The Murderers (Badge of Honor 6)

“What happened is that I kicked myself most of the way to Newark for being afraid what Chad and Daffy would think if I told him I was worried about you and wanted to see you. So I got off in Newark and came back. At the time, it seemed like a reasonable idea.”

“Jesus, that was nice of you,” he said.

“I haven’t had anything to

eat,” she said. “Damn you. Where were you?”

“On the job. Working.”

“I should have guessed that,” she said. “I thought maybe you were out getting sloshed.”

“I started to,” he said. “And then I decided I’d better go to work.”

There was a long pause, and then she said:

“This is your town. Is there someplace I can get something to eat this time of the morning?”

“How about a lukewarm hamburger and some limp french fries?”

There was another long pause.

“You mean at your place?”

“I stopped off at a restaurant on my way home,” he said.

“I’m so hungry I’m tempted to accept,” Amanda said. “But knowing you, you’d get the wrong idea.”

“Oh, hell, I wouldn’t—Jesus, Amanda!”

“All I want to be is your friend, Matt, OK? I thought you could use one.”

“Absolutely. I understand. Nothing else ever entered my mind.”

“OK. As long as you understand that.”

“I do. Perfectly. Look, you want me to bring the hamburger there?”

“No,” she said, after a just-perceptible pause. “I know where you live. Give me ten, fifteen minutes. I have to get dressed again. The last call was going to be the last call.”

“I’ll come get you.”

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Amanda said, and hung up.

“I will be damned,” Matt thought aloud. “That was really very nice of her.”

He went back to the table, took knives and forks and salt and pepper and plates from cabinets, and laid them on the table. Then he got a pot from under the sink and poured the coffee into it.

At least I can offer her hot coffee!

Then he went into the living room and sat down in his chair. While I wait, I’ll take a look at this stuff:

When Detective Wally Milham pushed open the door of the Red Robin Diner at Frankford and Levick it was nearly empty, and for at least fifteen seconds, which seemed like much longer, he couldn’t find Helene Kellog. But then he saw her, in a booth halfway down the counter, staring into a coffee cup on the table.She had a kerchief around her head, and was wearing a cotton raincoat.

He walked quickly to the booth and slid onto the seat facing her.

“Hi,” he said.

She looked up at him and smiled wanly, but didn’t speak, and when he touched her hand, she pulled it away.