Robert Ferrigno - Scavenger hunt

Jimmy's legs went soft.

"She was a good woman, Jimmy. What you made me do to her-I think you owe me an apology. I'm going to have nightmares about that for years."

Jimmy took a step toward him and stopped, the.38 centered on his chest now. If he looked at the gun much longer, he was going to fall into the barrel. Jimmy smiled instead. The smile confused Sugar for a moment, and in that moment Jimmy rushed him.

Sugar had time to fire, but he tucked the gun into his pocket instead, casual, as though he had made a decision. Jimmy punched him twice, three times, hit him hard, full force. Sugar took the hits, grunting with the impact, but too heavily padded to be knocked off his feet. They grappled on the deck, and Sugar seemed to welcome the contact, butting heads, driving their knees and elbows into each other, around and around on the deck, the two of them gasping for breath.

Winded now, Sugar wrapped his arms around Jimmy, shared his sweat and his cologne with him. "It stings, doesn't it," he panted, holding on as Jimmy kicked and struggled. "You killed Stephanie as much as I did, and she didn't deserve it. We both got to deal with that." He flung Jimmy back against the metal railing, and Jimmy almost went over, his back arched in space. "That was good," said Sugar, one eye starting to swell. "I needed that."

Jimmy stood up. His forehead had opened up again. He thought of Stephanie in her house in the desert, the house with the handmade curtains and the doorbell that played the theme from Zorba the Greek, and wished she had never answered his ringing, wished she had been long gone with no forwarding address.

"What am I going to do with you?" Sugar said, pacing, the deck creaking with the weight of him. "Yesterday I met up with Detective Katz. She had all kinds of questions, thanks to you."

"What did you do to her?"

"I took her out to a movie. Bought her some buttered popcorn and a large Coke. Oh, I came close-I came this close-but that's all I did. She's a brother officer. Gives me a stomachache to think what might have happened. You see what you started?"

Jimmy didn't respond. He was waiting now.

"Just when you think everything is settled and forgotten, somebody like you start it all up again." Sugar kept pacing. "Answer me one question. Why did you do it? I mean, what was in it for you? Nobody cared. It was over and done with."

"Maybe I just don't like seeing the bad guys walk off into the sunset, whistling a happy tune. It just plain pisses me off."

"I used to feel that way too, but I got over it." There was a beeping from Sugar's pocket. "You mind if I get that?"

"Fuck you."

Sugar pulled his phone out. "Yeah?" He winked at Jimmy. "He's right here… I don't think he's too happy about it either. I'm not too happy myself… We got some things to talk about, you and me." He grimaced. "Where you calling from?… How many times I told you to use a phone booth when you call my cell? When are you going to learn?" He rolled his eyes at Jimmy. "I've heard that one before. Take your time getting back here after the premiere. I'm going to have to ditch our boy's car… I won't… I said I won't leave a mess at your house." He hung up, shrugged. "This is the part I hate."

"Be kind to yourself then. Get in the elevator and leave."

"Can't do it, Jimmy. Turn around."

"No, thanks."

"Don't be like that. We've already settled who's going to win the argument. Go on, just do what I ask." Sugar took off his belt, looped it through the buckle, and made a noose. "Turn around and check out the view-that's what the rich folks pay for. It's a clear night. Maybe you'll see a whale or something." He moved closer, the belt loop held loosely in one hand. "You got a girlfriend. I'll make it easy on her- I'll stash your body where no one will ever find it. She'll think you just took off for greener pastures. She'll get past that quicker than a homicide. I'll do that for you, Jimmy. Just turn around."

Jimmy held up the DVD that he had slipped out of Sugar's pocket when they grappled. "What should I do with this?" He made as though to fling it off the deck. "It would make a great Frisbee."

Sugar patted his jacket for confirmation, then held out his hand. "I'd like that back." He stepped closer. "I've been good to you, Jimmy. I gave you time out here under the stars, time to prepare yourself. I could have treated you lots worse."

"I guess I'm an ingrate."

"There's no way I can let you go, you got to know that. I been inquiring into that fishing trip to Brazil we talked about. Bluest water in the world, just like you said, and fish that fight you all the way to the boat. Sounds good, but I'd be looking over my shoulder the whole time if I let you live. Give me my property. I promise you won't feel a thing."

"I like feeling things. Pain, pleasure, love… regret. All of them. Otherwise, what's the point of being alive?"

"Brave talk." Sugar sidled closer. Jimmy was within arm's reach now, holding the disk over the edge, ready to fling it into the darkness. "Hand it back, Jimmy, or you won't want to feel what I got in store for you. That's a promise."

Jimmy gripped the disk tighter as he watched Sugar's eyes. As Sugar lunged for him, Jimmy snapped the disk in half on the railing and slashed Sugar's throat with the jagged edge, ripped him wide open.

Sugar staggered back, eyes wide, not sure what had happened. He clamped a hand over his neck, blood leaking through the fingers. There was a rhythm to the leak, an ebb and flow, and Jimmy knew he had nicked Sugar's carotid artery, knew there was nothing more to be done.

Jimmy and Sugar looked at each other. Sugar's free hand drifted toward the.38 in his pocket, but he stopped himself and let his hand fall. Jimmy didn't know if it was another decision or if Sugar couldn't concentrate on two things at once right now.

Sugar pressed harder against his neck, the blood running across his knuckles. "Do you… do you believe in love at first sight?"

"Uh… yeah. Sure."

Sugar's hand shook, blood seeping down the collar of his brown corduroy jacket. "Was that the way it was with you and that girlfriend of yours? What was her name… Jane, right?"

"It took a while for Jane and I to get together. I don't think we liked each other very much at the beginning."

"Well, maybe that's best." Still standing, Sugar gazed at something past Jimmy. "I didn't get a good look at Heather until that day on the beach. She had a towel spread on the sand, reading a magazine. I was just checking… making sure she was alone. I watched her from the street through a pair of binoculars. Made me feel like I was right there beside her, close enough to smell her suntan oil." He exhaled slowly, as though he were deflating. One hand still on his neck, he sat down heavily on the deck. "I'm tired."

Jimmy sat down facing Sugar. It was long past time for feeling sorry for Sugar, but that didn't mean Jimmy wasn't about to keep him company.

"Heather was wearing these… silly red sunglasses shaped like hearts. Kind of thing a kid would wear thinking it made them look grown-up. Strange the things that touch us…" His head drooped, but he fought it. "You asked me before… you said I could have called things off with Heather. Heck, Jimmy, I almost did. Back on the beach, I wanted to run out there and tell her not to go ahead with it. I wanted to tell her that she didn't need to dirty herself. Tell her to go home and grow up." His grip had loosened, blood streaming through his fingers now.

Jimmy leaned toward him, their knees brushing.

"It was too late though," croaked Sugar. "She was already on her way, heading right for him. Her big break. Hooray for Hollywood, that's what I said to myself. I didn't hold that against her. We both had a job to do. So I went back to my car, drove around doing police business, and waited for Danziger to call. Waited for him to say she had given the signal. But it took so long… Then I finally get inside, and Heather tells me she knows everything-"