Faye Kellerman - Stalker

“I look good tonight?”

“You look good tonight.”

“Thanks.” Cindy took another sip of suds, then licked the foam off her lips. “So you think I fucked up?”

“Nah, you didn’t fuck up as far as the incident goes. You handled the situation pretty good.” He looked around at nothing. “Nah, you didn’t fuck up with the situation.”

“But I fucked up with Tropper!” Cindy tapped her toe. “Do you think I fucked up with Tropper?”

“Not exactly—”

“What does that—”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Beaudry held out his palms in a stop sign. “Give me a sec, okay. You didn’t fuck up with him, meaning that he isn’t gonna make a federal case out of it. But you might think of doing something nice for him.”

“Like what?” She sneered. “Getting him coffee? One lump or two—”

“Don’t be a brat. Just … think about it.”

She laughed. “I haven’t been called a brat in a while.”

“But you’ve been called one before.”

“Oh yeah.”

“It’s written all over your face, Decker. ‘I am a brat. Not only a brat, but a snotty, educated brat.’”

Cindy maintained the smile, but the eyes dimmed. “That’s how you see me?”

“No, that’s not how I see you.” Beaudry sighed. “It’s just that you’re out there, Decker. Like today. You put yourself … out there. Right in the firing line. And when you’re out there, people notice you. Like Tropper.”

“It worked. ”

“That’s not the point.”

“Silly me, I thought it was.”

Beaudry wiped suds off his mouth with his sleeve. “Listen, we don’t have to be talking about this. We can talk about other stuff. You tell me your gossip, I’ll tell you mine. I’m just trying to … you know. Tell you like it is.”

She averted her stare. “Look, Graham, no offense, but I’m not in the mood to be dissected.”

“That’s fair enough.”

“On the other hand, no sense being on the outs with Tropper.” She stared at her beer. “What should I do for him?”

Beaudry looked around, then called her closer. She leaned in, elbows on the table.

He said, “Tropper isn’t a stupid man—”

“I didn’t say he—”

“Just shut up and listen, okay?” He lowered his voice. “He isn’t stupid, Cin. He’s got great street smarts. He knows how people operate.”

He waited. Cindy said, “I’m listening.”

“If you ask him to recount an incident, he’s crystal. He can recap from A to Z in perfect detail. The problem comes when he tries to write it down in a report. He’s a fish out of water. It takes him centuries to finish his forms. Writing confuses him. He gets things out of order—”

“He can’t sequence?”

“Something like that. He’s constantly rewriting his reports because the old ones are always messy-looking.”

“Why doesn’t he just use Word?” she asked. “You know … cut and paste?”

“He has trouble with computers. The keyboard confuses him.” Beaudry finished his first brew, held up a finger, signaling the waitress for a second. “Computers probably aren’t your problem, right?”

“Not word processing.”

“And I don’t imagine you have trouble with report writing, either.”

“I find it mind-numbing, but it’s not difficult. I did lots of papers in college. I usually outlined them before I wrote. You know, occasionally, I’ll still outline a report if the incident was complicated—lots of people coming and going. You might suggest he try that.”

“I don’t suggest anything to Tropper, and you shouldn’t either. I think the Sarge got into the academy with a GED. So now you know why he sneers at you.”

Beaudry locked eyes with her.

“It’s something you should be aware of, Cindy. The guys and gals you’re working with are the salt of America. Lots of us are ex-military. We’re G-workers who hate the nine-to-five, but still want a good pension. You’re from another planet—a college brat who somehow wandered into law enforcement. Not only college, but a private college—”

“Let’s not forget an Ivy Leaguer.”

“See, that’s what I mean!” Beaudry pounded the table for emphasis.

“I’m sorry.” She tried to stop smiling. “It was just too tempting—”

“Forget it.”

“Graham, I hear you.” She poked her finger into the suds and licked it. “You know, if the guys think I grew up rich, then they’re stupid. My father climbed through the ranks the hard way.”

“Which brings us to another point, Decker. You gotta stop talking about your father—”

“Ah, c’mon! Now you’re getting personal!”

“I’m just telling you for your own good.”

“Do I do anything right?”

“Not much.”

Cindy looked away, biting her lip to control her rising temper.

Beaudry said, “Every time we start shooting the bull, talking about the day, you say things like, ‘Yeah, my father once had a case like that.’”

“I’m trying to relate. ”

“It pisses people off. It makes them think that their experiences are nothin’ special. Everyone wants to feel special. You already feel special because you’ve got all this college. You gotta remember that the average Joe on the force is a high school graduate, maybe a couple of years at a junior college like me. If you’re real smart, okay, you do a four-year state, then enter the academy with the idea of doing the gold.”

“Like my dad—”

“ Stop mentioning your dad. He isn’t a legend, Decker, he’s a pencil pusher.”

For the first time, Cindy was genuinely offended. “That’s crap, Beaudry! He was down in the trenches when the Order blew up.”

“Yeah, and a lot of people have said he could have handled that better.”

Her face grew red with anger. “What a truckload of bullshit!” She whispered fiercely. “He saved dozens of kids—”

“But lots of adults were pulverized—”

“He wasn’t in charge , Graham. He wasn’t calling the shots!” She winced. “Ah, screw it! I’ve had enough.”

Beaudry caught her arm before she got up. “I’m not criticizing your dad, Cindy. Just repeating what I’ve heard. You gotta know these things.” He let go of her. “Otherwise, you’re working blind.”

She didn’t answer, staring at the bottom of her empty glass. Beaudry said, “Take a refill.”

“No, thanks,” she said stiffly.

Within moments, a waitress appeared. She wore a low-cut red tank top, a petticoat-red miniskirt topped by a white, ruffled apron, and red heels. Her hair was short, blond, and sprayed stiff. She placed a glass of beer in front of Beaudry.

“How about another for my partner, Jasmine,” he said.

“I’m fine, thank you,” Cindy said.

Under the table, Beaudry kicked her.

“On the other hand, another would go down real smooth.” Cindy gave the waitress her empty glass and a ten spot.

Jasmine smiled. “Boss says that tonight it’s on the house. Just as long as you don’t get greedy.”

“What did I do to rate?”

“He’s been watching you. You came three times this week. He wants to reward your loyalty.”

“Tell him thanks.” Cindy forced herself to smile. “Really. And keep the bread.”

Jasmine’s smile turned into a grin. “A cop with class. Be back in a minute.”

When she was gone, Beaudry said, “Ten’s a big tip.”

“Easy come, easy go.”

He slid his glass across the table. “Here, take mine.”

“No, that’s okay.” She slid it back.

He took a long swig. “You’re pissed, Decker. You look like my wife did when I fucked up with her anniversary gift.”