Mandy produced it and he fed the coins into the slots like an automaton until all three machines were churning.
“Let’s go,” he said. “We have an hour before we have to get back to prevent Mrs. Gilchrist from stealing my underwear.”
Mandy grinned, allowing him to pull her with him toward the hall.
The bad moments of the conversation had been forgotten.
* * * * *
It was about a week later that Mandy became concerned when she didn’t hear from Kelly all day at work. He usually called her at least once or texted her if he was busy but total silence from him was unprecedented. He knew that she worried about him doing police work so he kept in touch, even if it was just a one liner saying that he was in the field on a case or in a meeting. She didn’t get really alarmed until she got no response from him to her inquiries and she couldn’t raise him at the police station either. She didn’t want to look like a harpy checking up on him at his job, so she drove straight to his apartment after work. She saw his car outside in the lot and knew he was home, but she couldn’t dismiss the feeling that something was wrong. The foreboding increased when she knocked on his door and got no response.
“Kelly, it’s Amanda,” she called. “Are you in there?”
The silence went on for a minute longer and then he pulled open the door abruptly. He was dressed in jeans and the green sweater she had given him, which made his eyes look teal instead of blue.
He met her gaze and looked away.
Mandy was shocked by his appearance. He looked gaunt, he hadn’t shaved, and his thick hair looked like he had been driving a thresher through it.
There was something else wrong too. She had never seen him wearing this exact expression and it took her a moment to identify it.
He looked scared.
Mandy dropped her purse to the hall floor and put her arms around his waist. She said softly, “You look terrible, Kelly. I didn’t hear from you all day and I know something bad has happened. Please tell me what it is.”
She felt him embrace her tightly, then sigh deeply. He put his hands on her shoulders to hold her off and looked down at her.
“I’m in trouble, Amanda. I hit Henderson last night and he’s pressing charges. I didn’t injure him badly but he’s pushing for the max and Manning can’t ignore the issue this time. I’ve been suspended without pay, no guarantee of reinstatement. I’m just waiting here to be picked up when the charges are filed.”
Amanda gazed up at him, too stunned to speak until what he had said registered fully. Then she whispered, “You hit Tom?”
He took her hands and led her inside to sit down next to him in the living room. When she was watching him again he said quietly, “I broke his nose.”
“Oh, Brendan, no,” she whispered.
He looked down, as if unable to bear her scrutiny. “It was friggin’ stupid and I can’t defend it. He just baited me and I went for it, proving once again to the entire world what a thick mick I am.” He closed his eyes.
“What did Tom do to provoke it?” Amanda asked.
Kelly shrugged. “He said something, it doesn’t matter.”
“He said something about me, didn’t he? Me and you?”
He didn’t answer.
Mandy’s mouth tightened. “Tom just can’t let it go. He acts like it doesn’t bother him but it’s seething inside him and he just can’t let it go.”
“I wouldn’t let it go either, if I lost you.”
“He didn’t lose me, Kelly. He never had me.”
“He thinks he did, Amanda. He thinks I took you from him.”
Mandy smiled thinly. “The irony here is that Tom doesn’t care about me.”
“He’s giving a pretty good imitation of someone who does,” Kelly said dully.
“No. He wanted my family’s prestige and my father’s money and business connections, that’s all. I see that now even though I didn’t allow myself to think about it then.”
“I didn’t think about anything then except how much I wanted you,” Kelly said. “But not thinking seems to be my specialty act these days.” He thrust both hands into his hair and his shoulders slumped.
“Tom’s humiliated by what he sees as my public rejection of him, the gossip, the snickering it provoked.” She bit her lip. “What happened is my fault.”
He stared at her. “Your fault?”
“Of course. He’s using you to get to me.”
“You had nothing to do with this, Amanda. I’m a jackass. He knew that all he had to do was press the right button and I’d jump.”
“He wants to punish me for throwing him over and the very best way to hurt me is to hurt you,” she said, as if he hadn’t spoken.
“I can’t blame this on anyone but myself,” Kelly said darkly. “I had a couple of drinks in me when it happened. I was off duty and had stopped in the bar next door to the courthouse before I went upstairs to drop off an evidence bag.”
“What exactly did he say?”
Kelly shook his head. His expression was the same one he wore when he was asked about Iraq. The message was: No discussion.
Mandy sighed. “All right, if you’re not going to tell me what he said at least tell me the circumstances,” she said.. “Were there any witnesses?”
“No. I walked out of an elevator in the courthouse and he was standing there, like he was waiting for me. There was nobody else around, it was the end of the day, we were alone. It was a coincidence. It was outside that back elevator by the kitchen entrance, you know? It’s pretty isolated.”
She nodded. “No witnesses is a good thing. It will be your word against his and you’re a decorated war vet and a hero cop.”
“And he’s an incumbent, twice elected Congressman from this district,” Kelly replied dismally.
“Go on,” Mandy said, bringing him back to his narrative.
“He saw me and for a moment he said nothing and I thought I could just walk past him. But as I went down the hall he called after me and then I ran back and….”
“And?”
“ I popped him.”
“Did you intend to break his nose?”
“I knew where I was hitting him, if that’s what you’re asking me.” He leaned forward and looked at her intently. “You should be prepared for the next thing I have to tell you.”
“What?” Mandy asked, dreading the answer.
“I’m waiting to hear if the charge will be some degree of assault or attempted murder.”
Mandy stared at him. “Murder?” she gasped. She rose and tried to take a step and faltered; he grabbed her and set her down on the couch again.
“Manning says that’s what Henderson is going for and he might make it happen. Is that even possible?”
Amanda tried to stay calm and focus on the question, but the room was spinning. Kelly looked grim.
“I knew I should keep you out of this,” he said flatly, when he saw her expression.
Then he hesitated visibly, chewing his lower lip.
“This is really bad, right?” he asked quietly.
“You were provoked,” she said.
“Yeah.”
“But the force you used was unequal,” she said. “He was only talking and you responded physically.”
“Right.”
“It’s possible for it to be really bad,” Amanda finally said, answering. “It goes to a pattern of behavior. The DA could charge you on the basis of past practice and recent history and convince a jury that any assault by you could be fatal.”
“What does that mean in English? Past practice? Pattern of behavior?”
“You just killed James Cameron with one blow a couple of months ago. That’s all the evidence a juror needs to conclude that you are capable of killing Tom or anyone else the same way.”
“If I’d wanted to kill Henderson, he’d be dead,” Kelly said flatly.
Mandy didn’t reply, unable to refute him.
“I just wanted to shut his filthy mouth,”
Kelly added darkly.
“I understand that, but Rhinegold’s prosecution team could easily make it look like Tom was in grave danger from you.
“He would have been if I’d wanted him to be.” Kelly’s response was monotone.
“And that’s how I’ll argue it,” Amanda said, recovering enough to start preparing the case. “You’re very skilled and know just how to handle any attack. Your intent could not possibly have been to murder Tom if there is evidence to show that you could have killed him the way you killed Cameron, and you didn’t do it.”
“You’re not arguing anything, Amanda,” Kelly said firmly. “You’re staying out of this.”
“What do you mean?” Mandy said, aghast. “I’m going to prepare your defense. I’ll find you the best lawyer and help that person defend you. And I’ll pay whatever is necessary to make it happen.”
“You are not going to do any of that,” he said evenly. “I don’t want you mixed up in this mess.”
“I have to get on it right now,” Amanda said, ignoring him and rising again. “I need a copy of the charges and once I get that I’ll make some calls to the best defense lawyers, see who might be suitable for your case. I’ll fax a retainer to get whoever it is started on your defense.”
“You’re not making any calls,” Kelly said calmly, repeating the same sentiments carefully as if she were deaf. “You’re not shelling out any money and you’re not handling my case.”
“Of course I am. The office got along without my physical presence there during the Cameron thing, they won’t miss me if I resign now. They have other researchers.”
He closed his eyes. “Oh, God, you’re not resigning because of me. No.” He stood up too, restless in his distress.
Mandy gaped at him. “No?” she said stupidly, as if what he had been insisting had finally gotten through to her.
“You’re out of it, Amanda. If this goes south I don’t want it screwing up your life too.”
“My life is your life, don’t you know that by now? Do you think I care about my job or my career or my entire earthly existence if you…” she stopped, blinking rapidly and fighting tears.
“Go to the joint for attempted murder?” he suggested bleakly.
“Tom is alive and you weren’t trying to kill him. You did not attempt murder.”
“Attempted murder carries stiff jail time. I’ve processed enough cases to know that much.”
“You have to be convicted to go to jail and you won’t be convicted. The issue is intent. What did you intend to do when you hit him? I can coach you, Brendan. You’ll testify that you just intended to silence him, stop him from slandering me. I probably won’t be able to conduct the interrogation myself, I don’t have the cross examination experience and conflict of interest would certainly apply, but I can support and direct your defense team outside of court.”
Kelly shook his head, aware that she was still not accepting what he was telling her.
“Amanda, you’re not going to be involved in this case,” he said gently.
“Past history will enter into it, of course. My previous relationship with Tom and then what happened with us will come up, but that’s not enough malice to sustain an attempted murder charge.”
“Malice?” he said, letting her ramble for the moment. “What does that mean?”
“Intent to harm.”
“I intended to harm him, all right.”
“Not in the way the legal system sees it. You can kill somebody with your car accidentally and the person will still be dead but a court would not charge you with murder. Your action lacks malice, the intent to cause the death. What you did to Tom is the equivalent of a bar fight and should be handled as an assault.”
“Not for the guy who killed James Cameron with a karate kick and got his picture in the paper for doing it,” Kelly said wearily.
“You’ll have to post bail,” Mandy said suddenly, ignoring him. “I have to call the bank and talk to the trustee to get the money released.”
He moved to make her sit again and then sat next to her on the couch. He took her hands and said quietly, “I’ve already talked to my brother Mike. If necessary he’ll put up his house for the bond. It’s done, Amanda. I’m not taking your money for bail or anything else.”
Amanda threw her arms around his neck. “Kelly, you’re frightening me. Why won’t you let me help you?”
He held her tightly and spoke into her ear. “Amanda, I want you to listen because this is important. I know you want to help me. I know that you love me. I believe it now, even if I didn’t at first, when I thought maybe you were just curious or slumming to piss off your parents or experimenting with how the other half lives. But you’ve spent too much time in Daisyland with those nuns and in that mansion with your rich family and you don’t know how bad things can get. I do. You’ve been doing research on dirtbags for over three years, you’ve even been stalked by one of them, and yet you still think that if you work hard and do your best everything will turn out all right. It doesn’t always happen that way. I made this mess and I have to answer for it.”
“You made this mess because of me. Tom came after you because of me.”
“And a mature adult would have ignored what he said and kept on walking. I know that. I mucked this up all by myself. I had you, it was over, you had chosen me. I should have let that be enough. But I had to smack his smug face and I’m on my way to jail now because of it.”
“You’ll be back out instantly,” she said. “Posting bond is quick.”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to get out,” he said gently. “For an attempted murder charge they’ll hold me, and I’m pretty sure that will be the charge.”
Mandy was silent. She knew he was right.
“You can’t fix everything by writing a check,” he said. He pulled her arms loose from his neck and set her beside him. “You know, I’ve wanted to tell you something but I’ve held back. I’ve really wanted to ask you to move in with me, to be with me all the time. But I couldn’t ask you to move into my matchbox apartment…”
“I would live in a tent with you,” she said hastily, interrupting him.
He held up his hand. “Let me finish. And I couldn’t move into your condo…”
“Why not?” she demanded.
“The condo your parents bought for you? And drive the car they gave you? And buy my clothes and toys and vacations with the money from your trust fund? What does that make me, Amanda?”
“I don’t know, I don’t care.” His resigned tone brought her close to tears again.
“It makes me Tom Henderson,” Kelly said. “And you really aren’t that spoiled rich girl who buys everything she wants, are you?”
“I wish I could do that now,” she whispered, finally breaking down and starting to cry. “I’d buy you out of this and never look back.”
He embraced her and they both heard the crunch of tires as police cars pulled up outside in the parking lot. The sirens were not on but the colored lights were pulsing silently.
Kelly released her and stood up as Lieutenant Manning and two uniformed officers came through the door. Mandy watched, crying silently, as Kelly handed over his gold shield and weapon. One of the cops pulled his hands behind his back and cuffed him.
“Go ahead, Dave,” Manning said to the cop.
Dave recited the charges and read Kelly his rights as Manning and the other officer looked on soberly. Mandy thought that there was something surreal about seeing Kelly arrested when he had done the same thing so often to others. He was cooperative with everything they told him to do until Manning nodded toward the door and Kelly looked back at Mandy.
She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. He couldn’t hold her but bent his head and put his face against her hair.
Manning looked on for several moments and then turned away, his expression somber. Kelly let Amanda cling to him briefly. Then he stepped back as Manning took her arm to force her to release Kelly.
“Li
eutenant, can I ask you a favor?” Kelly said huskily to his boss.
“Whatever you want, son,” Manning said.
“Can you see that Amanda gets home all right? I don’t want her to drive, she’s a little… upset… and the guys can bring her car back to her place later, okay?”
Manning nodded. “I’ll take her home myself.”
“Thanks.” Kelly looked at Amanda again and then turned full around to face her. His gaze isolated the two of them in that intimate way he had which made them seem alone even when others were present.
“Don’t worry about me, Red, I’ll be okay. At least we know I’ll be among friends.”
He winked at her and she tried to smile.
Kelly nodded to Dave and the two officers led him outside to the waiting patrol cars.
13
Manning waited until he and Amanda heard the cars depart before he said to her, “I’ll take you home now, Amanda.”
Amanda followed him out, sobbing quietly, and got in the back seat as he started the car and drove out of the apartment complex. They hadn’t gotten far before she said to him, sniffling, “Can you take me to my father’s place instead of mine, Lieutenant?”
Manning looked at her in the rear view mirror. “I did not receive that instruction, Miss Redfield,” Manning said dryly.
“Kelly just didn’t want me to drive,” she said. “I need to see my father. And you can relax, Ted. I’m not blaming you for arresting Brendan. I know you have a job to do.”
Mandy pulled out her cell phone and called her father to say she would be at his house shortly and that Manning was with her. Manning listened to the conversation and looked at Mandy in the mirror again when she closed the phone.
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