Private Oz (Private 7)

I approached slowly.

The man was sitting hunched up, his head in his hands. At his feet lay a bloodied baseball bat. He was sobbing loudly, heard me approach, lifted his head, recognized me.

“Craig,” the man said between gasps. He was in a bad way.

“Patrick!” It was the bouncer from The Cloverleaf who’d had his life ruined by Hewes. “What happened?”

He didn’t reply, just kept sobbing. I couldn’t see his face.

“Patrick?”

“I killed him, Craig. I killed him in front of his kids! I didn’t know they would be there. But once I started I couldn’t … Oh Christ!”

I heard the wail of police cars. They screeched to a stop on the road a few yards away.

“It’s over now, Patrick,” I said and sat down on the bench beside him.

Chapter 124

“HEY, JOHNNY,” DARLENE said, looking up from her microscope as her colleague knocked on the open door of the lab.

“What are you up to?” he asked.

“What are you up to? It’s gone eleven.”

“I was bored. Thought I’d come in to do some work. What a sad life I lead!”

Darlene gave him a crooked smile. “So what does that say about me?”

“I judge not!” Johnny had his palms up. “What’re you working on?”

She pulled back from the scope. “Take a look.”

He peered into the eyepiece. “Means nothing to me.”

“And not much more to me,” Darlene remarked. “It’s part of Julie O’Connor’s scrapbook, but it’s so badly charred I can’t make out the words. I’m getting really pissed with it to be honest.”

“Not surprised.” Johnny paced over to Darlene’s desk. He saw the small pile of invites Software Sam had left yesterday.

“I heard about these,” he said, picking up the tickets. “Micky Stevens’ party … right? Craig mentioned them.”

Darlene nodded. “Yeah, that guy … friend of Micky’s dropped them in. With all the stuff going on here I’d forgotten.”

Johnny stared down at the invitations. “It’s tonight.” He stared into Darlene’s eyes.

“Oh, no. I’ve got …”

“Darlene? What is wrong with you?” He walked over, the invitations in his right hand.

“Johnny Ishmah,” Darlene said, beaming. “You’re not asking me out on a date, are you?”

He flushed red.

“Oh my God! You’re blushing!” Darlene said, hand to mouth. “How …”

“Don’t say cute!”

“Alright … not cute!”