Дэвид Балдаччи - The Guilty

She peered up at him. “He seems, well, resigned.”

“To what, his fate?”

“To somethin’.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Look, Robie, I’ve seen it happen before. Sometimes people just shut off and let the process do what it will do. And sometimes they do that because...”

“They do that why?”

“Maybe from guilt.”

“So you’re saying he killed Clancy? I thought that didn’t matter to you.”

“It doesn’t. To me. But maybe it matters to him.”

They left Moses’s office.

Robie had a copy of the files from Clancy’s computer on a flash drive.

“What are you going to do with that?”

“I have a guy who’s good with computers. He might be able to figure it out.”

“What about your dad?”

“I need to see him, too. And then I have to talk to a doctor. His office is a couple blocks from here.”

“A doctor? Are you sick?”

“No, but a friend of mine is.”

“Look, why don’t we split up then? You need to see your dad and this doctor. Why don’t I run down your computer guy? We can meet up back here.”

“You sure?”

“There’re two of us. Why not make the most of it?”

“You armed?”

“Hell, do you really have to ask?”

He gave her the name and address, and she drove off.

Robie went to the jail where Taggert appeared to be waiting for him.

“There’s already talk goin’ round ’bout what happened,” she said in a low whisper, so the other visitors in the waiting room couldn’t hear.

“Did you really expect to keep that quiet? Priscilla already knew about it.”

“Shit! I guess you want to see your dad?” she said.

“I guess so. I understand that Toni already saw him?”

Taggert nodded. “Yeah, she didn’t look too happy when she left.”

He and his father met in the visitor’s room. Taggert did not chain the prisoner to the hook in the floor. Robie flashed her a grateful look for this.

The two men sat across from each other. The senior Robie looked thinner and haggard, with gray stubble on his chin.

“You okay?” asked Robie.

His father shrugged. “Under the circumstances, fine.”

“Some things have happened that you need to know about.”

This got his father’s attention. Robie recounted for him the events of the previous night.

“So this Jessica Reel saved your neck?”

“Not the first time.”

“You two in uniform?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then what exactly?”

“We serve our country in a different capacity.”

Dan Robie looked taken aback by this. He looked at his son’s arm. “You got wounded servin’ your country?”

“Yeah, I did.”

The man nodded slowly. “Why don’t you and your friend just get on back to doin’ what you do then? No reason to stay here.”

“No reason? Other than you’re on trial for murder?”

“Why is that your concern?”

“I’ve made it my concern.”

“Let’s not pretend there’s any love lost between us, okay? That’s just a waste of both our time.”

Robie scowled. “Why do you have to make this so hard? I’m here. I came all this way.”

“That was your choice, not mine.” Before Robie could respond his father held up a hand and said, “I’m glad you’re not dead. I’m glad your friend Jessica was there to help you. But considerin’ all the facts, I think it best for you and her to leave.”

“And what about Victoria and Tyler?”

“I’m goin’ to tell them to leave, too.”

Robie looked shocked. “What!”

“I’ve thought it through. Just until the trial is over and things get back to normal. Although if I’m convicted there’d be no reason for them to come back. She can sell the house and move somewhere else. Get on with her life.”

“Have you talked to Victoria about this?”

“Not yet.”

“There is no way in hell she’s going to leave you, I hope you know that.”

“I’ll make her see reason.” He stared grimly at his son. “I’ve never had trouble makin’ myself clear, have I?”

“She’s still not going to go.”

“Well, that’s my problem, not yours.”

“You’re making no sense.”

“And you’re not listenin’. Just like when you were a punk kid. You don’t listen, Will, to a damn thing!”

Robie sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s a two-way street, isn’t it? The not-listening part?”

“I was the parent. You were the child. It was my job to tell you what to do and it was your job to do it.”

“No, I was your son, not some Marine recruit you were trying to turn into a killing machine. And how could I grow up as your son and not learn to question everything? Just like you did?”

Dan Robie started to say something but then stopped. He snorted and looked away, shaking his head.

“I’m not leaving,” Robie said quietly. “I did remember one lesson you taught me. Never leave a job unfinished.”

His father glanced at him. “You really servin’ your country?”

“Yes.”

“You good at it?”

“Yes. Some might say one of the best. So is Jessica.”

“That’s interestin’. A girl doin’ what is traditionally a man’s job.”

“She might be even better than me. And I recently ran into a woman from another country about half my size who could take on five veteran jarheads and kill them all before they even knew what had hit them.”

“Seriously?”

“Very seriously.”

His father fell silent and Robie watched him closely.

He said, “Why the change in attitude? Where’s the fighter inside you?”

“Need somethin’ worth fightin’ for.”

“And your life isn’t?”

His father shrugged.

Feeling he was going in circles over this, Robie decided to change the subject. “Whatever happened to the Barksdales?”

Dan Robie glanced up. “The Barksdales?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Just wondering. I’m staying at their old home.”

His father nodded, his look wary.

“What is it?” asked Robie.

“You and Laura. That was a mistake, you know.”

“What the hell do you mean by that?”

His father said, “You came from different walks of life. Never would have worked out.”

“You don’t know that!”

“I do know that. And it didn’t work out, did it?”

“I’m not going to waste time discussing this with you,” snapped Robie.

“You just won’t listen, will you?” said his father in disgust.

Robie barked, “What happened to the Barksdales? I know you didn’t buy the Willows from them.”

“I didn’t. They were long gone by then.”

“Gone where?”

Dan Robie shrugged. “Don’t know. They just up and moved out one night. They were just gone.” He added, “Like you.”

“When?”

“I don’t remember exactly. It was a long time ago.”

“How long after I left?”

His father thought about this for a few moments. “Not that long, actually.”

“So you didn’t see them before they left?”

“I wasn’t that close to them. They were the aristocracy of Cantrell. I was just a lowly lawyer. I was surprised that they let you date their precious daughter. Henry Barksdale was so damn proud of his ancestral roots. He thought his family walked on water. That his shit didn’t stink. I thought he was a pompous idiot.”

“They had a lot of money,” pointed out Robie.

“Goes to show that money doesn’t buy class.”

“So you didn’t do their legal work?”

“Hell no. I wasn’t established enough. They used Parnell and Longstreet. Been here forever. The founding partners have long since died. Stuart Longstreet is still here, though. He handled their affairs when they were livin’ in Cantrell.” His father studied him. “Why all the questions about the Barksdales? What’s going on?”