Rescue

trouble.
    “John.“
    Duquette said, “Sir, we’ve only got three clips of ammo each. You’ll be back for us, right?“
    I wasn’t more than a few years older than he was, but I remember saying, “ Don’t worry, son, I’ll be back.“
    Duquette said, “Promise?“ and tried to grin, the one eye still swiveling.
    I said, “Promise.“
    “John?“
    The next time I saw Duquette was six or seven hours later, faceup in the gutter, a cruel sash of AK-47 rounds stitched diagonally through his chest, the forty-five lying jacked open and empty near his hand. He’d run out of ammunition before I’d gotten back for—
    “John!“
    I turned to Nancy . “What’s the matter?“
    “You zoned out on me. I was saying your name and—“
    “I’m sorry, kid. I just... Nevermind. I’m okay.“
    Her voice was very quiet. “You don’t even remember my question, do you?“
    “Your question?“ I took a moment. “No, I don’t.“
    “I asked you if you’d ever been down to visit the Wall.“
    Jesus. “You’re right, I did forget. And no, I haven’t seen it.“
    Still the quiet voice. “Last message of the evening?“
    “Okay.“
    A kiss on my ear. “Maybe you should.“
    “Why?“
    “To get rid of some of the scars I can’t play with.“
    Nancy dropped off before I did, just after I realized she was right.

3

    I said, “You sure you don’t want it?“
    George-Ann Izzo, five-seven, a hundred-fifty pounds, and dark-haired, looked down at the Styrofoam cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, then back up at me. Between clenched teeth, she said, “I want it. I just better not have it.“
    George-Ann’s teeth were clenched because her jaw was wired shut. The wiring, and rubber bands, were necessary because a jerk she’d tried to serve with a contempt citation in a matrimonial case had swung on her, breaking her jaw and going in for more before George-Ann dislocated his shoulder. Earlier on the stakeout, she’d told me about having to use a Water Pik instead of a toothbrush and how sensitive she’d become to things that stain your teeth.
    I said, “Coffee stains, huh?“
    Just a nod.
    We were sitting in my Prelude, me at the wheel. I’d come by to relieve her, and George-Ann was going over what had happened the night before. The house we were watching was in front of us and slightly raised on a knoll. A nice garrison with three acres near the end of a winding country lane, it belonged to the new, fortyish girlfriend of a man who stayed at various places around the country without seeming to live in any one of them. According to the plaintiff’s lawyer, who’d gotten a superior court judge to appoint George-Ann as special agent for service of process, the man (Harry was his first name) might be staying with the girlfriend (Irene), and the lawyer even had a candid photo showing the two of them for identification purposes. After two days on her own, how« ever, all George-Ann had seen was the girlfriend going to and from work, walking a female rottweiler on a stout leash, and bringing back take-out food in a Mercedes registered in Irene’s name. The telephone went unanswered, and knocking on the door brought nothing but barking. That’s when the lawyer got my name added to the special agent order, and I joined in to provide almost round-the-clock surveillance. Either one of us would be able to hand Harry the summer and complaint in a case that would tie him up in fraud allegations until roughly the new millennium.
    But first we’d have to tag him, and so far, we hadn’t even seen him.
    I said, “Irene’s at work?“
    “Yeah. Left an hour ago, after walking the dog.“ George Ann opened her handbag, rummaging around and laying things out in her lap. One of them was a plastic box with f hinge on it.
    “You starting on intravenous drugs, George-Ann?“
    “Huh?“
    “The case.“
    “Oh. That’s not paraphernalia.“
    Her sentence through the teeth came out, “Thaz nah pa*“ phen-nail.“ I said, “What is it, then?“
    “My kit. It’s got scissors to cut the anchor bands in taj mouth, in case I start to choke on my meals of milk or soup| Otherwise, I’d start to throw up and the puke would have no place to go but down into my lungs. Probably should have some wire cutters in the kit, too.“
    “Lovely.“
    A shrug that meant, “Part of the job.“ And, in a wag it was.
    George-Ann came up with her keys and shoved the rest of the stuff back in the bag. “I’m out of here. Do me a favor, get this