are their brains? They might have figured out a lunatic like Benning would need a back-up guard. A guy facing an indefinite sentence might be willing to take a real big chance. But how the hell could he have a weapon?”
“Wait a minute. There's an update. Wow, shot at least one officer during his escape.”
I was thinking fast.
Alvin squeaked, “He must have called Lindsay. No wonder she was so upset.”
“No, her phone's unlisted. Only a couple of people have it. He wouldn't know it.”
“Oh, right.”
“Maybe she caught the news report and called us right away.”
“Maybe.”
“Has to be,” I said.
“You better shift your butt, Camilla.”
I let it slide, just that once.
Ralph Benning had nothing to lose going after Lindsay.
“I'm on my way, but we have to get the police there fast without alerting Benning to the location.”
“But you said…Okay, so how do we let them know?”
I fished out my phone book. “You track down Elaine Ekstein. Here's her cell number. She always picks up. Explain what's happened. She'll fix it. She makes a lot of noise as Executive Director of WAVE. She'll tell them to hustle enough officers over to Lindsay's and do it on the QT.”
“But Elaine's a civilian. What if they don't listen to her?”
“Trust me. They'll listen. Every cop in this town's scared shitless of Elaine.”
My father spent twenty years as a high school principal. The legacy is a nice pension and a collection of useful clichés. His favourite saying has always been when the going gets tough, the tough get going. My sisters prefer to say when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping. In my case, when the going gets tough, the tough get stupid. Which means that I wasn't giving proper respect to Benning's cunning abilities as I eased off the ramp and onto the street.
January's gift to the residents of Ottawa had been snow. Most of it was still piled on the edges of the side streets. That reduced the streets to one car width in many cases. Under the snow was ice. I didn't want to slide off the road, because I already knew I wouldn't find a tow truck in any big hurry.
Well, what did I have to bitch about? Icy vinyl seats? Small potatoes compared to knowing that a man who would slam a wounded woman with a baseball bat was on your trail. Benning would still have the taste of the guard's blood in his mouth. But Lindsay. I couldn't imagine what it would feel like to sit alone and wait for Ralph Benning.
I used the time at red lights to place calls that might yield a bit of new information on the Benning situation. First, I phoned my brother-in-law-to-be in Major Crimes. We didn't see eye to eye on much, but he would be steaming over this. Conn McCracken takes a dim view of domestic assault, to begin with. He'd done the groundwork on Benning's last arrest. He'd seen Rina Benning's broken body in the hospital. He'd know what it meant to have Benning loose. He'd understand what Lindsay Grace was up against.
I left a message after the beep.
You'll never catch me complaining about voice mail. I love it. What's not to love about a technology where no one can avoid your opinions and instructions any time of the day or night?
Next I punched in P. J. Lynch's cell number. That's the best part about having a reporter friend. He'd know what was happening. If I were lucky, he'd fill me in. Speculation and all. He must have been on the line. I left my detailed message after the beep.
Twenty minutes later, six blocks from Lindsay's townhouse, my brain engaged. Benning was smart. I still got chills remembering his cocky smirk when I'd accompanied Lindsay to testify at his trial. He knew I was her legal support. He knew I was connected and in touch. As soon as the word reached her or me, he'd bet I'd head out to protect her.
He would have done his homework, would have had some confederate research all of Lindsay's contacts. He probably had my home address. He'd know where I worked. All he'd have to do was sit and watch my office during the day until I headed out. Then he could follow me. He'd have no trouble waiting. Plenty of practice in Kingston.
I had failed Lindsay once, and I was about to fail her again. I pulled over and sat nudged up against four feet of solid packed snowbank. On the far side of the banks the red vinyl covers on the parking meters told me parking was off limits until the snow clearing had been completed.
A steady stream of cars edged by, most of the drivers shooting reproachful glances. Every second driver blew his horn.
I stared back at each vehicle, expecting to catch Ralph Benning's hard black eyes boring through my soul. The first break in the traffic, I climbed out and pretended to fish a blanket from the trunk. No one was parked behind me. I didn't spot Benning in the straggly line of traffic.
But he was out there. So how the hell could I connect with Lindsay without inviting Benning to the party?
“What?” Alvin said. “Are you out of your tiny mind?”
“Show a little respect. I am, after all, your employer.”
“I suppose you are. In the broadest sense of the term.”
“I am your employer in every sense of the term. Do I understand that is no longer your heart's desire?”
“Yeah, but this is not an office administration activity. Admit it, Camilla.”
“I believe it falls under Other Duties as Required.”
“Well, I don't think it's legal to ask someone to pretend to be someone else.”
“Alvin, say the word, and I'll put an ad in the paper for a replacement.”
“No need to be snotty. You could at least give me one good reason.”
“Lindsay Grace is the reason. If Benning follows me, and he's sharp enough to, I'll lead him right to her.”
“Well, why didn't you say so? Do you have to be so frigging mysterious? Give me a minute. And listen, I cant reach Elaine. I left messages at her home, her office, and her cellphone.”
“Did you leave my cellphone number?”
“Of course.”
“Don't worry. We'll hear from her. And Alvin.…”
“On my way.” He hung up before I could tell him it would take me a while to negotiate the drive back.
The line was already busy when I dialed again. Oh, well.
“Aloha,” I said.
