Prayers for the assassin

CHAPTER 27

“Excuse me, Officer Hanson…” Darwin carefully reached under the handsome young policeman, slipped his badge-wallet out of his pants. Flipped it open, “William Hanson. I like that. William. A good, steak-and-taters American name. Pleasure to meet you. I bet they call you Bill, don’t they? How about Willy? I prefer that. Willy. Sounds friendly. Innocent. Do you think of yourself as innocent, Willy? Most people do.” Darwin laughed, the sound echoing off the bathroom tile as he tucked the badge and ID into his own jacket. “A man like me…I have no illusions.”

Hanson’s right hand inched toward his sidearm, hanging half out of its holster.

“Well, look at you. Aren’t you the tenacious lawman.” Darwin reached down, pulled the gun free, checked it out. Standard police-issue 9mm semiautomatic, with a personal-ID grip. The weapon couldn’t be fired unless the registered owner’s thumbprint was pressed into position. The 9mm was useless to anyone other than Hanson. Darwin expelled a round, looked down the barrel, then jacked a fresh bullet into the chamber. “You keep a well-maintained weapon, Officer. You like those expansion slugs, I see. Give you a sense of security, do they? I wager you never fired your weapon in the line of duty, though. Am I right? That changes things, trust me.”

Hanson groaned.

“Let me help.” Darwin bent forward, placed the pistol in the man’s hand. “There you go.”

Hanson’s fingers curled around the grip, made contact. He tried to raise the 9mm, but it was too heavy for him.

“Take your time. Get your strength back. Just keep breathing. Terrible calculus-each inhalation tears you up a little more inside, cuts into the soft pink parts, but a man has to breathe.”

Hanson’s forehead beaded. A ball of sweat ran down into his eyes, sent him blinking.

Darwin daubed at the man’s face with his handkerchief, his movements strangely tender as Hanson’s eyes tracked him. “Don’t worry, I don’t have anything embarrassing planned for you. Homosexuals, heterosexuals…you each make your choices, the wheel of love and desire.” He stroked Hanson’s cheek. “Me…well, truth be told, men and women, they’re all the same to me. Flesh buckets. You can have them.” Laughed. “Take a note, Willy. You can have my share.”

Hanson shifted, cried out. Blood poured out of his mouth.

“Stay put. Down, boy. You’re going to die soon enough; you don’t need to be in a hurry. Let’s chat a bit. I so rarely get the chance to talk with someone who knows me…the real me. Inauthenticity devours the soul, Willy, but what can I do?”

Hanson bit his lip, trying to stay conscious.

“That’s the spirit.” Darwin watched the policeman’s blood trickle toward the drain. “I didn’t do this for your badge, if that’s what you’re thinking. It’s just that in my present job…there’s a high frustration level. Having to hold back, hold myself in check…it gives me a headache. I’m a man with appetites, Willy. Vast appetites. Terrible appetites. And I’m not allowed to satisfy them.” Darwin smiled. “You’ll just have to do for now. You don’t mind, do you?”

Hanson gripped the 9mm. His blue eyes were going muddy, but he held on to the pistol.

“I’m a Fedayeen assassin. You should be honored to die at my hands. You could have been run over by a bus or had an artery burst in your brain. You could have choked on a piece of tough steak or had an allergic reaction to peanut butter. Instead…here you are.” Darwin tapped the man’s front teeth as though he were playing a xylophone. “If you can get outside yourself for just a moment, get beyond the pain, I think you’ll realize that a certain amount of gratitude is in order.”

Hanson tried to focus.

“Perhaps that’s too much to ask.” Darwin watched the young policeman struggle to raise the 9mm. Blood ran down the drain faster now, curls and eddies. “That’s it…there you go. Just a little higher. Come on, you can do it. Pull the trigger, Willy. Pull it. Pull it.”

The gun wobbled. Clattered into the tub. Hanson took short, little breaths.

“Disappointing, isn’t it?” clucked Darwin. “Welcome to my world.” The wireless Cyclops inside his jacket vibrated. Still balanced on the edge of the bathtub, he slipped out the silver case, flipped it open. “Well, will you look at this?” He grinned, turned the plasma screen to Hanson. “This is the inside of the Warriq house. Real-time. It’s a night-vision image so there’s a green cast, but you can see her quite clearly. That’s Sarah Dougan standing inside the front door. Wearing a very elegant chador, I might add. The hajib flatters her features, wouldn’t you say? Hi, Sarah! Say hi to Sarah, Willy. No?”

Hanson eyes glazed over.

“What did you come back for, Sarah? It must be something very important.” Darwin pointed at the screen. “Look. She’s wrinkling her nose at the stink. They may have removed the bodies, but the fragrance lingers.” He watched Sarah start up the stairs and out of range of the camera in the foyer. He flicked to the living room camera. The sofa crusted with dried blood, empty now-sad somehow, like party candles guttered down. He looked at the handsome young policeman.

Hanson was drifting.

“Nothing on TV, nothing in the papers. What would I do if I kept a scrapbook?” complained Darwin. “Collecting clippings is gauche, of course, but still, don’t you think the news blackout is rather petty? I blame that fat detective who was with Rakkim. Someone should teach Detective Colarusso that it’s only fair to give credit where credit is due. I have to admit, Willy, I’m a happy guy right now. I thought she might come back to the house, and here she is. Nothing like being right. Best feeling in the world. Willy? You’re no fun. See, there’s something at the house that she wants. Pay attention, Willy. Find the focus of desire, that’s the secret. Remember that. I’ve just given you some wisdom.”

Hanson’s fingers twitched, but the 9mm was an inch away. It might as well be miles.

Darwin snapped the Cyclops case shut. “Time to go. I need to find out what sweet Sarah is so interested in.” He stood up, looked down at Hanson. The young policeman’s hand moved ever so slightly toward the pistol. Impressive. Darwin wished he had more time to spend with the handsome policeman, but he was already late. He carefully placed his foot on the man’s abdomen, right on the third button of his blue shirt. “Can I have your blessing? Yes? No?” Darwin stamped down. Just hard enough, the pressure precisely calibrated. Hanson’s scream was still echoing as Darwin headed for the door.