Prayers For Rain Part 47

"The good doctor?"

"Yes."

"Too rattled?" the calm voice asked.

"Definitely."

"She'll need a speaking to?"

"She may need more. She's the weak link here."

"The weak link. Uh-huh."

There was a long pause. I could hear Miles breathing on his end, static and hiss on the other.

"You there?" Miles asked.

"I find it boring."

"Which?"

"Working that way."

"We may not have time for your way. Look, we-"

"Not over the phone."

"Fine. The usual, then."

"The usual. Don't worry so much."

"I'm not worried. I just want this dealt with faster than your usual inclinations allow."

"Absolutely."

"I'm serious."

"I recognize that," the calm voice said, and then he broke the connection.

Miles hung up, immediately dialed a third number.

A woman picked up a phone on the fourth ring, her voice thick and sluggish. "Yeah."

"It's me," Miles said.

"Uh-huh."

"'Member that time we were supposed to pick something up at Karen's?"

"What?"

"The notes. Remember?"

"Hey, it was your deal."

"He's p.i.s.sed."

"So? It was your your deal." deal."

"That's not the way he sees it."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying he could go on another of his warpaths. Be careful."

"Aww, Jesus," the woman said. "You...you f.u.c.king kidding me? Jesus, Miles!"

"Calm down."

"No! Okay? Jesus! He owns us, Miles. He owns us."

"He owns everyone," Miles said. "Just..."

"What? Just what, Miles? Huh?"

"I dunno. Watch your back."

"Thanks. Thanks a lot. s.h.i.+t." She hung up.

Miles broke the connection and we sat in the van and watched his house, waited for him to pop his head out and take us wherever it was he intended to go.

"That woman sound like Dr. Bourne to you?"

Angie shook her head. "No. Definitely younger."

I nodded.

Bubba said, "So this guy in the house, he did something heinous?"

"Yeah. I think so."

Bubba reached under his trench coat, pulled out a .22 and screwed on a silencer. "So, okay. Let's go."

"What?"

He looked at me. "Let's just kick in the door and shoot him."

"Why?"