“Yeah, I’m here to see Detective Kunes.”
“Can I get your name?”
“Sure, Oliver Hemnway.”
“Is the detective expecting you?”
“Um, no. He told me to come by about a case after I got out of the hospital.”
“Okay, I’ll let
him know you’re here. You can take a seat over there.” She gestures toward the chairs lined up against the wall.
Taking a seat in the uncomfortable, black torture devices, I shift my weight in my seat and guess why the people around me are here.
“Mr. Hemnway.”
I look up at the older man with sharp blue eyes and gray hair slowly turning white.
“Detective Kunes.” I rise, and we shake hands.
“I have to say, you look much better than you did the day I last spoke with you.”
“I honestly don’t remember it very well.” I rub the back of my neck.
“I’m not surprised. They had you dosed pretty well. If you want to come back to my office, we can talk.”
“Yeah, of course.”
I follow him back to a row of desks and take a seat.
“Did you remember anything new about that night?”
“I have a very clear description of the man who shot me.”
“I bet you do.” He picks up a pen and a pad. “You talk, and I’ll write.”
After taking a deep breath, I describe the man I see in too many faces these days. When I’m done, it’s like a purge. I lean back against the seat as if I’ve eaten a full course meal at a fancy restaurant.
“Do you think you could recognize him if I showed you a photo?”
“I’m one-hundred percent sure I could.”
He pulls a binder from his drawer, sets it down, and rustles through a few pages before he turns the book to face me. Humming sounds in my ears and the world recedes. My vision narrows to the man with the snarl. My stomach roils and a ghost pain flares in my chest.
“That’s him,” I rasp, and swallow to moisten my dry mouth.
“Could you pick him out in a lineup?”
“Shit yes, I could.”
“I have to tell you, Mr. Hemnway, this man is no average criminal. He’s the leader of the D.A.C. Are you willing to stand up against him if we take this to trial?”
“Yes.” The answer is out before I can think about it. I have to do this for me. If I punk out, I’ll never be able to look at myself in the mirror again.
He nods. “I think we might have enough here to bring him in and keep him. I’ll get to work on this. Expect to be hearing from me, Mr. Hemnway.”
“I look forward to it, Detective.”