We didn’t bother with a parking spot; Lemming stopped the car at the elevator where a bald African-American agent was waiting with the elevator locked open. He was wearing a plastic security ID that said SCULLY, WILLIAM P . “That him?”
“Yeah.”
He stepped into the elevator and unlocked the doors. “Get his ass upstairs.”
I said, “If you’re Scully, where’s Mulder?”
No one answered. Guess they didn’t watch
The X-Files
.
They hustled me up to the sixth floor, then along a general issue federal hall as if I were a presidential candidate with an active death threat against him. We went through a door that said UNITED STATES MARSHALS , and into a department room with maybe half a dozen desks and four more agents gathered at one of the desks, talking. Scully took a bag of blue ice from a little fridge by the coffee machine, uncuffed me, then told me to put the blue ice on my eye. “Put’m in the cold room.”
I said, “I think I need medical attention. How about calling nine-one-one?”
“Keep the ice on it.”
They brought me to a small room with a table, four chairs, and no windows. Lemming put me in the far chair and said, “Sit.”
“How about a lawyer?”
“Sit.”
I sat. Jasper sat at the table across from me, but Scully and Lemming stayed on their feet. Scully whispered something to Lemming, and Lemming left. Jasper said, “First, I want you to know that we’re holding you for questioning. We do not plan to file charges against you at this time, but we reserve the option to do so at a later time.”
“Questioning about what?”
“The murder of a federal officer.”
“Come again?”
Scully said, “Why are you looking for Clark Hewitt?”
I looked at him. First Markov, now these guys. I looked from Scully to Jasper, then back to Scully. They were staring at me the way a circling hawk eyes a field mouse just before she folds her wings and slips down through the air to feed. I said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that name.”
Scully said, “Knock off the bullshit. We ask, you answer.”
I grinned at him. “Is that the way it works, Scully?”
“Yeah. That’s the way it works.” My eye was burning and flushed with blood. I put the blue ice on it.
Jasper said, “Who are you working for?”
“I just went through this with Markov. I didn’t like it then either.”
“Tough.”
Scully said, “How do you know Markov?”
“I don’t. Two goons scooped me off the street and brought me to see him.”
Scully glanced at Jasper, and Jasper said, “Alexei Dobcek and Dmitri Sautin.”
Scully looked back at me. “Why?”
“So they could ask the same questions you people are asking.”
“What’d you tell them?”
“The same thing I’m telling you.”
“It might go easier if you were more cooperative.”
“You might get more cooperation if you told me what was going on.” I’d had enough, and my voice was getting loud. My back was tight and my cheek and ear were throbbing, and the blue ice had lost its cold. I didn’t know why any of this was happening, and the not knowing made me feel like a chump. I had flown up on my own nickel to find a runaway dad, only nothing appeared to be quite what I had thought it was, and that made me feel like a chump, too.
I put the ice packet on the table and stood. “If you’re going to charge me, then do it. If you’re going to keep me, I want a lawyer.”
“Sit down.”
I looked at Scully. “No, Scully, I don’t think so.”
Jasper stood and leaned across the table at me. “Get in the goddamned chair.” Yelling.
“You’re going to have to put me in the chair, and it’s not going to be as easy as you’re thinking.” I didn’t shout. I was proud of myself for not shouting.
Jasper started to move around the table, but Scully caught him. “Reed.”
Jasper stood there, breathing hard. I was breathing hard, too, but I was tired of getting shoved around and kept in the dark. Something was going on and
“Yeah.”
He stepped into the elevator and unlocked the doors. “Get his ass upstairs.”
I said, “If you’re Scully, where’s Mulder?”
No one answered. Guess they didn’t watch
The X-Files
.
They hustled me up to the sixth floor, then along a general issue federal hall as if I were a presidential candidate with an active death threat against him. We went through a door that said UNITED STATES MARSHALS , and into a department room with maybe half a dozen desks and four more agents gathered at one of the desks, talking. Scully took a bag of blue ice from a little fridge by the coffee machine, uncuffed me, then told me to put the blue ice on my eye. “Put’m in the cold room.”
I said, “I think I need medical attention. How about calling nine-one-one?”
“Keep the ice on it.”
They brought me to a small room with a table, four chairs, and no windows. Lemming put me in the far chair and said, “Sit.”
“How about a lawyer?”
“Sit.”
I sat. Jasper sat at the table across from me, but Scully and Lemming stayed on their feet. Scully whispered something to Lemming, and Lemming left. Jasper said, “First, I want you to know that we’re holding you for questioning. We do not plan to file charges against you at this time, but we reserve the option to do so at a later time.”
“Questioning about what?”
“The murder of a federal officer.”
“Come again?”
Scully said, “Why are you looking for Clark Hewitt?”
I looked at him. First Markov, now these guys. I looked from Scully to Jasper, then back to Scully. They were staring at me the way a circling hawk eyes a field mouse just before she folds her wings and slips down through the air to feed. I said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that name.”
Scully said, “Knock off the bullshit. We ask, you answer.”
I grinned at him. “Is that the way it works, Scully?”
“Yeah. That’s the way it works.” My eye was burning and flushed with blood. I put the blue ice on it.
Jasper said, “Who are you working for?”
“I just went through this with Markov. I didn’t like it then either.”
“Tough.”
Scully said, “How do you know Markov?”
“I don’t. Two goons scooped me off the street and brought me to see him.”
Scully glanced at Jasper, and Jasper said, “Alexei Dobcek and Dmitri Sautin.”
Scully looked back at me. “Why?”
“So they could ask the same questions you people are asking.”
“What’d you tell them?”
“The same thing I’m telling you.”
“It might go easier if you were more cooperative.”
“You might get more cooperation if you told me what was going on.” I’d had enough, and my voice was getting loud. My back was tight and my cheek and ear were throbbing, and the blue ice had lost its cold. I didn’t know why any of this was happening, and the not knowing made me feel like a chump. I had flown up on my own nickel to find a runaway dad, only nothing appeared to be quite what I had thought it was, and that made me feel like a chump, too.
I put the ice packet on the table and stood. “If you’re going to charge me, then do it. If you’re going to keep me, I want a lawyer.”
“Sit down.”
I looked at Scully. “No, Scully, I don’t think so.”
Jasper stood and leaned across the table at me. “Get in the goddamned chair.” Yelling.
“You’re going to have to put me in the chair, and it’s not going to be as easy as you’re thinking.” I didn’t shout. I was proud of myself for not shouting.
Jasper started to move around the table, but Scully caught him. “Reed.”
Jasper stood there, breathing hard. I was breathing hard, too, but I was tired of getting shoved around and kept in the dark. Something was going on and
Similar Books
