Control (33 page)

Even though it was before dawn, Eric wasn
’
t the least surprised when the phone started ringing. He
’
d been in his apartment for less than five minutes and he was almost expecting the call. He knew it would be Karen and that probably she
’
d been dialing for hours.

He hobbled toward the phone. Not in the best of shape. He
’
d lain bleeding on the sidewalk for he really had no idea how long. But a patrol car had found him and he managed to take them into the building and point out the dread elevator shaft; he had planned on staying right with them but the closer they got the closer he came to lightheadedness. Finally he sat on the floor, waved away any help, which made his fellows realize he more than likely needed some. So while one of them stayed in the unfinished building, the other drove Eric down to Bellevue Emergency where they prodded him and X-rayed him, finally bandaged and patched him and suggested he get home and sleep for a week.

“
Yeah,
”
Eric said into the receiver.

“
Where have you been, Little? I
’
ve been phoning and phoning.
”

Eric sat heavily into a chair and stared out at Lincoln Center and Chagall.

“
Little?
”

Eric sat staring out, wondering did she wake from a dream or had she been up late when the premonition came. As they
’
d spent more and more of their lives away from each other, Karen running the Foundation now, their senses of each other had grown even stronger. Once when she
’
d broken her leg on a winter Vail morning
and there
was genuine concern that her back was gone too he had known
something,
and that knowledge came in the middle of
a jewel robbery investigation at the New York pied-a-terre of a Delaware Du Pont. This Mrs. Du Pont, who had lost a considerable number of valuables and was considerably upset, was a little surprised when in the middle of questioning Eric had said,
“
Pardon me, may I use your phone.
”
She had expected, apparently, that he would be calling the precinct house or some such police business, and when he put in a long-distance call to Colorado, she became rattled. That led to upset when he called again five minutes later because the line was busy the first time and Eric remembered Haggerty saying,
“
He has this telephone fixation, Mrs. Du Pont, but otherwise he
’
s a crackerjack operative, please humor the lad as best you can—
”

“
Little?
”

“
It would have been awful if-your back had gone.
”

“
The Vail thing?
”

Eric stared out at the Chagall.

Karen
’
s voice grew very stern.
“
You must get hold of yourself now and talk to me, I
’
m concerned, I don
’
t like these silences.
”

She had a point, and Eric was about to explain when he realized, was quite startled to realize, that he was too full to talk about it. He could sense the drying in his throat.

“
Are you too upset, is that it?
”

Eric grunted that that was it.

“
Just tell me a few things then—call me later but at least tell me, are you all right, is it Frank, is he all right too?
”

“
Not all right too,
”
Eric managed, and then he hung up. He went to the kitchen, got the Scotch he kept for visitors. There was maybe a quarter of a bottle left. He took a sip, hated the taste, chugged the rest, made it across his apartment, fell to bed.

And instantly the phone rang.

And rang.

And rang.

“
Whuh?
”
Eric
’
s mouth felt like some group had been holding a convention inside.

“
Got a few minutes?
”

Eric blinked. He knew the voice, knew it well.
“
Huh?
”

“
This is Captain Haig, Lorber; have you got a few minutes? Couple things we might talk about.
”

“
What time is it?
”

“
Eight thirty.
”

Eric shook his head.
“
Still dark out though—that
’
s funny.
”

“
At night, Lorber.
”

Fifteen hours, Eric thought. Flaked fifteen hours and it went by like a song. Then he remembered Frank. A dirge; it went by like a dirge. His body throbbed.

“
Well, what about it?
”

“
Right,
”
Eric said, not quite sure what they were talking about

“
Should be finished here within an hour—I
’
ll stop by then. Nine thirty.
”

“
Be waiting,
”
Eric assured him, hung up, and immediately was back asleep.

This time the pounding at the door brought him around.
“
Yeah, yeah, right,
”
he managed as he stumbled to the door, opened it, said
“
With you in a sec
”
and retreated to his bedroom, throwing on a pair of wash pants, a cashmere crew neck that was an insane color of purple, the reason, Karen assured him, it was on sale and happy birthday.

“
Sure this isn
’
t an inconvenience?
”
Haig said as Eric came barefooted into the living room.

Eric shook his head, sat.

Captain Haig stared out the window at Lincoln Center.
“
Some view,
”
he said.

“
Reason I
’
m here,
”
Eric answered, wondering why the hell Haig was here. Haig was really a detestable figure; for a cop. You wouldn
’
t have minded his ruddy good looks and glad-handing if he
’
d run an ad agency or sold life insurance.

Haig turned from the window then.
“
The main reason I
’
m here is that I thought we ought to talk about Frank Haggerty
’
s fu
neral.
”

The funeral! Jesus, Eric thought, how could that have not crossed your mind before. And what a thing it would be. You could never wash away the stains of the last hours totally, but if anything could help, it would be the funeral.

Just the size of it alone. Cops have a way when a brother dies brutally. Heroically. Ordinary unknown cops get great turnouts. But this was no ordinary unknown, this was the funeral of Frank thirty-five-years-and-then-some-on-the-force Haggerty; thirty-five years and maybe a couple of enemies, maybe a million friends;
thirty-five
years of work, not just here but side trips to Philly and Boston—he had cousins on the force in Boston—

—maybe the Pipers would come!

The Boston Pipers. The best bagpipe group bar none counting England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales,
bar none.
And everyone would be dressed in their blues and thousands maybe of lawmen listening to the Pipers, fifty strong, and then after some music a few words, a eulogy from someone close—

—Christ, Eric thought, that
’
s why he
’
s here, he wants me to give the eulogy. I can
’
t do that—my God, give a speech about Frank in front of all the others—I
’
m too young. It should be a contemporary, one of the old guard, one of—

—it should be a member of the family. Frank Jr., he was the proper choice and as he looked across the room Eric realized that
that
was why Haig was here—to try and soften the blow of his not being allowed to speak at the funeral of his beloved partner. What a jerk Haig was—thinking he
’
d be upset. Eric shook his head and almost smiled.

“
Does that mean you don
’
t want to talk about it?
”

“
Does what mean?
”

“
You just shook your head.
”

“
No, nothing like it, just tripping off.
”

Captain Haig looked at Eric now.
“
Are you all right, Lorber? We can do this tomorrow.
”

“
Great shape. No need.
”

The Captain would not look away. Eric could feel his eyes.
“
Are you sure you
’
re all right, Lorber?
’’

“
Like I said, great shape …
”
And now Eric could feel things breaking loose inside him. He tried for a quick smile, missed.
“
Well… great is probably not quite it, maybe okay would sum it up better…
”
And he tried to stop then, tried so hard, but the dam had given and he was helpless.
“
I… I never should have left Frank is the thing
…
See, he had Frank over the shaft but I… I had the gun
…
and so it was stalemate…
”
Stop,
Eric demanded,
don’t
you dare sully this—not
to Haig—not to a prick like
Haig—control yourself—
“
… see, if I
’
d stayed, Frank would still be around
…
and I was gonna stay … I had the gun … in my hands… but Frank, he came up with an idea,.. and he said for me to go… he meant it… but..
“
Enough shit Jesus,
Eric shrieked silently into the night, he
’
s gonna tell this story, Haig
’
ll
dine out on this, and Frank would cry of shame, if he was here he
’
d weep and shake his head and say Eric, Eric, didn
’
t I
teach you any better than this?
“
… you make your decisions and most
…
most of the time it
’
s all right, you survive with your choice … but see … but see … Frank was no kid … he was great but he was no kid
…
and this Winslow
…
this fucking Winslow … he
’
s a pig … and I left Frank … alone with this crazy pig… I shouldn
’
t have done that… I shouldn
’
t have done that… I should have stayed with Frank… it was a bad choice, a bad choice … I could have stayed, I should have stayed, but I left him all alone and … I don
’
t think I
’
ll forget that for a while …
”

At last then, silence.

Captain Haig got up, went back to the view, stood, hands clasped behind his back.
“
Terrible accident,
”
he said finally.

Humiliated, Eric stayed seated, immobile.

The blessed silence lingered.

“
I
’
m okay now,
”
Eric said, when he was.

Captain Haig turned away from the window.
“
I talked to the two men who found you on the sidewalk. At some length. And I talked to the doctors at the emergency ward. You
’
ve had some day, was the general consensus.
”

Eric shrugged.

“
Don
’
t come in tomorrow, all right? Get aU the rest you can.
”

“
I will rest,
”
Eric said.
“
Maybe I
’
ll show up for half a day, just
to keep my hand in.
”

Haig shook his head, smiled.
“
Not tomorrow. I mean this. I
’
m speaking officially now. I don
’
t want to see you working until I give the word. You
’
re on vacation as of now. Head for the Caribbean why don
’
t you. Grab some sun.
”

“
I don
’
t want to go on vacation. I
’
m a little rocky, sure, but who isn
’
t in February? It
’
s important for me to work now. I know what Winslow looks like, I
’
ve got a bead on how his mind goes. I
’
ll be in tomorrow.
”

“
No,
”
Haig said.
“
You won
’
t.
”

Eric looked at him.
“
Wait a minute,
”
he said.
“
That
’
s an order, isn
’
t it?
”

“
You don
’
t come in tomorrow and you don
’
t come in the next day and if I say take a week, you
’
ll take a week, if I say a month, you can consider it gospel. Are we clear?
”

“
Why?
”

“
Why do you question everything?
”

Eric got up silently, went to the kitchen, took out a Doppelbock, opened it, swigged most of it down. He was about to ask the Captain what he wanted when he decided there was no law that made him be polite to bigots or fools, so he finished the beer, reached inside again blindly, grabbed a Guinness, opened it, returned to the living room.

Haig was staring out the window again.
“
Because you push yourself too hard,
”
he said.
“
That
’
s one reason. And because you
’
ve been through a dreadful accident, that
’
s another. But most of all, you
’
re on vacation because I say you
’
re on vacation and when the day comes I have to explain my orders I turn in my badge.
”

Eric could feel a tension beginning in his stomach now.

Haig turned.
“
Clear?
”

The tension was building.
“
That
’
s the second time you
’
ve used the word
‘
accident
’
You mean
‘
incident.
’”

“
I don
’
t think so.
”

“
Frank was thrown down an elevator shaft. That
’
s not an accident, that
’
s murder one.
”

Haig came back to his seat, got comfortable.
“
Mind if I smoke?
”

“
No.
”

“
It
’
s a cigar is why I ask.
”

“
Smoke for Chrissakes!
”

Haig got out a long cigar, pierced the butt end with his teeth, lit it with a gold lighter. Finally he said,
“
Did you see?
”

“
See what?
”

“
You said Frank was thrown down an elevator shaft. I merely ask if you saw the incident?
”

“
Of course I didn
’
t—I was two floors away—
”

“
—then it
’
s all circumstantial, isn
’
t it—?
”

“
—what the fuck are you talking about—?
”

“
—you watch your mouth, Mister—
”

“
—there
’
s something I don
’
t know about—what is it—?
”

“
—was Haggerty drinking?
’
-
”

“
—are you serious?—we had beer with dinner and that was earlier—
”

“
—he did drink—
”

“
—of course he drank, he was Irish, it
’
s what they do best, but I never saw him drunk and neither did you—
”

“
—still
…
”

Eric
’
s stomach was knotted now. He stood and shouted across the room at Haig.
“
There
’
s something I don
’
t know about. Now tell me what it is.
”

“
There
’
ll be no funeral,
”
Captain Haig said then.

Eric just gaped.

“
No
official
funeral I should say. No police participation. His two children have been notified. They
’
re coming in for it But it will be private. Just family. Their wishes.
”

“
I don
’
t fucking believe it-—
”
Eric began walking mindlessly around—
”
You can
’
t stop policemen from coming—a brother was
murdered—murdered in the line of duty—
there
’
ll be thousands there—from up and down the Eastern Seaboard—
”

“
Wrong. Everyone
’
s been notified.
”

Eric stopped dead.
“
You aren
’
t that powerful, Haig—where
’
s it coming from?
”

“
I
’
m not here to answer questions.

“
Who
’
s ordering this?
”

“
Do you always lose control this quickly?
”

“
It
’
s not gonna work—you
’
ll see—they
’
re gonna come—I
’
m telling you—
”

“
Highly,
”
Captain Haig said, standing up,
“
unlikely.
”

“
You never liked Frank, did you?
”

Captain Haig considered that. Then he said:
“
Nothing to like one way or the other. He was probably an adequate cop when he was younger.
”
Now he turned on Eric.
“
And since you asked, I don
’
t think being with you did him a hell of a lot of good.
”

Eric tried to put the beer bottle down without trembling, but he couldn
’
t quite.
“
Captain Haig, please believe me when I tell you this: I
’
m very strong. And I
’
m very upset right now. You don
’
t call a great man
‘
adequate
’
and then try to fuck up his funeral without my getting upset and so please leave now, please leave very quickly, because if you don
’
t I will break your body into pieces.
”

Captain Haig left immediately.

“
Fucking thousands will be there!
”
Eric shouted after
…