Robert Crais - The Watchman

Pike wiped the excess solvent from the slide, then returned to the barrel. He ran a brass wire brush from the business end out through the chamber, then into the chamber and out through the business end. He followed it with a clean cotton swab dipped in more solvent.

The girl said, “We have to talk.”

“Okay.”

“I didn’t like the way you left me yesterday. If you had told me what you were doing, it would have been fine, but you didn’t tell me. You don’t even talk to me. Okay, I know you’re not a talker. I get that. Elvis says you barely talk to him . Okay. But I’m an adult. These people are trying to kill me . I don’t need a babysitter, and I don’t like being treated like a child. This is a trust issue. We have a trust issue, is what I’m saying, and we have to deal with this. Here we are in this crappy little house, and it is either safe here or it isn’t. If you don’t think it’s safe, let’s go somewhere else. I suggested Paris, but no, you want to stay in Echo Park. Fine. We’ve been here two days and they haven’t found me, so I guess it’s safe. Okay, good, thank you. But I don’t like it here, and I also don’t like spending all day in the car just because you think I’m stupid. I resent it. I don’t know how those people kept finding me, but it wasn’t me. I don’t want to go see Bud, and I don’t want to sit in the car while you and Elvis talk to people. It’s boring, and I’m tired of it. I would rather stay here, and I can stay here by myself.”

Pike put down the barrel. He looked at her.

“Yes.”

“Yes, I can stay here?”

“I said I was going to see Bud. I didn’t say we. I’m sorry about yesterday. I should have been more considerate.”

The girl’s mouth opened, but she didn’t say anything. She sipped the coffee, holding the cup with both hands.

Pike slipped the barrel into the slide, dropped the recoil spring guide into place beneath the barrel, then fed the recoil spring onto the guide. He reassembled the gun in seconds. Pike could take the gun apart or put it together blindfolded, in the dark, dead on his feet from lack of sleep, and with gunfire raging around him. Putting the gun together was easy. Talking to the girl was difficult.

The girl finally spoke.

“Okay. Thanks. That’s cool.”

Pike said, “Cool.”

His cell vibrated, making a loud buzz on the table. Pike read the screen, thinking it would be Cole, but it wasn’t.

Pike placed the phone to his ear.

Ronnie said, “You have company.”

The girl was watching him, but Pike showed nothing. They were hunting hard for him, just as he was hunting for them. And as he would return to the girl’s home for their trail, they had no choice but to return to his condo. You went where the animals lived.

Pike said, “How many?”

“One guy this time. I don’t know if he’s one you told me about, but he could be. Under six, I’d say; hair’s kinda long and dark.”

“Where is he?”

“Inside. He just let himself in, walked right in like he owned the place. You want me to introduce myself?”

Pike watched the girl watching him. If she knew what he intended to do, she would be worried or ask questions, and Pike had used up his talking allowance.

“No, I’ll come over and have a word. I’m on my way. If he leaves, you have my phone.”

“Yup.”

Pike put down the phone, pushed the magazine into the gun, then jacked the slide and set the safety. If Pike could ever know bliss, it filled him now, but he showed nothing. He had them. He had a line that might bring him to Meesh, and then he would clear the field. All these bastards trying to kill this girl, this one girl, all of them ganged against her, and he would clear the field, but not for justice. It would be punishment. Punishment was justice.

He said, “So. What are you going to do while I’m gone?”

“Who was that?”

“Ronnie. He found someone who might be able to help, so I’m going to meet them. You’re going to be okay?”

“Uh-huh.”

Pike stood, pocketed the phone, then holstered the Kimber and clipped it to his waist. He pulled on the long-sleeved shirt to cover his tattoos and the gun.

“You want me to pick up something?”

“Maybe some fruit.”

“What kind?”

“Strawberries. Maybe bananas.”

“I’ll be a while. You sure you’re okay?”

She was still staring. Pike hoped she was having second thoughts about staying alone and had changed her mind.

She said, “How long will you be?”

“Most of the day, maybe. I can have Elvis come over.”

“No, that’s okay.”

“Sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, then. I’ll see you later.”

Pike was disappointed, but he showed nothing. He had mixed feelings about leaving her, but he had convinced himself there was more to protecting her than just keeping her alive. He didn’t want her to feel abandoned again. If she needed to feel trusted, then he would trust her. It was a decision he would regret.

Pike worked his way south to the Santa Monica Freeway in the sluggish morning traffic. He didn’t hurry. If the man in his condo left, Ronnie would follow. Pike filled Cole in from the car. Cole asked if Pike wanted help, but Pike declined, saying Cole’s time would be better spent on Pitman as they had planned. Pike still wanted to talk with Bud, but everything might change in the next few hours, so Pike decided to wait. He told Cole about the girl.

Cole said, “You want me to watch her?”

“Not watch her, but I’d like you to stop by.”

“She wouldn’t know I was watching her.”

“I understand, but no. She doesn’t want that. Maybe you could stop by. I don’t know how long I’m going to be with this. Just stop by. Don’t stay.”

“I’ll swing by later. I’ll drop off some food.”

“Strawberries.”

“What?”

“She wants strawberries. Maybe bananas.”

“Sure. Whatever.”

“See she’s all right, then let me know.”

“Joe. You worried?”

“Just doing my job.”

“Right.”

“If she wants you to stay, you can stay.”

Cole laughed, so Pike hung up.

Pike hadn’t heard from Ronnie again by the time he left the freeway, so he called.

Pike said, “I’m five out. Is he still in my house?”

“Nope. He only stayed inside a few minutes. Now he’s hiding in the bushes. Bet the sonofabitch went in to take a dump.”

“Only one guy?”

“Yep.”

“Where?”

“You know the two dumpsters at the back of your parking lot? He’s under the bushes behind the dumpsters, looking out between them so he can see your front door. Been there about twenty minutes now.”

What’s he driving?”

“No idea. He approached on foot along the main drive, so he’s probably parked out by the main gate, but I’m only guessing. Somebody might’ve dropped him off.”

Pike thought it through as he turned toward his complex. Since the man had taken a position by Pike’s condo, Pike could drive through the main gate and park on the grounds. This would allow Pike easy access to his car, which could be important.

Pike said, “What’s he wearing?”

“A short-sleeved green shirt with the tail out. The shirt has these little stripes. And jeans.”

“Can you leave your position without being seen?”

“No problem.”

“Call you when I’m in.”

Pike drove through the main gate, but turned away from his condo to a parking lot behind a group of adjoining pods. He left the Lexus without bothering to hide, and made his way forward. Pike knew exactly where the man was and what the man was able to see, so Pike wasn’t concerned. When he reached the last of the adjoining pods, he stepped behind a large plumeria and once more disappeared into a world of green. Pike moved along the wall to the end of the building, then turned the corner. The parking lot where he normally parked and the dumpsters were directly in front of him. He studied the thick wall of oleander bushes behind the dumpsters. The man would have a narrow field of view between the dumpsters, but he had picked a good place to hide. Pike couldn’t see him through the heavy lace of leaves. Pike changed his location twice before he found an angle he liked. He still didn’t see the man, but thought the angle would work. Pike watched the oleanders for almost twenty minutes, and then a bar of light moved behind the leaves.