Takeover - Lisa Black [115]
Chris followed her line of sight. “How’s she handling it?”
“Like a trouper, of course, but that doesn’t mean squat. She holds everything in; I taught her that. It’s almost a help, how guilty I feel for making her go through this. I’m so determined to put her first now that it takes my mind off—” Her gaze returned to the earthen hole in front of her.
“Guilty?”
“I risked myself. I risked her mother, to save a man we’ve known for only six months.”
“It’s your life to risk, Theresa.”
You don’t have any children, do you? “No, it’s really not.”
“It was a brave and selfless thing to do. She would respect that.”
“I’m sure it would be a great comfort to her during her senior prom, her wedding, the birth of her first child.”
The man who made his living ferreting out other people’s motivations asked gently, “Why did you do it, then?”
She thought of herself standing in the middle of East Sixth Street, the sun beating her shoulders, Paul collapsed on the lobby floor and bleeding. “I couldn’t do anything else.”
“If it happened again this afternoon, you’d do the same thing again.”
She knew the answer, but it took her a long time to say it. “Yes.”
“We all make decisions, Theresa, and we all have responsibilities. Sometimes they line up well and sometimes they don’t, but you can only do the best you can. Stop cluttering up your mind with what might have happened, because it’s going to take you away from her senior prom, tomorrow’s high-profile homicide, or”—he paused—“your next date.”
That seemed an odd thing to say. She looked at him.
He merely smiled.
“Mom?”
Rachael stood to the side, Leo behind her.
“Yes.” Theresa stood up and smoothed her slacks. “I’m ready to go now.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND NOTES
I’d like to thank several people for their assistance in writing this book:
Specialist Lawrence Stringham, my supervisor at the Cape Coral Police Department; Officer Ira Roth, currently of the Cape Coral Police Department and formerly of the New York City Police hostage negotiation team; Freddy Yaniga and Evelyn Drnak, for sharing their knowledge of the Federal Reserve building; my critique partner Sharon Wildwind, for her medical knowledge; librarian Nancy Skabar; my other critique partners among the Sisters in Crime Guppies, for their help with the craft; my editor, Carolyn Marino; and Elaine and Stephanie at the Elaine Koster Literary Agency, who make it all happen.
The Federal Reserve is prohibited by law to render assistance to a private citizen in a commercial venture, so I had access only to the lobby of the building, which is open to the public. There are no teller cages in the lobby anymore; all areas are given over to educational displays. I have no idea what offices are where on the upper floors, and I have no knowledge of any staff members or their personalities, habits, working conditions, or hours. The guards do not wear fatigues but uniforms; I put them in fatigues to make them easily distinguishable from the other two police agencies involved. I have no idea what the FBI’s or the Federal Reserve’s response to such a situation would be and only a general idea what the city police would do.
The M.E.’s office building as described in these pages has not existed for many years and bears no resemblance to the ultramodern building that now houses the outstanding staff of Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office. Thanks and love to the trace evidence department there—Linda, Sharon, Kay, Dihann, Jim, and Bernie.
I’d also like to thank my husband, Russ, a walking reference source regarding guns and cars; and of course my mother and four siblings, who give me feedback as well as a reason to keep writing.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Adams, Susan H. “What Do Suspects’ Words Really Reveal?” FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, October 1996.
Culley, Lt. John A. “Hostage Negotiations.” FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, October 1974.
Meyer, Laurence H. A Term at the Fed. New York: HarperBusiness,