Burning Time

70

Jason took the time to listen to the messages on his answering machine. Just in case Emma had tried to call him again. There were seven messages on it: three worried patients, and Ronnie and Charles, each twice. He returned the calls from the patients.

Then, reluctantly, he left the office and went into the apartment. He didn’t want to go back in there. The noise of the clocks was like hearing Emma’s life tick away. He closed the doors to the living room to silence some of them. He headed down the hall to the bedroom where Emma’s purse was still on the bed. He left it there, took his clothes off, and went into the bathroom.

He had just gotten into the shower when April Woo called. He jumped so fast at the sound of the phone he forgot to grab a towel.

“Where are you?” he demanded, dripping on the bedroom floor.

“I’m in Queens at the entrance to the Triboro Bridge. Hoyt Avenue around Twenty-eighth Street. Do you know where that is?”

“No kidding, Twenty-eighth Street. Did you find her?” Jason cried.

“No,” April said. “Not yet. But I wanted to tell you. It’s just like you said, right down to the diner on the corner.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m waiting for my partner.” April surprised herself. It was the first time she had called Sanchez her partner. “Look, we may be wrong. This may be nothing. It just fits, that’s all.”

“You don’t think it’s nothing, or you wouldn’t have called me.”

“I didn’t want to leave you in the dark.”

“I appreciate that,” Jason said. “Where can I find you? I’m on my way.”

“I’ll tell you when I have something. I have to go.”

“Tell me where to meet you.”

“It’s staked out. If you come anywhere near us, you could blow the whole thing.”

“I won’t blow it,” Jason promised.

April hesitated, then gave him an address at the end of the block. “Hang around by the diner,” she said firmly. “If you come any closer, I’ll lose my job. Understand?”

“I understand.”

April cut off.

Jason went into his closet and started pulling on his clothes without bothering to dry himself. Twenty-eighth Street in Queens. He passed that whenever he took the shortcut to the airport. He knew exactly where it was.

His hands trembled so much he could hardly button his shirt. If Emma was alive, she was going to be burned. He tried not to think about that as he reached for his wallet and stepped into his shoes. All that mattered was to get there before Grebs burned her.

The elevator was up at the top of the building. He could see someone struggling with packages. To hell with it. He started running down the stairs. The elevator door clanked shut and started moving toward him. He kept running.