The Devil's Bag Man by Adam Mansbach Page B

seem?”
    â€œHow did he seem ? He seemed crazy. He’s out of his fucking mind.” She let out a shuddery sigh. “He grabbed Alex and started asking all this crazy stuff—who sent him, how he knew his name—”
    â€œHow Alex knew your father’s name?”
    â€œYeah. He called him Mr. Galvan.”
    â€œAnd did you tell him your father’s last name?”
    Sherry scowled and shrugged further into the jacket. “I guess I must have.”
    Nichols felt his cop brain whirring to life, like a computer booting.
    â€œAre you absolutely sure, Sherry? How would it come up—and if it had, wouldn’t you remember? And why would he remember, when he’s sitting there scared to death?”
    Nichols dropped his hands to his hips. “Look, Sherry. I’m gonna level with you. I owe you that, after everything we’ve been through. And because I love you. Okay?”
    She looked scared, but she nodded.
    â€œOkay. Your father is real fucked up right now, just like the rest of us and probably more so. But I don’t think he’s crazy. And I don’t think he’d have done this without a solid reason. Or what he considered one.”
    She threw him a look so cold Nichols actually shivered, and when Sherry spoke, her voice was just as frosty.
    â€œA reason. To kill my boyfriend. Who he’s never even met.”
    Nichols held her gaze. “Like keeping you safe.”
    â€œBullshit. Fuck him, and fuck you too.”
    â€œI know it’s hard to hear. But come on, Sherry. You barely knew this—”
    â€œI barely knew this guy, so what ? He deserves to be murdered , because my father has a bad dream ?” She spun on her heel, stalked a few paces, and turned back. “I can’t believe this. Aren’t you supposed to be, like, the law ?”
    â€œHe had a gun,” Nichols reminded her, filing that bit about the dream away for later. “Right? You said on the phone that he grabbed a gun from the glove compartment, or from somewhere, and fired a shot. Any idea why he had that gun, Sherry?”
    She threw up her hands. “Because this is fucking Texas, Nichols.”
    A car was approaching, and they both fell silent, squinting as the high beams found them.
    It was Boggs. Nichols raised a hand in greeting, waited as the kid cut his engine and trotted over.
    â€œDeputy Boggs, Sherry Richards. I want you to take her home, and keep watch on the house until I get there. You understand?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œWhere are you going?” Sherry demanded.
    â€œTo investigate.”
    â€œInvestigate what ? Why don’t you go arrest my father?”
    Nichols sighed. “I’d have to find him first, wouldn’t I? And since all you can tell me is that he ran off into the woods, that might take a little time. The important thing is to keep you safe while we figure this out, Sherry.”
    Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Safe from who? Because the most dangerous person I can think of is the one you don’t seem to have any interest in finding.”
    â€œJust safe,” he said, and started to turn away.
    Sherry reached out and grabbed his hand.
    â€œHe was the only good thing in my life, Nichols,” she said in a fierce whisper. “I’ve got nothing now.”
    He studied her for a second, not sure whether she’d accept an embrace or kick him in the balls for trying.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Nichols said at last, softly. And then, “Do you know if he had any family? Anyone we should notify?”
    She shook her head, and her gaze dropped to the ground. “He didn’t. There’s no one. We just had each other.”
    The anger had burned itself out, at least for now, and Nichols decided to glean what he could before it flared back up.
    â€œWhere was he staying?”
    â€œSome motel.”
    â€œYou been there?”
    She shook her head. “He said it was