent to you and not to the police? Hoill he knohat I do in the next four and a half hours?"
No answer but a frown occurred to Lanny
"Unless," Billy said, "he’s watchinglot, the tavern, and the arc of e so smooth"
"Was it?"
"Like a river Now this rock"
"Always a rock"
"That’s true enough," Lanny said, and walked away toward his patrol car Mother Olsen’s only child appeared defeated, sluyassed
Billy wanted to ask if everything was all right between them, but that was too direct He couldn’t think of another way to phrase the question Then he heard hi I’ve never told you and should have"
Lanny stopped, looked back, regarding him warily