The Gentlemen's Hour

152

Harrington takes her statement, and for once he’s respectful.

It’s a no-brainer self-defense shooting, just as Johnny’s is a righteous double shoot. Two of the Crazy Boys are DOA; the other might make it. Harrington has mixed feelings about that—on the one hand, it would be good to question him; on the other, it’s always convenient when one of them checks out of the hotel.

So he’s nice with the British chick.

For one, she’s a looker, even with the shock blanket wrapped around her shoulders. And she apparently saved his partner’s life. So even if it wasn’t pure self-defense, it’s going to go down that way. He pitches the questions to get those answers.

“You clearly thought that your life was in danger, didn’t you?”

“Clearly.”

“And you had no possible avenue of retreat?”

“None.”

“And you saw that Detective Sergeant Kodani’s life was also in immediate jeopardy?”

“That’s correct.”

“Where did you learn to shoot?” he asks her, just out of curiosity.

“My father insisted,” Petra tells him, still clutching the laptop computer she brought with her and will not let go. “He started me off on clays and rough shooting, and we were lucky enough to go on a friend’s shoot occasionally. When I moved to San Diego, as a single woman living alone, I decided to acquire a handgun—licensed, of course. I go to the indoor range from time to time.”

“It shows,” Harrington says, smiling.

“I took no pleasure in killing that man,” she says.

“Of course not.”

“Is Sergeant Kodani—”

“John’s in the e room getting some glass and splinters taken out,” Harrington answers. “He’s fine.”

“I’m glad.”

Harrington’s about to ask her out when Boone Daniels comes into the room. Petra gets out of the chair, sets the computer down, and throws her arms around him.

Harrington hates Daniels.