Free Tiger by William Richter

it if she could help Kyle and make up for the damage she’d done.
    But he was still hesitating.
    â€œHey, Kyle?”
    â€œYeah?” He looked up at her, a pained look on his face as he struggled with the decision.
    â€œDon’t be an idiot.” She cracked a little smile.
    He smiled a little in return.
    â€œDeal,” he said. “For real, I’ll be happy to have company. I’m actually a little nervous about what I might find up there.”
    Wally liked hearing this—the fact that he was feeling doubt meant he was capable of being realistic.
    â€œThat’s a good way to start,” she said.

    Thinking about the road trip ahead, Wally felt an unexpected spike of excitement, as if an adventure was something she’d been craving all along without knowing it. She hadn’t left the city even once in five months—not since Shelter Island—and suddenly the idea of escape was intoxicating.
    She would have to lay a little groundwork first. Wally went inside and picked up her cell, dialing Lewis at the Society number. At some point, Wally would bring him up to speed on what was going on with Kyle, but now wasn’t the time—he would disapprove of almost every step she’d taken so far, especially her decision to bring a client home with her.
    â€œWhat is it, Wally? You’re late.”
    â€œIf it’s okay, Lewis, I need a couple of personal days.”
    â€œI understand. I thought you might experience some emotional blowback after your encounter with the young man . . . what was his name? Kyle?”
    â€œYeah, Kyle. It’ll only be a day or two. . . . ” she said, feeling slightly shitty for not being honest. Wally sat down on one of her desk chairs as she waited for Lewis’s response, tapping her heel on the floor anxiously like a delinquent schoolgirl waiting outside a principal’s office.
    â€œTake your time away,” Lewis finally said with an impatient sigh, “but you’ll have to toughen up in the future. We deal with failure every day, but we just keep working.”
    His tone was a little patronizing, and it bugged Wally enough that she almost told him that she already was working a case, with or without his approval. Almost .
    â€œI know you’re right,” she said instead. “Thanks for understanding. I’ll see you in a few days.”
    Wally went back inside and threw a few things into her messenger bag as Kyle stood by waiting, then grabbed a light jacket. She was ready.
    â€œOne quick stop,” she told Kyle as they locked up her apartment.
    They walked down one flight together, and Kyle hung back as Wally knocked on January and Bea’s door. It was January who answered, wearing pajamas with her hair up in a ponytail and a green tea deep-cleansing mask spread all over her face.
    â€œWhat up, Stoneman?”
    â€œDo me a favor and check on Tevin?” Wally asked, passing her friend a spare key to her apartment. “I’ll be gone for just a couple days, but if you could give him some frozen fish once or twice, that’d be great.”
    â€œOkay, but where—” January caught sight of Kyle, hanging back by the staircase. She leaned in close to Wally to whisper in her ear excitedly. “ You slut! ”
    â€œI’ll check in if I can,” Wally said, glaring at January to make her behave.

8 .
    â€œDon’t bother, girlfriend. The snapper will be fine.”

    THEY RENTED A CAR IN BROOKLYN, USING A CREDIT card with Lewis’s name on it that she was only supposed to use for Ursula Society business. Wally had no reason to think that Richard Townsend’s security men had identified her yet, but they would eventually and she didn’t want any transactions on her personal account that might help them find her—or Kyle.
    As the two of them surveyed the menu of available cars, Wally noticed that one was a Lincoln Town Car—in white. It