Fat Tuesday(65)

"While you were washing up, I checked on Remy," Dredd mumbled through a mouthful.

Burke stopped eating and looked at him quizzically.

"She told me her name."

"She's awake?"

"In and out."

Burke mopped up the last of the gravy with a crust of bread, actually surprised to see that his plate was empty. The unidentifiable meat had been incredibly tasty, but then Dredd was as good with seasonings as he was with the roots and herbs that went into his home remedies.

Scooting his empty plate aside, he reached for his coffee."I don't think she stirred all night."

"The effects of the sedative began to wear off while I was applying more salve to her wounds. I dosed her up again. She should sleep through most of the day."

"When can I move her?"

Dredd had finished his own meal by now and went in search of cigarettes He found a pack, lit one, took a drag, and held the smoke in his lungs for an extended time."Not that it's any of my business, but what the hell are you doing with Pinkie Duvall's wife?"

"I kidnapped her."

Dredd harrumphed, took several more drags on his cigarette, and picked bread crumbs from his beard. At least Burke hoped they were bread crumbs."Any particular reason why?"

"Vengeance." Burke related his story, beginning with the night Wayne Bardo tricked him into shooting Kev Stuart, and ending with their hair-raising escape from a mob of angry men."When I saw she was hurt, I thought of you first. I didn't know where the nearest hospital was, and we were only a few miles away from here. I know how you value your privacy. I hate like hell involving you, Dredd."

"Forget it."

"The thing is, I know I can trust you."

"You trust me, huh? Do you trust me enough to tell you like it is?"

Burke knew what was coming, but he motioned for Dredd to speak his mind.

'"You must've gone plumb crazy, Basile. The authorities could throw the book at you, but that threat's nothing compared to Duvall. Do you know who you're up against?"

"Better than you."

"So it doesn't bother you that Pinkie Duvall will gut you like a hog and leave your carcass for the buzzards?" Burke grinned wryly.

"Ouch."

Dredd, however, didn't find any humor in the remark. He shook his head with annoyance as he lit another unfiltered smoke."Before this is over, somebody will be dead."

"I'm aware of that," Burke said, no longer smiling."I'd rather it not be me, but if it is ..." He raised one shoulder eloquently.

"You've got nothing to live for anyway. Is that what you're trying to tell me? You killed your own man, your career is over, your marriage went to hell, so what's to live for. Does that about sum up your view of things?"

"Something like that."

"Bull ... shit." He divided the expletive into two distinct words as he spat a flake of tobacco off his tongue."Everybody's got something to live for, if it's nothing except to see another sunrise."

He leaned across the table and shook the cigarette at Burke's face as though it were a mother's remonstrative finger."You killed Stuart accidentally.

You quit the N.O.P.D, it didn't quit you. You had a miserable marriage. It was past time you got shed of that woman. I never did like her."

'"I didn't confide the details of my personal itfe with you so you could throw them back at me now."

"Well, tough tittie. I'm overstepping my bounds. I earned the privilege when you came busting in here last night and dumped a bleeding woman on me. Besides," he added grumpily, "I sorta like you, and I'd hate to see you get yourself killed."

His reproving expression turned softer, although compassion contrasted with his ogreish appearance."I know what I'm talking about Basile Believe me. Things can get f*cked up real bad, but life is life, and dead is dead. Forever. It's not too late to cut bait and back out of this thing."

Dredd was one of the few men Burke truly respected, and he knew that his respect was reciprocated."Valid advice, Dredd. And I know you're well intentioned. But, whatever the consequences, I have to punish Wayne Bardo and Pinkie Duvall, or die trying."

"I don't get it. Why?"

"I told you why. For revenge."

Dredd stared hard at him."I ain't buying it."

"Sorry." Burke picked up his coffee mug and sipped, with that gesture closing the topic to further discussion.

Apparently Dredd saw the futility of arguing. Anchoring his cigarette in the corner of his lips, he stood and cleared their dishes off the table, tossing them into a metal sink."What're you going to do with her?"

"Nothing. I swear. It's my fault that she got hurt, and I hate like hell that it happened. I never intended to lay a hand on her. I wouldn't do that. For chrissake, I wouldn't."

Dredd turned his fuzzy head and shot Burke a pointed look.

"What?"

"You're protesting an awful lot to an innocent question."

Burke looked away from Dredd' wtwinkling eyes."This isn't about her, it's about him."

"Okay, okay, I believe you," Dredd said."All I meant was, where do you figure on stowing her while you're baiting Duvall? I'm guessing, of course. You are using her to bait a trap, right?"