The Watchman

45

OCEAN AVENUE was lit with smoky gold light that time of morning, there at the edge of the sea. Pike ran along the crown of the street, enjoying the peace and the rhythm of his body. It was three fifty-nine that morning. No cars had disturbed him for more than two miles, and the coyotes did not pace him. He was the only beast in the city, but this was about to change.

She turned onto Ocean at San Vicente and roared toward him through the darkness. He recognized her new car, so he stayed on the center line and did not break his stride.

Larkin zoomed past, swung around, and idled up alongside him. She had gotten a pearl white Aston convertible. The top was down. She had kept the short hair, but had gone back to red. She grinned the lip-curling smile. Pike was glad her confidence was back.

“Only a lunatic runs this early.”

“Only a lunatic driving this early would find me.”

“I asked your boy Cole. Since you won’t return my calls anymore.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I think he wants to kiss me.”

“Uh-huh.”

Pike had stopped returning her calls. They had talked often in the weeks following the incident, but he didn’t know what more he could say.

She said, “Can you talk while you run?”

“Sure.”

She took a moment to get it together, then told him what she came to say.

“I’m not going to bother you anymore. Now, just because I’m not calling you doesn’t mean you can’t call me if you change your mind. You can call whenever you want, but I get it you want me to stop, so I’m going to stop.”

“Okay.”

The old flash of anger darkened her eyes.

“My friend, that was WAY too easy. The least you could do is pretend.”

“Not with you.”

The car idled alongside him. Pike caught a glimmer on the bluff, and wondered if it was a coyote.

After a bit, she said, “Do you believe in angels?”

“No.”

“I do. That’s why I go driving like this. I look for angels. They only come out at night.”

That was something else Pike didn’t know how to answer, so he said nothing.

She looked up at him.

“I’m not going to call anymore because that’s what you want; not because I want to stop. You probably think you’re too old for me. You probably think I’m too young. I’ll bet you hate rich people.”

“Pick one.”

Larkin smiled again, and Pike was glad to see it. He loved her in-your-face smile. But then her smile faded and her eyes filled, and he didn’t like that so well.

She said, “You probably think I’ll get over it, but I won’t. I love you. I love you so damn much I would do anything for you.”

“I know you would.”

“I’d even stop calling.”

The Aston Martin roared away, its engine screaming with pain.

Pike watched her taillights flare. She turned east on San Vicente, and raced toward the city.

Pike said, “I love you.”

He ran alone in the darkness, wishing the coyotes would join him.