Chase: Roman

mean that much. I mean, considering how much you had to go through to earn them, they must seem kind of insignificant.’
        Chase looked up from his drink, surprised at the insight. ‘You're right,’ he said. They don't mean anything.’
        Tuppinger said, ‘And it must be hard to come back from a place like that and settle into a normal life. Memories couldn't fade that quickly.’
        Chase started to respond, then saw that Tuppinger was looking meaningfully at the glass of whisky in his hand. He closed his mouth, bit off his response. Then, hating Tuppinger as badly as he hated Judge, he lifted the drink and took a very large swallow of it.
        He said, ‘I'll have another, I think. You sure you don't want one?’
        ‘Positive,’ Tuppinger said.
        When Chase returned to the bed with another glassful, Tuppinger cautioned him against answering the phone without first waiting for the tape to be started. Then he went into the bathroom, where he remained almost ten minutes.
        When he came back, Chase asked, ‘How late do we have to stay up?’
        ‘Has he ever called this late - except that first night?’
        ‘No,’ Chase said.
        ‘Then I'll turn in now,’ Tuppinger said, flopping in the easy chair. ‘See you in the morning.’
        
        In the morning the whispers of the dead men woke Chase, but they turned out to be nothing more than the sound of water running in the bathroom sink. Tuppinger had risen first and was shaving. When he opened the door and came out a few minutes later, looking refreshed, he nodded at Chase. ‘All yours!’ He seemed remarkably energetic for having spent the night in the easy chair.
        Chase took his time bathing and shaving, for the longer he remained in the bathroom, the less he would have to talk to the cop. When he was finally finished, the clock by his bed read 9:45. Judge had not yet called.
        ‘What have you got for breakfast?’ Tuppinger asked.
        Chase said, There isn't anything here.’
        ‘Oh, you've got to have something. Doesn't have to be breakfast food; I'm not particular in the morning.’
        Chase opened the refrigerator and took out the bag of Winesap apples. He said, ‘Only these.’
        Tuppinger stared at the apples, at the empty refrigerator. His eyes flicked to the whisky bottle on the cupboard. He did not say anything, for he did not need to say anything. Indeed, if he had remarked according to his thoughts, Chase might have struck him.
        ‘They'll do fine,’ Tuppinger said enthusiastically. He took the clear plastic bag from Chase and chose an apple. ‘Want one?’
        ‘No.’
        ‘You ought to eat breakfast,’ Tuppinger said. ‘Even something small. Gets the stomach working, sharpens you up for the day ahead.’
        ‘No thanks,’ Chase said.
        ‘Tuppinger carefully peeled two apples, sectioned them and ate them slowly, chewing well.
        By 10:30 Chase was beginning to worry. Suppose Judge did not call today? The idea of having Tuppinger here for the afternoon and the evening, of waking up to the sound of Tuppinger in the bathroom shaving, was all but intolerable.
        ‘Do you have a relief man?’ Chase asked.
        ‘Unless it gets too protracted,’ Tuppinger said, ‘I'll stick with it myself.’
        ‘How long might that be?’
        ‘Oh,’ Tuppinger said, ‘if we don't have it wrapped up in forty-eight hours, I'll call in my relief.’
        Though another forty-eight hours with Tuppinger was in no way an attractive prospect, it was probably no worse, and perhaps better, than it would have been with another cop. Though Tuppinger was a bit too observant for comfort, he did not talk very much. Let him look, then. And let him think whatever he wanted to think about Chase. So long as he could keep his mouth shut, they wouldn't have any major problems.
        At noon Tuppinger had two more apples and cajoled Chase into eating most of one. It was decided that Chase would go out for some fried chicken and slaw to bring back for supper.
        At 12:30 Chase had his first drink.
        Tuppinger watched, but he did not say anything.
        Chase didn't offer him a drink this time.
        At three in the afternoon the telephone rang. Although this was what they had been waiting for since the night before, Chase did not want to answer it. Because Tuppinger was there, urging him to pick it up while he adjusted his