The Devil's Right Hand (29 page)

“
Sounds like a real cluster-fuck back
there,” Keller observed.

“
Where are you going?” Marie asked
him.

“
Damned if I know,” he said. “Any
ideas?”

They were approaching an intersection. The
traffic was growing heavier. “Yeah,” Marie said. “Back to the
police station.”

“
That didn’t work out too well for me
last time, Marie,” he said.

“
You saved my life back there, Keller,”
she said. “I’ll tell them. That ought to count for
something.”

He wheeled around a VW putt-putting along in
the right lane. The driver of the Bug gaped at the spectacle of the
shot-up car as they passed. “Yeah, maybe I’ll only get ten years
for trying to escape instead of twenty.”

“
I saw what was going on, Keller. It’s
why I stopped.”

“
Then you probably saved my life, too.”
Horns blared and brakes squealed as he made a right turn on a red
light without looking. “Guess we’re even.”

“
JACKSON KELLER,” a voice boomed over
the radio. It sounded as if the person broadcasting had cranked on
all the power in the world. “COME IN. I KNOW YOU’RE
LISTENING.”

“
Damn it,” Keller said. He made no move
to pick up the mike.

“
KELLER. THIS IS DETECTIVE BARNES.
DON’T DO ANYTHING STUPID.”

“
Keller picked up the mike and keyed
it. “Little late for that, Barnes.”

“
WE FOUND JONES’ CAR SHOT UP. IS SHE
WITH YOU?”

Keller put the mike up to the metal grating
and pressed the key.

“
I’m fine, Detective,” Marie said.
“Mister Keller got me out of there. You get the
shooter?”

“
NEGATIVE. HE LEFT THE SCENE IN THE
BLACK PICKUP. OFFICERS ARE IN PURSUIT.”

“
He’s behind us,” Keller said into the
mike.

Marie whirled around. The black pickup was
looming in the back window. She could see Raymond Oxendine behind
the wheel.

“
Oh, shit,” she heard DeWayne say. She
turned back.

There was a stoplight ahead, cars filling
both travel lanes. Their way was totally blocked. Keller muscled
the patrol car up on the grass median that ran down the center of
the boulevard. Dirt flew from beneath the wheels as the car bucked
and shuddered on the uneven ground. Again, horns blared and brakes
screeched as Keller accelerated into the center of the
intersection. An SUV turning left across their path slid to a stop.
A terrified child pressed her white face to the glass of the
passenger side. Keller yanked the wheel to the right. They cleared
the front bumper of the vehicle by inches.

“
God
damn
!” DeWayne whooped. “That was fuckin’
intense
!”

“
Is he still back there?” Keller
demanded.

Marie turned. The black pickup followed
doggedly in their path into the grass median and through the
intersection. The driver of the SUV was still attempting to get
through the intersection. The pickup struck it in the right front
side and spun the vehicle around. It came to rest sideways,
blocking the median.

“
He’s still back there,” she said. “And
I think we’ve lost our backup.” She could see the flashing of the
patrol cars’ lights behind the snarl of traffic in the
intersection.

“
This day just gets better and better,”
Keller muttered. He picked up the mike. “Barnes,” he said, “we’re
headed south on 301 towards I-95. Raymond Oxendine is still
following us, and your pursuit just got tied up in an accident in
the intersection.”

“
KELLER,” Barnes said. “TURN THE CAR
AROUND AND COME BACK THIS WAY.”

“
Forget it,” Keller replied. “You
people are just as likely to shoot me as Oxendine.”

“
THAT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, KELLER.
YOUR GIRLFRIEND TURNED UP A WITNESS.”

“
Girlfriend?” Marie said.

Keller grimaced. “Not exactly.”

“
THE WITNESS BACKS UP YOUR STORY,”
Barnes went on. “HE EVEN TURNED OVER THE GUN THAT WAS POINTED AT
YOU.”

“
Did you hear that, Jack?” Marie said.
“You’re cleared. Now turn around. If that guy follows
us--”

“
Barnes could be lying,” Keller said.
He keyed the mike. “How do I know you’re telling the truth,
Barnes?”

There was a long pause. Then Barnes’ voice
crackled back. “THE WITNESS IS A HISPANIC MALE, WITH A HEAVY
ACCENT. THAT RING ANY BELLS?”

Keller remembered the touch of the gun
on the back of his neck and a soft Spanish voice:
I am a man with a bag of money and a gun. Soon I
will have a big truck. Is that not the American dream?

“
Hang on,” Keller told DeWayne and
Marie. He took his foot off the gas pedal and placed it over the
emergency brake while reaching beneath the dash with one hand for
the brake release. He yanked the wheel a quarter turn to the left
while stomping down as hard as he could on the emergency brake. The
tires screamed in protest as the car went into a slide. When the
car had skidded a full 180 degrees, Keller yanked the brake release
and stepped hard on the gas. The car shot forward, across the grass
median and into the northbound two lanes of traffic.

Raymond saw the sheriff’s car slow down
slightly, then execute a perfect bootlegger turn. He picked up the
submachine gun in one hand and laid it across the window frame,
hoping to get off a shot as the car went past. He couldn’t get a
decent angle, however, and he cursed as the car vanished behind
him. He knew that to follow it was to head right back into a wall
of police guns. He had resigned himself to the idea of dying, but
he wasn’t going to throw his life away. He needed to get rid of
this pickup truck. He was nearing the area where he and Geronimo
were supposed to have met Antonio and Jesus, ditched the stolen
cars, and switched vehicles. He hoped the other two gunmen were
still there.

They were. Raymond found them leaning against
the black Suburban behind an abandoned warehouse near the Black
& Decker plant. Their eyes widened as Raymond slid drunkenly
from the driver’s side of the pickup.

“
Donde está
Guillermo
?” one of them asked. Raymond thought it was
Antonio, but he wasn’t sure.

“
Muerte
,”
Raymond said, hoping he had gotten the word right.

The two men looked at each other uneasily.
“What happen?” Antonio asked.

Raymond looked at him. “I thought you didn’t
speak no English,” he said.

The man shrugged. “A little. When I need.
What happen to Guillermo?”

“
Keller,” Raymond said. “Keller ran
into him with a car.” He brought his hands together in a sharp clap
to demonstrate. “Pow.
Muerte
.”

Antonio’s face darkened. “Don Paco, he not
like this.”

“
I reckon not. We got a score to even
with this Keller.”

Antonio nodded. He said something in
rapid-fire Spanish to the other man. They both nodded. Antonio
turned back to Raymond. “What you want us to do?”

“
First we get out of here,” Raymond
said. “I’ll tell you what to do in the car.” He staggered a bit as
he approached the car. Raymond saw the looks on their faces as they
noticed the blood on his shirt and the smell of the infected wound.
“You need a doctor, man,” Antonio said.

“
It don’t matter,” Raymond said.
 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“
Do I understand this correctly?” Judge
Tharrington said. “The District Attorney’s office is dismissing all
charges against Mr. Keller?”

“
That’s correct, Your Honor,” the
assistant DA said. She was young, just out of law school, and
clearly had been designated to catch the flak on this one. She
stood alone at the prosecutor’s table nervously brushing a strand
of blonde hair away from her forehead. Detectives Barnes and Stacy
sat behind her in the spectator’s seats. Barnes was looking away as
if this case was of no concern to him. Stacy had his arms crossed
across his chest. He was staring at the floor.

The ADA went on. “Evidence has come to light
which substantiates Mr. Keller’s claim of self-defense in the
shooting of John Lee Oxendine.”

Tharrington looked at Keller, standing beside
McCaskill at the defendant’s table. Marie Jones sat with them.
Angela and Sanchez sat behind.

Keller had come straight from the
roadblock where he had given himself up to the police. There were
still spots of blood amid the grime on his face and clothing. A few
pieces of broken glass still glittered in his hair.
At least this time I’m not in cuffs
,
he thought.

“
There is also the matter of the
assault on Officer Wesson,” Tharrington said, “There’s the matter
of his flight to avoid prosecution. And, if I understand correctly,
Mister Keller was just involved in the theft of a sheriff’s patrol
car.”

Marie Jones stepped forward. She had been
able to stick a Band-Aid on her forehead where she had been cut by
flying glass. She looked almost as disheveled as Keller. She
smelled of sweat and cordite. Tharrington looked at her with an
expression of distaste at her appearance. He clearly did not
approve of these apparitions disturbing the decorum of his
courtroom. She looked back, clearly not giving a damn.

“
Your Honor,” she said. “Mister Keller
was attacked while being transported over here. There was an
obvious attempt on his life by the same subjects responsible for
the earlier incident. When I attempted to intervene, the subjects
opened fire on me. If Mr. Keller had not acted, I’d probably be
dead. As for the prior charges involving Officer Wesson,” she
paused and glanced back at Barnes and Stacy. They wouldn’t meet her
eyes. She looked back at the judge and straightened her shoulders.
“I was Officer Wesson’s partner. I was there. Mister Keller didn’t
assault Officer Wesson. It was the other way around.”

“
Bitch.” Stacy’s voice cut through the
quiet of the courtroom. He was staring at Marie with an expression
of pure hatred on his face.

“
Detective Stacy!” the judge snapped,
his face reddening with anger. ”If you can’t control your
outbursts--.” Stacy didn’t give him a chance to finish. He stood up
and walked out.

Tharrington shuffled through the papers on
the bench in front of him. Finally he sighed. “Very well,” he said.
“If the District Attorney’s office declines to prosecute, I suppose
I have to accept that they know what they’re doing, even though,”
he looked severely at the blonde ADA, “I have severe concerns about
this case. The charges are dismissed. You‘re free to go, Mr.
Keller.”

“
And,” McCaskill said, “He may have his
vehicle and tools of his trade returned to him?”

The judge looked as if he were about to
choke. “Yes,” he said. ”Of course.”

“
Thank you, your honor,” McCaskill said
smoothly. He turned and shook Keller’s hand.

“
Thanks, Scott,” Keller
said.

“
Thank your friends,” McCaskill said.
“They came through for you.”

Keller turned. Angela was standing there. She
came into his arms and embraced him, squeezing tightly. He put his
own arms around her more gently. She broke away and stepped
back.

“
Thanks,” Keller said. He looked up at
Sanchez who was standing a few feet away, looking uncomfortable.
“And thank you, Mr. Sanchez.”

Sanchez inclined his head in a slight bow.
“Sorry about the gun,” he said. “It was a mistake for me to go with
those men.” He sighed. “This revenge business. Once you start, it
never ends.”

“
You got that right,” Keller said.”
Sometimes it takes a while to figure things out.” He extended his
hand and Sanchez took it.

Keller turned to Angela. “You need a ride
back to the office?”

“
No,” she said, and actually blushed.
“Mister Sanchez and I are going out for coffee.”

Keller looked back at Sanchez. “Oh?” he said.
Sanchez was looking ill at ease again. Then Keller grinned. “Well,
if you’re taking a day off,” he aid to Angela, “I suppose I might
as well, too.”

Angela smiled back. “I think we’ve both got
some vacation time coming,” she said.

Keller looked around for Marie. He saw her
going out the door. “Excuse me,” he said to Angela and Sanchez.

He caught up with her in the hallway. “Thanks
again,” he said. “It took guts to say what you did about
Wesson.”

“
Yeah. Well.” she said. Her shoulders
slumped. “ I just blackened the name of a dead hero. I guess this
means my career in this department is pretty well
fucked.”

“
Probably,” he said.

She looked at him sourly. “You’re not much
for being comforting, are you?”

He shrugged. “I’ve been learning that it’s
best to play straight with people,” he said. “At least I hope I’m
learning that.”

She smiled. “I hope so, too.” They looked at
each other for a long moment. Finally, Keller broke the silence.
“You need a ride home.”

“
No, I’ve got my..” she remembered.
“Shit. My car.”

“
That’s what I mean. You need a ride
home. It wasn’t a question.”

“
Okay,” she said. She looked ruefully
down at her ruined clothes. “I could really use a
shower.”

“
Yeah,” he said, “me too.”