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“Gif, if you want to tell me how crazy I am, you’ll have to get in line. But what I did, I did out of desperation, not insanity. Now, enough of that. How are you doing? Are you in pain?”
“They gave me one of those self-dispensing things.”
“Good drugs?”
“Not good enough.”
“Jesus, Gif. I’ll never forgive myself for sending you to wander around alone last night, knowing that whack job—”
“Don’t try to get off the subject.”
“I’m not.”
“Sure you are. I recognize the tactic. What does Talia think about what you’ve done?”
Drex looked over at her, where she sat, her brow knit with consternation. Her arms were folded across her middle, providing a shelf for her delectable breasts. Although, clearly, allure wasn’t her intention.
“She’s so mad at me, her freckles are about to combust.”
“Why’s she mad?”
“She says I’m setting a trap with myself as bait.”
“Well, you are.”
“Listen, Gif, all this talk is wearing you out. I can hear it in your voice. You need to rest. Don’t worry about anything.”
“That sounds like a brush-off.”
“It is.” Although Gif did sound out of steam, his voice having gone thin.
“I hate this, Drex. When you need me most, I’m laid up here, useless. I want to help, to be doing something.”
“You’re healing. That’s a big something. Get well enough to lay into me the next time we see each other.”
“When will that be?”
“Uncertain. Depends on whether or not I’m granted bail. Rudkowski will argue that I’m a flight risk.”
“You are.”
“Yeah, but maybe the judge will rule in favor of a flight risk over a buffoon.”
“You’re joking, but you could go to jail. After all these years, everything you’ve sacrificed to this, I can’t stand to think of it ending with you behind bars.”
“You’re not going to cry, are you?”
“Maybe.”
Drex smiled, but his voice was husky with emotion when he said, “You’ve been true blue, Gif. Thanks.”
He disconnected, stared into the near distance for several seconds, then shook off his melancholia and passed Talia her phone. “Somebody was beeping in.”
She pulled up the number. “Third time today. I don’t recognize the number. Solicitation, no doubt.” She set aside her phone and reached for his hands, drawing them across the table toward her. “Drex—”
“We’ve been over it,” he said, interrupting what he knew would be another round of arguments, all reasonable, none he cared to
go through again. “You’re not to get anywhere near that courthouse. If you show up in the courtroom—”
