Willow Smoke (102 page)

“It
was
a
hunch.
Isn’t
this
where
you
always
come
at
Christmastime?”

“Yes,
but—what
about
Reggie?
He’ll
kill
you,
if
he
can.”

Nick
took
Daisy’s
hands
in
both
of
his.
“Reggie
Lassiter
isn’t
going
to
kill
anyone,
Daisy.
He’s
not
going
threaten
anyone
anymore.”

Daisy shook her head,
trying to comprehend. “But...”

“Listen to me, Daisy. I
don’t want to
shock
you
more,
but
you
need
to
know
you’re
safe.
Reggie
is
dead.”

“But
I
saw
him
coming
up
the
sidewalk
by
the
El.”

“Yes, I’m sure you did.
Apparently, he had to
wait for
another train. One of Clint’s
people
climbed
to
the
top
of
the
stairs
and
saw
it
happen.
Reggie
fell
in
front
of
the
oncoming
express.
Witnesses
couldn’t
tell
if
he
was
trying
to
flag
down
the
train
and
slipped,
or
if
he
was
shoved.
There
were
a
lot
of
people
milling
about.”

“Oh
my
God.”
The
enormity
of
what
had
happened
penetrated
Daisy’s
haze
slowly.
She
looked
down
at
Bear
and
back
up
at
Nick.
Her
eyes
were
dry.
“You
didn’t
have
him
killed?”

“Of course not.”

“And
not
Clint.”

“Certainly
not.”

Daisy
frowned.
“Maybe
it
was
the
mob.”

“Maybe.
We’ll
never
know
for
sure.
You
know
how
wet
things
were
this
morning.
And
the
story
Maxine
told
the
police
would
suggest
that
Reggie
was
out
of
touch
with
reality,
whether
he
was
on
drugs
or just flipped out naturally.”

“Maxine.”
Daisy
laced
her
fingers
together.
“What
happened
to
Maxine?”

“She’s
quite
distraught
and
worried
about
you.
The
police
checked
her
into
a
women’s
shelter
for
now.”

“She
must
think
I
got
her
man
killed,”
Daisy
wailed.
“She’ll
never
forgive
me.
Now
I
have
no
blood
family
at
all.”

Nick
lifted
Daisy’s
chin
and
smiled
at
her.
“Not
true. Not at all true. It was Maxine
who
made
the
first
nine-one-one
call.
She
was
doing
what
she
could
to
stop
Reggie
from
hurting
you.”

Daisy’s
eyes
grew
even
wider.
“Maxine
called
the
police
on
him?
That’s
huge!
Did
she
tell
them
that
Reggie
planned
on
killing
her
as
well
as
you?”

“She
did.”

“What
about
the
gunshots?”

“The
guy
following
Reggie
and
the
woman
following
you
tried
to
stop
Reggie
when
he ran out of
your apartment. He must
have
been
expecting
them.
He
winged
the
man
who’d
been
following
him.
The
woman
shot
Reggie
in
the
leg
and
then
tended
to
her
partner.
Once
she
had
him
settled
and
nine-one-one
called,
she
hightailed
it
toward
the
El
station
arriving
only
in
time
to
confirm
that
Reggie
was
indeed
killed.”

“So
no
one
was
chasing
me
all
this
time.”

“Nope.
Clint’s
had
a
team
of
folks
looking
for
you,
but
you
gave
everyone
the
slip.”

“Except
you.”

“Except
me.”
Nick
leaned
over
and
kissed
Daisy
on
the
forehead.
“And
I
kind
of
like
it
that
way.”

“Me too,” she murmured,
draping her arms around his neck. “I think I’m ready to
go
home
now.
There’s
so
much
to
think
through
and
work
through,
but
I
believe
what
I
need
is
Mrs.
B.’s
chicken
noodle
soup.
Somehow
I
think
she
and
Cassie
have
the
same
recipe.”

“Can
you
walk,
or
should
I
carry
you?”

Daisy
stood
and
tilted
her
head.
“I
may
have
to
lean on you
some, but if you try to
carry me out
of here, we’ll be arrested
for sure.
Now, give me an arm.” She glanced down at the floor. “Oh my, I nearly went off
without Bear.”

Nick
bent
to
pick
up
Bear
and
hand
him
to
Daisy.
He
hesitated,
then frowned
at
the
stuffed
animal.
“You
don’t
suppose
Bear
would
like
a
friend,
do
you?”

“That’s
the
first
time
you’ve
call
him
by
name.”
Daisy’s
lips
turned
up.
“I
think
he’d
like
a
friend
to
talk
with
now
and
then
when
I’m
not
around
to
listen
in.”

Folding
his
arms,
Nick
said,
“I
didn’t
mean
to
take it that far.
But what the hell.”
She
watched
him
scan
the
multitude
of
stuffed
animals.

“So
which
one?
I
didn’t
know
they
made
so
many.”

Daisy
stuck
her
arm
through
his.
“Why
don’t
you
select
one?
I’m
sure
it’ll
be
just
right.”

“Okay.
Let
me
see.”
Nick
plucked
one
up
and
eyed
it
carefully.
He
looked
at
it
so
long
Daisy
wondered
if
he
wasn’t
communicating
with
it.

“Yes, how about this
turtle?”

“Bear
and
I
like
Turtle
a
lot.
We’ve
already
met.”
She
cocked
her
head
at
Nick.
“So
why
Turtle?”