with...the
curtain parted and the illusion shattered. A short redhead in a
nurse’s uniform entered. She was carrying a plastic bag that
appeared to be full of some kind of fluid. The shadow was revealed
as a large man in a police uniform with his back turned to the
room. He was standing guard, Raymond realized. More clarity
returned and he felt the cold circle of metal around his wrist. He
was cuffed to the bed.
As the nurse approached he closed his eyes,
pretending to still be unconscious. As he listened to the sounds of
the nurse performing whatever errand had brought her in, he
wondered what had happened to John Lee. He wondered how much the
cops knew. Enough, he figured, or he wouldn’t be cuffed to the bed.
Finally, he heard the nurse leave. He opened his eyes again. He
began looking around for something he could use as a weapon when
they took these damn cuffs off.
Keller was dozing lightly when Dr. Ahmad
re-entered the room. “You are being discharged,” he said. “We
performed a CT scan of your skull. There is no sign of permanent
injury or skull fracture.”
“ You said discharged,” Keller said.
“Not released.” For emphasis, he rattled the handcuff that still
secured him to the bed rail.
Ahmad looked down at his pad and began
writing. “That is not my decision,” he mumbled.
“ It is, however, the decision of the
Fayetteville Police,” the voice of Scott McCaskill boomed from the
doorway. He entered the room, followed by the slouching figure of
Detective Barnes.
Barnes’ normally sour expression was even
more pronounced. “Detective Barnes and I,” McCaskill said with a
smile, "have had an enlightening conversation with the District
Attorney’s Office, as well as the City’s legal counsel on civil
matters. We’ve decided that there’s no evidence connecting you with
any real crime.”
“ Yet,” Barnes said, half under his
breath. He had an expression on his face as if some small animal
had shat in his moustache.
“ If you turn up anything, Detective,”
McCaskill said, still smiling. “Anything real, that is, I’m all
ears.”
Barnes muttered something else that Keller
didn’t catch and took a small key out of his pocket. He unlocked
the cuffs without looking at Keller. After he was finished, he
pocketed the cuffs and key, turned on his heel, and left.
Ahmad finished writing and tore a page of his
clipboard. “Here are your discharge instructions,” he said, “and a
prescription for the pain. You may want to take it easy for a few
days. Avoid excitement.”
“ An excellent suggestion,” McCaskill
said, looking significantly at Keller. “In fact, a week or two off
might be a good idea. Some place far away, like a beach in
Florida.” He winked at Ahmad. “Just what the doctor ordered,
eh?”
Ahmad looked up and blinked. “I don’t believe
I said anything about Florida.”
“ Just an expression, Doctor, just an
expression,” McCaskill said, patting him on the shoulder. Ahmad
still looked confused as he left.
This is one cool
ride , DeWayne thought. He was headed south on I-95,
going slightly under the speed limit. He had the windows rolled
down and Steve Earle cranked on the CD player.
About the time that daddy left to fight the
big war
I saw my first pistol in the general
store
In the general store,
when I was
thirteen
Thought it was the finest thing I ever had
seen…
He could feel the vibrations of the big
engine through his boots on the pedals. The dude that had been
chasing him had obviously done some serious modifications to the
engine. DeWayne wished that he could really open it up and see what
that engine could do, but he didn’t dare take the chance. He had
gotten lucky with the two cops and the bounty hunter. If he had
learned anything from his life, it was that luck like that never
lasted.
So I asked if I could have one some day when
I grew up
Mama dropped a dozen eggs, she really blew
up
She really blew up,
I
curtain parted and the illusion shattered. A short redhead in a
nurse’s uniform entered. She was carrying a plastic bag that
appeared to be full of some kind of fluid. The shadow was revealed
as a large man in a police uniform with his back turned to the
room. He was standing guard, Raymond realized. More clarity
returned and he felt the cold circle of metal around his wrist. He
was cuffed to the bed.
As the nurse approached he closed his eyes,
pretending to still be unconscious. As he listened to the sounds of
the nurse performing whatever errand had brought her in, he
wondered what had happened to John Lee. He wondered how much the
cops knew. Enough, he figured, or he wouldn’t be cuffed to the bed.
Finally, he heard the nurse leave. He opened his eyes again. He
began looking around for something he could use as a weapon when
they took these damn cuffs off.
Keller was dozing lightly when Dr. Ahmad
re-entered the room. “You are being discharged,” he said. “We
performed a CT scan of your skull. There is no sign of permanent
injury or skull fracture.”
“ You said discharged,” Keller said.
“Not released.” For emphasis, he rattled the handcuff that still
secured him to the bed rail.
Ahmad looked down at his pad and began
writing. “That is not my decision,” he mumbled.
“ It is, however, the decision of the
Fayetteville Police,” the voice of Scott McCaskill boomed from the
doorway. He entered the room, followed by the slouching figure of
Detective Barnes.
Barnes’ normally sour expression was even
more pronounced. “Detective Barnes and I,” McCaskill said with a
smile, "have had an enlightening conversation with the District
Attorney’s Office, as well as the City’s legal counsel on civil
matters. We’ve decided that there’s no evidence connecting you with
any real crime.”
“ Yet,” Barnes said, half under his
breath. He had an expression on his face as if some small animal
had shat in his moustache.
“ If you turn up anything, Detective,”
McCaskill said, still smiling. “Anything real, that is, I’m all
ears.”
Barnes muttered something else that Keller
didn’t catch and took a small key out of his pocket. He unlocked
the cuffs without looking at Keller. After he was finished, he
pocketed the cuffs and key, turned on his heel, and left.
Ahmad finished writing and tore a page of his
clipboard. “Here are your discharge instructions,” he said, “and a
prescription for the pain. You may want to take it easy for a few
days. Avoid excitement.”
“ An excellent suggestion,” McCaskill
said, looking significantly at Keller. “In fact, a week or two off
might be a good idea. Some place far away, like a beach in
Florida.” He winked at Ahmad. “Just what the doctor ordered,
eh?”
Ahmad looked up and blinked. “I don’t believe
I said anything about Florida.”
“ Just an expression, Doctor, just an
expression,” McCaskill said, patting him on the shoulder. Ahmad
still looked confused as he left.
This is one cool
ride , DeWayne thought. He was headed south on I-95,
going slightly under the speed limit. He had the windows rolled
down and Steve Earle cranked on the CD player.
About the time that daddy left to fight the
big war
I saw my first pistol in the general
store
In the general store,
when I was
thirteen
Thought it was the finest thing I ever had
seen…
He could feel the vibrations of the big
engine through his boots on the pedals. The dude that had been
chasing him had obviously done some serious modifications to the
engine. DeWayne wished that he could really open it up and see what
that engine could do, but he didn’t dare take the chance. He had
gotten lucky with the two cops and the bounty hunter. If he had
learned anything from his life, it was that luck like that never
lasted.
So I asked if I could have one some day when
I grew up
Mama dropped a dozen eggs, she really blew
up
She really blew up,
I
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