Page 153 of A Matter of Time

“I called the police for you.”

“I know you did, buddy, and I—we all appreciate it, but⁠—”

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

“Jory…listen…you’re in shock, aren’t ya?”

“What? Why?”

He sighed deeply. “Jory, you saved all our lives. God knows what would’ve happened if you hadn’t done what you did. But you got them away from everybody and…and shit. First, you called for backup like a fuckin’ pro and got every single one of those fuckers arrested. That was amazing, and you…you need to let Sammy and me come get you so we can get you back to his place.”

“I don’t think that’s gonna work.”

“Why not?”

“It just won’t.”

“Well then, we’ll put you in a safe house where⁠—”

“No. None of that works for me.”

“You can’t run, Jory, we need⁠—”

“I’m not going anywhere, you know that. I have always said I would testify, and I will keep to that promise. I just—oh, sorry, I gotta let you go, I’m getting a call from Dane.”

“No, no, wait, I⁠—”

But I hung up on him and answered the call from my boss. “Hey.”

“That is an Armand house. How in the world does someone on a policeman’s sal⁠—”

“I can’t talk now.”

“Why not?”

“I’m kind of in trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“You’d never believe me.”

“Oh, I’m sure I would believe you. Are you still at the detective’s friend’s house?”

“No.”

“Then where are you?”

“I’m on my way home.”

“And where were you? Tell me.”

So I explained about the Hummer and the bullets in it and how I had been driving it around before I left it at Sam’s. When I finished there was only silence on his end. “Dane?”

“Are you kidding?”

“No.”

He cleared his throat. “I’m at the Valentine Lounge downtown. I want you here in twenty minutes.”