scarlet city - epilogue - midnight
Burke will never stop being amazed by the amount of chaos that develops after arresting a suspect. There was no theft, no arson, no murder, no immediate crime scene, and yet the alley is filled with detectives and beat cops and lawyers and reporters. He finds Addison sitting on a box far away from the commotion, holding ice to her cheek. For a moment, he’s surprised that neither of her goons are around. Then he remembers that there are active warrants out for their arrests. “Are you okay?” He checks the deep shadows around them, just in case one or both are lurking with the desire to break some more ribs.
She manages to shrug and nod at the same time and make it elegant. “Had worse,” she says, taking the ice away long enough to move her jaw around. “Nice timing.”
“You’re welcome,” he smirks, even though she didn’t actually thank him and it was Duquette’s call. “What did you mean, about bringing his father back to life?”
Addison looks at him sideways. “You’re a good detective, Burke. Why don’t you tell me what you found out?”
He cocks his head. “I was looking up you, not him.”
Addison laughs at that and licks her lips. “Well. Derek’s family owned a grocery store. One night, his dad was working late, restocking. A drunk and his hooker broke in, tried to rob him. When his dad fought back, the guy shot him. Apparently the girl put the man up to it because he didn’t have enough money to pay her. Derek’s had it in for working girls ever since.”
Burke nods as she stands up, leaving the ice on the box. There’s a car suddenly idling at the other end of the alley. “Can I ask you something?”
She turns. “Sure.”
“Did you kill O’Malley?”
Addison offers him a smile, brilliant and mysterious even in the gaslight shadows, before walking away.
“You didn’t answer my question,” he calls.
She glances over her shoulder. “I said you could ask. I didn’t say anything about answering.”
Burke watches her disappear into the car and drive off into the rain beginning to fall. He sighs and writes it off as something he’s sure of in his gut but will never see the light of day. “You need me?” He asks Duquette once he’s back in the crowd.
“Nah. Go on home. Thanks for your help tonight.”
“No problem,” Burke shakes his coworker’s hand and leaves the alley. He makes a stop by Duquette’s car to pick up his hat and sets it on his head.
With one last look at the crowd behind him, he walks off into the rainy night, looking for his girl, a drink, and some sleep.
nav: back to chapter four: bordertown // home