"Charley?"

"Nick?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I might say the same for you."

He decided to brazen it out. "I live here."

"Yeah and there's an APB out for you."

"That's a mistake."

"I'm sure it is." I crawled out of the closet and managed to hold my head high.

Nick said, "Why were you in my closet?"

"Hiding, of course. Why else would I be there? I'm here to get some stuff for Pepper and I didn't want the cops to see me and-"

Nick burst out, "They say she's in the hospital. I heard it on the radio. They say she's badly hurt and she may not even-" To give him credit, his voice rose in anguish.

"She's a bit better. She can talk. But she's been horribly injured."

He ran both hands through his hair, speechless for once.

"They're saying that you did it, Nick."

His eyes were wild, like those of a panicked horse, handsome but doomed. "Ah, Charley, you don't believe that, do you?"

"You are connected somehow. So you'd better tell me what the hell is going on."

He let out a long wail. "I don't know."

"Pull yourself together. What happened at Bakker Beach?"

He shook his head. In the pale light in the room, Nick Monahan looked like death not even warmed over. He smelled pretty revolting, too. "I wasn't there."

"Your squad car was there."

"They took it. They took it, and they must have tricked her into meeting me there."

"Who are 'they'?"

Nick slumped against the wall. "I don't know who they were. They got behind me somehow and must have knocked me out. I guess they took the squad car and got Pepper somehow."

"Nick, no one is going to believe that. It's too crazy."

He whispered in his best little boy voice, "But I need you to believe me. I was out cold. By the time I came to, it was night. I had to hitch back to town. Losing the squad car like that is the worst thing that could happen to a cop."

"Not the worst thing, Nick. I'd say what happened to your wife beats being embarrassed about losing the car."

He hung his head, still a bad little boy at heart. "You're right, Charley. That's the worst thing ever."

His cell phone rang, and he reached into his pants pocket, pulled it out, and flicked it open. He closed it. "Tierney, trying to psych me out. They all keep calling."

"Why do you keep it on?"

"In case it's Pepper."

Well, Pepper had instructed me to find Nick. At least he was alive. That would be good news for her. The fact that he didn't make sense was a blip. And of course, his story could be true. Not even Nick was dopey enough to make this up.

"Okay, let's go over it. Where were you when this happened?"

"I was on routine patrol about two o'clock when I got a text to meet Pepper behind the storage units out in the old industrial park. Remember we all used to make out there?"

"Speak for yourself. And you didn't think that was strange?"

"I thought maybe . . . I don't know what I thought, but you know Pepper, when she wants something, she gets it. I went."

"Where did the text message say Little Nick would be?"

Nick goggled at me. "It didn't."

"You don't think that Pepper would have mentioned that?"

"I guess so. But my mind wasn't on him at the time. I don't ever have to worry about Little Nick. Pepper does that."

I decided not to comment on that. "Did you call her?"

"No. I drove out to the industrial park."

"All on official time?"

He shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "It was a quiet day."

"You must have called in something."

"Don't get mad at me, Charley. I was having trouble concentrating."

"Because you were afraid of something or someone?"

"Pepper sounded like she was in the mood."

"Huh. So, okay, so while you were unconscious in the industrial park, someone must have tricked your wife into going to Bakker Beach, then driven your squad car out there, attacked Pepper, and left her to die. And guess who was set up for that?"

"But Charley-"

"Listen. You have to give yourself up, and you absolutely have to tell the police who and what you are afraid of. Obviously you have a good reason to be afraid. And it's not just you. Think of your family."

"I told you, I don't know."

From downstairs I heard the sound of a door splintering.

I whispered, "Aren't the police supposed to call out a warning before they kick the door in?"

Nick said, "You have to make sure nobody kills Pepper. You're the only one I trust."

"What?"

There was no answer from Nick as he flung open the window and vanished through it, scrambling over the porch roof to God knows where, leaving me to face whoever was thundering up the stairs. This time it was too late to hide in the closet.

19.

Every spring and fall, take everything out of your closet and set aside items to toss, sell, or donate. Pack the clothing you won't need for six months in labeled containers.

As much as I'd been avoiding Connor Tierney, I was sure glad to see him and his pounding feet this time. I had an emotional wave of relief, which was understandable but not convenient. A large part of that relief was because none of the officers had shot Nick Monahan. He was just lucky they hadn't known which room we were in and had checked out the downstairs before thundering up.

"Don't think these are tears," I said to Tierney. "I'm suffering from spring allergies."

"Who asked?" Tierney said. He had led the charge up the stairs, a couple of armed uniformed officers following behind, weapons drawn. He also switched on the lights and took a hard look out the open window through which Nick had apparently catapulted.

Tierney turned back from the open window and said, "Who went out there? Was that Nick?"

I opened my mouth but no sound came out. But I knew I had to tell him the truth. "Yes."

"Where did he go?"

"I have no idea."

Tierney shot me a poisonous look. "Did you arrange to meet him here?"

"What? Of course not."

"It sure looks that way. You made sure the officer on guard didn't see you. You didn't turn the lights on. Why was that?"

"I didn't want a hassle about being here, if you must know. Pepper asked me to get her a few things."

"She didn't have her keys. I was dropping them off tomorrow."

I decided to brazen it out. I didn't want to be hauled into the cop shop. It had been a bad enough day. "That's a long time to wait for a toothbrush."

"Where's the toothbrush?"

"What?"

"You said you were getting Pepper's toothbrush."

"Haven't had a chance to get anything yet. There was someone in the house, remember? I didn't know it was Nick when I heard him come up the stairs, so I hid in this closet. But I'd better get her stuff now."

As I headed to Pepper's room, Tierney followed. "Are you sure you don't know where Nick went?"

"I wish I did," I said. That was true, too. But at least I could tell Pepper he was alive and pass on the bizarre story of the message to meet him. I had to tell Tierney, too. I relayed Nick's tale about being tricked into going to the storage area in the industrial park and knocked out and having his squad car stolen.

The young officer popped his head into the room at that moment. From the look on his face, neither he nor Tierney was buying Nick's version of what had happened. They exchanged glances, and I felt like a dope. If Tierney hadn't been there, I would have asked the young cop his opinion of Nick's possible guilt, but I didn't want to do that with those icy blue eyes watching.

I said, "I'm passing it along, but for the record, I don't find it any harder to believe than the theory that Nick would attack Pepper." I located a small rolling suitcase in Pepper's closet and picked out toothpaste and other basics from her en suite. I couldn't tell who owned which toothbrush, so I decided to buy a fresh one for Pepper. I rustled up a pretty nightgown and a change of clothing, including underwear. I assumed she wouldn't be able to shampoo, and I tried to find hair products that would help. I took my time picking out a flattering outfit. I figured Pepper would be coming home soon and it might cheer her up to have her clothing ready to go. I added a photo of Little Nick to the lot. I tried not to think about where Nick would be in that little family.

Tierney watched me as I worked. I tried to ignore him as I moved on to Little Nick's bedroom. The room was better furnished than most people's living rooms, with bird's-eye maple crib, dresser, and changing table as well as a matching rocking chair with a cushioned seat. I got my bearings and gathered up a few extra items I thought Jack might need until Pepper got out of the hospital. Of course, while I can pick out what a woman would want in the hospital, I wasn't so sure I got all the right stuff for Little Nick. I took a package of diapers and some little outfits. I stepped over to the crib and picked up the blanket and a giraffe and a blue cow. They must have been favorites to get the prime crib real estate.

Tierney said, "I can tell when you're lying. Your eyes move the wrong way."

Another thing to worry about, the way my eyes moved. Lucky for me I was telling the truth. I couldn't even guess where Nick had gone. I slumped on the rocking chair and blurted out, "Fine, arrest me. Ruin my night. I don't know where Nick is. Let me take this stuff to Pepper first."

Tierney glanced behind him, but his uniforms had headed off to search the foundation shrubs and backyard for Nick before fanning out into the neighborhood. "It doesn't look good for me, either, you know, to be dating someone who gets arrested."

I said peevishly, "It was only one date. You didn't call me back, remember?"

"I had a good reason, which you know, and there was almost a second date, although fate seems to be conspiring against it." Tierney sighed, then said, "So where has he been?"

"Didn't get that far. He never said. He is totally stressed out. He said not to let anyone kill Pepper."

"Why would anyone want to kill Pepper?"

"Let me remind you that someone did try to kill Pepper. I was about to explore that idea with him and was trying to get him to turn himself in. I was making progress until you kicked in the door and came thundering up the stairs and he went flying out the window."

"Where did he-?"

"I have no idea. That is true, so stop badgering me."

"He didn't give any clue?"

"Well, I can tell you that wherever he's been, they didn't have a shower. I think he wanted to come home and get showered and change into some clean clothes. He sure didn't smell great."

"Did he get any clean clothing?"

I looked around and didn't see articles of clothing lying around. "He picked out some clothing, but I couldn't make out what."

Tierney said, "Now, that wasn't so hard, was it? You should try cooperating with the authorities more often."

"If you weren't so difficult, maybe I would. The main thing is that he couldn't have attacked Pepper if he was knocked out behind the storage units."

Tierney laughed a bit longer than was absolutely necessary. "I can't believe you fell for that one."