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I think:Good Christ, is this the way I go out?
Only he doesn’t take the shot.
What the hell?
I fire the Glock now, miss.
Fire again.
Don’t know if I’ve hit him or not because then the train is on both of us. At the last moment I realize I am too close to the tracks as the train roars past me, the force of the draft coming off it knocking me off the gravel and into grass.
I lie there out of breath, not because I’m out of shape, not because of the chase, but the air went out of me as the train’s close pass knocked me down.
When I get back to my feet, the night clouds have parted and now it’s a full moon lighting the tracks.
The bastard is gone.
Fifty-Three
Jimmy
IT IS MOVING UPon four in the morning now. Even less chance than usual of either Jimmy or Jane getting any good sleep, so Jane makes them coffee. The EMT who bandaged Jimmy told him he ought to head over to the new urgent care in Bridgehampton to have the wound looked at. Jimmy lied and told him he’d head over there first thing. The EMT told Jimmy he was lucky that it was a through-and-through shot.
“Years of practice,” Jimmy said.
He’s made Jane tell him everything that happened at the tracks. Twice. She wants to know how much pain he’s in because of his shoulder. He says it only hurts when he laughs. She says he’s not laughing.
“Then I don’t want to find out how much it will hurt when I do,” he says.
They sit at the kitchen table, the dog on the floor next to Jane.
“This time he tried to kill you.”
He grins. “You don’t miss anything.”
“Whatever happened to both of you being cops? Isn’t that what he told you at McCall’s house?”
“We’re assuming it’s the same guy?” Jimmy says.
Jane tilts her head, an amused look on her face. “Come on, man.”
“So the state of play has changed. Maybe because he knows I know who he is. And knows I’m coming for his ass.”
“Has to be Champi.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ve told you before to never ma’am me.”
“Withdrawn.”
He drinks some of Jane’s coffee.
“He had a clear kill shot at me,” Jane says. “Didn’t take it.”
She looks at his shoulder. He refused the EMT’s offer of a sling.
“Why are you suddenly expendable and I’m not?” Jane asks.
