Free The Evil That Men Do by Dave White Page A

It smelled like cigarettes and rotten french fries.
    “I didn’t even know they made these cars anymore.”
    “Rutherford Police Department. Only the finest.” Iapicca started the car and pulled into traffic.
    Checking his cell phone, Donne saw he had three voice mails. He dialed his mailbox.
    “What are you doing?” Iapicca asked.
    “I have a few missed calls. I was in the hospital all night. They kept my cell phone from me.”
    “I asked them to do that.”
    “Why?”
    “Before we were rudely interrupted by your nurse last night, I was going to check your calls. You got lucky.”
    “Well, I have missed calls to check.”
    “You’re not checking them now.”
    “Why not?”
    He stopped for a red light.
    “The only reason I agreed to drive you was so we could talk about what happened the other day.”
    “We have an hour drive ahead of us. I think you can wait a few minutes.”
    The detective started to reply, but his own cell phone rang. His ring tone was some Sinatra song. He took it out and looked at the caller ID.
    “Sinatra? You’re like, what? Thirty-two?”
    “Thirty-three, and you don’t have to be old to enjoy the Chairman.”
    “Thirty-three is old.”
    “You’re an asshole. And you’re only five years behind me. I have to take this, so go ahead. Check your goddamned voice mails.”
    The first message was Donne’s sister asking him to call her back. There was a tension in her voice, something underlying that worried him. Next to Donne Iapicca was talking, but it wasn’t clear what he was saying.
    The next message was Susan again. She sounded even more upset. The time stamp on the message showed it was only a few seconds after the first call.
    The third message she was practically screaming into the phone. Something was definitely wrong. And not hearing from Donne was adding to her stress. She was worried about him. And now he was worried about her.
    Somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind, he realized that before this week he hadn’t been worried about a family member in a long time.
    He hung up the phone and turned to Iapicca. The cop’s eyes were on the road as he flipped his own cell phone closed.
    “Forget New Brunswick,” Donne said. “Can you take me to Upper Mountain Road? Something’s wrong with my sister.”
    “No can do. You’re coming with me.”
    “What?”
    “That was a call from a cop I know in Clifton. He said they have the gun.”
    “What gun?”
    “They think it’s the one that killed your aunt and uncle.”
    Jesus Christ.
    “I have to call my sister.”
    “Do what you gotta do. It’s ten minutes to Clifton, easy.”
    Iapicca reached under the seat of his car and pulled out a red light. He plugged it into the cigarette lighter and it started to flash. Then he rolled his window down and stuck the light to the roof.
    He blew through the intersection.
     
CHAPTER 16
     
    SUSAN OPENED HER EYES AND THE WORLD CAME into focus. She saw clouds, the sun shining, and felt the heat on her face. She could still hear the traffic and knew the world was still moving around her. The nurse who had helped her mother stood above Susan with a clear bottle. Susan wondered if the nurse had gone back inside to get it. How long had she been out? It couldn’t have been too long. They wouldn’t have just left her out in the street.
    “Sit up,” the nurse said. “Have a sip of water.”
    Susan felt her stomach give out. She turned her head and threw up. Vomit splattered on her clothes. She really felt the summer heat as she puked. Along with the embarrassment of getting sick in front of the nurse. By the time she was finished, her throat was raw and her mouth tasted sour.
    The nurse gave her a sympathetic smile.
    “Okay,” she said. “Now try some water.”
    Susan took the bottle of Poland Spring the nurse offered. For the first time, Susan saw the nurse’s name tag. It said, “Bernadette.”
    After sipping the water, feeling the cool liquid wash the taste from her mouth and