The Empty Chair (Lincoln Rhyme 3)

"Drop your weapons on the ground," Sachs said. "All of you."

"I didn't do anything," Culbeau protested.

"Listen, miss," Tomel said, trying to sound reasonable, "we didn't mean any trouble. Our friend here is--"

The knife tip poked his stubbly chin.

"Ahh, do it, do it!" O'Sarian said desperately, teeth together. "Put the fucking guns down."

Culbeau eased his rifle to the ground. Tomel too.

Repulsed by O'Sarian's unclean smell, Sachs slid her hand along his arm and seized her gun. He released it. She stepped back, shoved O'Sarian away, kept the pistol pointed at him.

"I was just pranking," O'Sarian said. "I do that. I fool around. I don't mean nothing. Tell her I fool around--"

"What's going on here?" Lucy Kerr said, walking down the path, hand on her pistol grip.

Culbeau shook his head. "Sean was being an asshole."

"Which is gonna get him killed someday," Lucy said.

Sachs closed the switchblade one-handed and put it back into her pocket.

"Look, I'm cut. Look, blood!" O'Sarian held up a stained finger.

"Damn," Tomel said reverently, though Sachs had no idea what he was referring to.

Lucy looked at Sachs. "You want to do anything about this?"

"Take a shower," she responded.

Culbeau laughed

Sachs added, "We don't have time to waste on them."

The deputy nodded to the men. "This is a crime scene. You boys're out your reward." She nodded at the rifles. "You want to hunt, do it elsewhere."

"Oh, like anything's in season," O'Sarian asked sarcastically, dishing on Lucy for the stupidity of her comment. "I mean, hell-ohhh."

"Then head back to town--'fore you bollix up your lives any more'n you already have."

The men picked up their guns. Culbeau lowered his head to O'Sarian's ear and spoke quiet, angry words to him. O'Sarian gave a shrug and grinned. For a moment Sachs thought Culbeau was going to hit him. But then the tall man calmed and turned back to Lucy. "You find Mary Beth?"

"Not yet. But we got Garrett and he'll tell us."

Culbeau said, "Wish we got the reward but I'm glad he's caught. That boy's trouble."

When they were gone Sachs asked, "You find anything else in the mill?"

"No. Thought I'd come down here to help you look for a boat."

As they continued down the path Sachs said, "One thing I forgot about. We ought to send somebody back to that trap--the hornets' nest. Kill 'em and fill in the hole."

"Oh, Jim sent Trey Williams, one of our deputies, over there with a can of wasp spray and a shovel. But there weren't any wasps. It was an old nest."

"Empty?"

"Right."