Harlan Coben - The Innocent

There was a police car parked on the street.

"Hold up a second," Matt said.

"Pardon me?"

Matt cranked open the window. The police car's engine was running. He wondered about that. He looked to the corner. Lawrence the Wino was staggering with his customary brown bag, singing the old Four Tops classic "Bernadette."

Matt leaned out the window. "Hey, Lawrence."

"… And never find the love I've found in y-" Lawrence stopped mid-lyric. He cupped his hand over his eyes and squinted. A smile broke out on his face. He stumbled toward them. "Matt, mah man! Look at you, all fine and fancy in a taxi."

"Yep."

"You been out drinking, right? I remember from before. Didn't want to drink and drive, am I right?"

"Something like that, Lawrence."

"Whoa." Lawrence pointed to the bandage on Matt's head. "What happened to you? You know who you look like, with your head wrapped like that?"

"Lawrence-"

"That dude marching in that old picture, the one playing the flute. Or is it the one on the snare? I can never remember. Had his head wrapped, just like you. What was that picture called again?"

Matt tried to get him on track. "Lawrence, do you see that cop car over there?"

"What"- he leaned closer-"he did that to you?"

"No, nothing like that. I'm fine, really."

Lawrence was perfectly positioned to block the car's view of Matt's face. If the cop happened to look this way, he'd probably figure Lawrence was panhandling.

"How long has he been parked there?" Matt asked.

"I don't know. Fifteen, twenty minutes maybe. Time flies by now, Matt. Older you get, the faster it goes by. You listen to Lawrence."

"Has he gotten out of the car?"

"Who?"

"The cop."

"Oh, sure. Knocked on your door too." Lawrence smiled. "Oh, I see. You in trouble, ain't you, Matt?"

"Me? I'm one of the good guys."

Lawrence loved that one. "Oh, I know that. You have a good night now, Matt." He leaned into the window a little. "You too, Liv."

Olivia said, "Thank you, Lawrence."

Lawrence saw her face and paused. He looked at Matt and straightened up. His voice grew softer. "You take care now."

"Thanks, Lawrence." Matt sat forward and tapped the driver. "Change of destination."

The driver said, "Will I get in trouble for this?"

"Not at all. I was in an accident. They want to talk to me about how I got hurt. We'd rather wait until morning."

The driver wasn't buying it, but he didn't seem ready to argue either. The light turned green. The taxi started up, heading straight instead of right.

"So where to?"

Matt gave him the address of MVD in Newark. He figured that they could pick up his car and find a place to go and talk. The question was, where? He checked his watch. It was three in the morning.

The driver pulled into MVD's lot. "This is good, yes?"

"Fine, thanks."

They got out of the car. Matt paid the man. Olivia said, "I'll drive."

"I'm fine."

"Right, fine. You just got beaten up and you're high on meds." Olivia put out her palm. "Give me the keys."

He did. They got into the car and started out.

"Where are we going?" Olivia asked.

"I'm going to call Marsha, see if we can crash there."

"You're going to wake up the kids."

He managed a small smile. "Grenades in their pillows wouldn't wake up those two."

"And what about Marsha?"

"She won't mind."

But Matt suddenly hesitated. He really didn't worry about waking Marsha- there had been plenty of late-night calls over the years- but now he wondered if she would be alone tonight, if maybe he wouldn't be interrupting something. He also- and this was really weird- started worrying about something else right now.

Suppose Marsha got remarried.

Paul and Ethan were still young. Would they call the guy Daddy? Matt wasn't sure if he could handle that. More to the point, what role would Uncle Matt have in this new life, this new family? All of this was silly, of course. He was getting way ahead of himself. It was hardly the time either, what with his other problems right now. But the thoughts were there, in his head, knocking to come out of some back closet.

He pulled out his cell phone and pushed the second number on his speed dial. As they hit Washington Avenue, Matt noticed two cars going past them in the opposite direction. He turned and watched them pull into the MVD lot. The cars were from the Essex County prosecutor's office. They were the same make and model Loren had been using earlier in the evening.

This couldn't be good.

The phone was picked up on the second ring.

Marsha said, "I'm glad you called." If she'd been sleeping, she hid it pretty well.

"Are you alone?"

"What?"

"I mean… I know the kids are there-"

"I'm alone, Matt."

"I don't mean to pry. I just want to make sure I'm not interrupting anything."

"You're not. You never will be."

That should have set his mind at ease, he guessed. "Do you mind if Olivia and I crash at your place tonight?"

"Of course not."

"It's a long story, but basically I was assaulted tonight-"

"Are you okay?"

The pain was starting to ebb back into his head and ribs. "I got a few bumps and bruises, but I'll be fine. Thing is, the police want to ask some questions and we're just not ready for that yet."

"Does this have anything to do with that nun?" Marsha asked.

"What nun?"

Olivia's head snapped toward him.

"There was a county investigator here today," Marsha said. "I should have called you, but I guess I was hoping it was no big deal. Hold on, I have her card here someplace…"

Matt's mind, both exhausted and scrambled, remembered now. "Loren Muse."

"Right, that's the name. She said a nun made a phone call to the house."

"I know," he said.

"Muse reached you?"

"Yes."

"I figured she would. We were just talking and then, I don't know, she spotted your picture on the refrigerator and suddenly she starts asking Kyra and me all these questions about how often you visit."

"Don't worry, I straightened it out. Look, we'll be there in twenty minutes."

"I'll get the guest room ready."

"Don't go to any trouble."

"No trouble. I'll see you in twenty minutes."

She hung up.

Olivia said, "What's this about a nun?"

Matt told her about Loren's visit. Olivia's face lost even more color. By the time he finished, they were in Livingston. The roads were completely empty of both cars and pedestrians. There was no one about. The only lights coming from the homes were those downstairs lamps set on timers to fool burglars.

Olivia remained silent as she pulled into Marsha's driveway. Matt could see Marsha's silhouette through the curtain in the downstairs foyer. The light above the garage was on. Kyra was awake. He saw her look out. Matt slid down the car window and waved up to her. She waved back.

Olivia turned off the ignition. Matt checked his face in the visor mirror. He looked like hell. Lawrence was right. What with the bandage wrapped around his head, he did resemble the soldier playing the flute in Willard's Spirit of '76 .

"Olivia?"

She said nothing.

"Do you know this Sister Mary Rose?"

"Maybe."

She stepped out of the car. Matt did the same. The outside lights- Matt had helped Bernie install the motion detectors- snapped on. Olivia came around to him. She took his hand and held it firmly.

"Before I say anything else," she began, "I need you to know something."

Matt waited.

"I love you. You are the only man I've ever loved. Whatever happens now, you have brought me a happiness and joy I once thought was impossible."

"Olivia-"

She put her finger to his lips. "I just want one thing. I want you to hold me. Hold me right now. Just for a minute or two. Because after I tell you the truth, I'm not sure you will ever want to hold me again."