The Narrows - Michael Connelly [50]
“So, Harry, I guess I don’t even rate a call back from you?”
“Sorry, Kiz, I was going to call you. I had a busy morning and sort of forgot.”
“Busy morning? You’re supposed to be retired. You’re not running around on another case, are you?”
“Actually, I’m driving to Vegas. And I’m probably about to lose my signal in the dead zone. What’s going on?”
“Well, I saw Tim Marcia this morning when I was getting my coffee. He told me you two had talked recently.”
“Yeah, yesterday. Is this about that three-year deal he told me about?”
“It certainly is, Harry. Have you thought about it?”
“I just heard about it yesterday. I haven’t had time to think about it.”
“I think you should, Harry. We need you back here.”
“That’s nice to hear, especially from you, Kiz. I thought I was PNG with you.”
“What does that mean?”
“Persona non grata.”
“Come on now. It was nothing a cooling-off period couldn’t cure. Seriously, though, we could use you back here. You could probably work with Tim’s unit if you wanted.”
“If I wanted? Kiz, you make it sound like all I have to do is waltz in there and sign on the dotted line. What do you think, everybody in that building is going to be there to welcome me back? Are they going to be lined up in the hallway on the sixth floor, throwing rice or something while I walk to the chief’s office?”
“You talking about Irving? Irving got downsized. He’s running the department of future planning. I’m calling to tell you, Harry, that if you want to come back, then you are back. It’s that simple. After I talked to Tim I went up to six and had my usual nine a.m. with the chief. He knows of you. He knows your work.”
“I wonder how that could be, since I was gone before he was brought over from New York or Boston or wherever it was they got him from.”
“He knows because I told him, Harry. Look, let’s not get into an argument over this. Okay? Everything is cool. All I’m saying is that you should think about it. The clock is ticking on it and you ought to think about it. You could help us and the city and maybe even help yourself, depending on where you’re at in the world.”
That last part raised a good question. Where was I in the world? I thought about it for a long moment before speaking.
“Yeah, okay. Kiz, I appreciate it. And thanks for putting in the word with the man. Tell me something, when did Irving get dumped? I hadn’t heard about that.”
“That happened a few months ago. I think the chief thought he had his finger in too many pies. He put him to the side.”
I couldn’t help but smile. Not because Deputy Chief Irvin Irving had always had me under his heel, but because I knew a man like Irving wouldn’t let anyone put him to the side, as Kiz had said.
“The man carries all the secrets,” I said.
“I know. We’re waiting for his move. We’ll be ready.”
“Then good luck to you.”
“Thanks. So what’s it going to be, Harry?”
“What, you want my answer now? I thought you just told me to think about it.”
“A guy like you, I already think you know the answer.”
I smiled again but didn’t answer. She was wasting her time in administration. She should be back in homicide. She knew how to read people better than anyone I had ever worked with.
“Harry, you remember the thing you told me when I first got assigned as your partner?”
“Um, chew your food, brush after every meal?”
“I’m serious.”
“I don’t know, what?”
“Everybody counts or nobody counts.”
I nodded and was quiet for a moment.
“Do you remember?”
“Yeah. I remember.”
“Words to live by.”
“I guess so.”
“Well, think about that while you’re thinking about coming back.”
“If I come back, I’m going to need a partner.”
“What, Harry? You’re breaking up.”
“I’m going to need a partner.”
There was a pause and I think now she was smiling, too.
“That’s a possibility. You —”
She cut out on me. I think I knew what she was going to say.
“I bet you miss it as much as me.”
“Harry, you’re going into the dead zone. Call me back when . . . don’t take too long.”
“Okay, Kiz, I’ll let you know.”
I was still smiling after closing the phone. There is nothing like