Rescue

Kidnapping, murder, and what all else?“
    “That’s part of the problem, Sergeant. I don’t know what else.“
    “Long’s we’re in this so deep, how about you call me Whit?“
    “And I’m John.“
    “For real?“
    “For real. So, Whit, where do we go from here?“
    Another sigh. “Well, I don’t know. Ordinarily, I’d take you into protective custody, but if Billups is part of this, then maybe that’s not such a good idea.“
    “I’m also a little worried about anything official getting back to the Church.“
    Tidyman looked reflective. “Account of they might do something to the boy?“
    “Get rid of evidence before somebody came searching it out.“
    A nod. “Tell you what, then. Where’s your car?“
    “About five doors down, under a house.“
    “Under... ? Oh, I get you. Can it be seen?“
    “Not at night. Tomorrow, I’d guess so.“
    “All right. Let’s you bring it around to behind my shed here, so we don’t have a road deputy spotting it and calling in the plate.“
    “How about after that?“
    “You said one of the people you talked to gave you a layout of the Compound?“
    “Yes.“
    “Well, I’ve been there, too. Only twice, but enough so’s I can picture that infirmary place and the wall behind it. Let’s get some sleep, then work it out in the morning.“
    “Work what out?“
    Tidyman looked up at me with the dour face and hard eyes. “Getting us inside so we can do some good for the boy and some bad for the Church.“

23

    “H ow’d you sleep?“
    I remembered Dawna Adair asking me roughly the .same question after I’d spent the night on her living room furniture. “Pretty well.“
    “Sorry there’s no guest room, but I’m a bachelor, so nobody really comes to visit.“
    “It wasfine, Whit.“
    “I walked out to the road this morning, see if I could spot your car behind my shed in the light. Can’t.“
    “Good.“
    “There’s some sliced bread in the freezer. You can put it fight in the toaster, and pour yourself some orange juice for
    breakfast.“
    “Good again.“
    “Sorry I don’t have none of that Pierre water like the Lodge Probably does.“
    I guessed he meant Perrier. “Don’t worry about it, Whit.“
    “ I’ve got to go into the station for a bit over what happened night.“ Tidyman pulledon his face, making it longer. What size you wear?“
    “In what?“
    “Shirt and pants.“
    I told him. He wrote it down on a scrap of paper, then put the paper in a pocket as he fished keys from it. “I’m gonna go down to the clothes store, too, get you some things to wear.“
    I took out my wallet. “Don’t be too elaborate.“
    “Save your money. This’ll go in as a county expense.“
    “For a change of clothes?“
    “Wait’ll you see the clothes.“

    I spent part of that Monday morning watching a news broadcast out of Miami cover the tail end of Dawna’s death, the camera crew not making it to the scene until after most of the forensic work was done and her body removed from the house. The Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman said there were no details available about, the killer’s methods, but that a suspect was being actively sought.
    Tidyman came through the door without knocking, and he saw me with my hand going up my pant leg toward the calf holster. “Sorry there, son. Just not used to having somebody in the house.“ He set down a bag showing the name of a store I’d never heard of. “Here, try these on.“
    I opened the bag and shook out the contents. A Florida Marlins baseball cap and some plastic, wraparound sunglasses, but also a white shirt, white pants, and a blue string tie with bolo. “The Compound uniform.“
    “Go on, try them.“
    I went to the bathroom to change. The pants were a little tight around the thighs, but the shirt was perfect.
    Back in the living room, Tidyman was hanging up the phone. “Just one of the boys from S.H.I.T.“
    “From what?“
    “Special Homicide Investigative Team. What we uniforms call the Homicide Unit down on Marathon .“ He asked me to turn around once. “Good fit.“
    “You’ll have to help me with the string tie.“
    “And you’re gonna be wearing the ball cap and the shades as we drive out there. Best way there is to alter your appear ance, short-term.“
    “How short-term are we talking about?“
    “We’ll decide when we get there.“

    The cruiser bounced some as we started over the causeway to Little Mercy Key.
    Tidyman said, “Now remember, keep your head down.