Fat Tuesday(115)

Burke came awake to the sound of voices, although the words were indecipherable. Total awareness was slow in coming, but gradually he discerned that he was indoors, lying on his side, that his hands were shackled behind him, and that he had a bitch of a headache.

Wherever he was, there was a lot of activity going on beyond the walls.

He didn't actually see the emergency vehicle lights, but he felt their pulsing against his closed eyelids. Until he knew more, he decided to keep his eyes shut and pretend to be unconscious.

One of the voices finally distinguished itself.

Dredd was saying, "Been like Grand Central Station out here today," he remarked grumpily."With all the coming and going, the fish won't bite for a week."

"Like who?" Doug Pat asked.

"Like who what?"

Even though he was still half-addled, Burke realized that Dredd was playing dumb. He wondered if Pat was aware of it.

"Who was out here today coming and going?" Pat asked.

"Oh, well, to start, two guys came by this morning, asking for "What two guys?"

"Didn't know them, but I'll tell you this, I don't care if they ever come back. They were bad news."

"How do you know? What did they do?"

"Nothing in particular. It was just a feeling I got, you know?

It's been years since I was a cop, Pat, but the instinct hasn't left me."

Burke sensed that Dredd was pausing to take a draw off his cigarette.

"They were dressed like fishermen, but if those two ever caught a fish in their lives, I'll eat those gators over there."

"You did eat those gators over there."

Dredd chuckled."Right you are, Pat, but you know what I mean.

Anyhow, I rang up their six-packs of Bud in a hurry, and was glad to see the last of them."

"What'd you tell them about Burke?"

"There wasn't any more to tell them than what I've told you. Burke was by here several days ago."

"What day?"

"Can't recall exactly. I don't pay much attention to the calendar anymore, although I did notice that tomorrow's Mardi Gras. Guess the city's gearing up to "

"About Burke ..."

"Oh, right. Basile shot the breeze with me for a time, but he isn't what you'd call talkative, you know. He bought a few things, then was off."

"And the woman was with him?"

"Woman is an understatement. Whooee!" In an undertone, Dredd added, "I jerked off twice after they left. Who'd you say she is?"

Pat gave him the capsulated facts, which, of course, Dredd already knew. When Pat finished, Dredd said, "Hmm. I'd never have figured her for Basile's hostage. Didn't look to me like he was forcing her into anything. She got right into the car with him."

"They left here by car?"

Dredd launched into an elaborate lie about the make, color, and model of the nonexistent car. If the circumstances hadn't been so grave, Burke would have laughed out loud."Since you can't see the main road from here, I don't know which way they headed." Pat asked if there had been another man with them, possibly a priest. Dredd laughed and said no, that he avoided contact with clergymen, and Basile didn't strike him as a religious sort either.

After a pause, he added, "I can't figure Basile for a kidnapper."

"Nor can I, but it appears he is."

"Tell me again, Pat, who's this fellow you popped?"

"Detective Sergeant Mac Mccuen."

"One of your own."

"Yeah," Pat said bitterly."He made a deal with Pinkie Duvall to return with Burke and his wife. I followed Mac out here, and it's a good thing I did. He was sent to assassinate Burke." He briefed Dredd on Mac's dirty dealings within the department.

"You ever killed a man before, Pat?"

"Once. In the line of duty. It's not something you get over easily."

"Guess it all depends on how bad the guy needs killing," the retired policeman said. Burke could imagine him raising one of his sunburned shoulders in a shrug."You rid the department of a real dirty cop, this Mccuen. Sounds to me like you saved everybody a lot of time and trouble."

"I hate it that anybody had to die. All along I hoped to end this thing peaceably. At least I spared Basile from making a mistake that he would be paying for the rest of his life. Whether he thinks so or not, I've done him a favor."

Dredd snorted his skepticism."Somehow I doubt he'll look upon being knocked out and handcuffed as a favor. You'll have your hands full when he wakes up."

"He's going to be pissed," Pat agreed, "but what I did, I did for his own good. Damn his stubborn hide." Then he said, "There's the ambulance."

Burke heard chairs scraping backward, the sound of shuffling feet.

"I'd better go supervise the transport of Mac's body and clear up the paperwork with the parish officials. Soon as I get the ambulance underway, I'll come back for Basile."

"What about Duvall's wife?"

"That's the first thing I'm going to ask Basile about when he comes around. The lady must be taken home immediately."

Burke waited until Pat's footsteps could no longer be heard then opened his eyes. As he'd already guessed, he confirmed that he was lying on a sofa in Dredd's main room.