Page 81 of The New Year's Party
“Smoking’s not good for your health,” says Officer Jones, joining me from the side with her arms crossed over her coat. I’ve been so consumed in the scene before me, I didn’t even notice her approaching.
“Neither is murder,” I say. She doesn’t laugh. Good, because for once I wasn’t trying to be funny.
“We’ll be in touch if we have any further questions, Mr. Kristos,” she says.
“Excellent.” I take comfort in the casual sound of my own voice. “And I’ll be in touch ifIhave any more questions.” When the dark moods come, it helps to appear unfazed. Above it all. Then, you can kind of trick yourself into believing what other people see.
“I’m sure you will,” says Jones with a lifted eyebrow.
“Hey, Officer...” I exhale a cloud of smoke to the side before facing Jones again. I’m glad she stopped by one more time. I like to think she was inexplicably drawn to me. She’s the kind of woman I might have approached at a bar, under different circumstances, and it’s pleasant to think the feeling might be mutual. “If Doug didn’tactuallydo it—what happens then? Just curious. Procedurally speaking.”
“What exactly are you getting at, Mr. Kristos? Speak plainly. It’s late.”
I give her a half grin.
I could tell her I think they got the wrong guy.
But that would be unsportsmanlike. After all, however cute she is, it’s us against them. I don’t make the rules. Neither do they, in all fairness. They’re merely the enforcers. The umpires in the war between the rule of self and the rule of law.
“Just idle talk, I suppose,” I say. The buzz of flirting is quickly fading. We’re like pawns crossing on a chessboard, Officer Jones and I. Opposing colors, momentarily side by side. Not in attack position, at least not on this round. But next time...
Officer Jones gives me one last look. “Have a good night, Mr. Kristos. And if I ever happen to pull you over in town, I will be searching your car.”
“Duly noted.” I add an ironic salute.
On the front stoop, Phelps is just pulling out of a hug with Bunny. Our brave host looks at least ten years older than he did at the beginning of the night. I flick ash off the tip of my cigarette and feel the dark mood again, flickering at the corners of my vision like a hungry shadow, waiting to pounce.
Bunny is the first to drive away. Bennett and Olivia exit the house shortly after, Olivia now in sweats instead of the sexy yellow dress. I watch them conference with Phelps. I’d give an arm and a leg to hearthatconversation. It goes on forquite a long time, so I light a second cigarette. Phelps does a lot of running his hand through his hair. Bennett’s arms remain crossed over his chest, as do Olivia’s. Finally, Olivia gives Phelps a stiff nod. Then she and Bennett spend some time talking with Will. Bennett thumps Will’s shoulder, and Olivia kisses him on the cheek. Olivia and Bennett drive away. It’s satisfying, like watching the conclusion of the play, if the play was a silent movie without subtitles and you had no idea what the fuck was actually happening.
As Will walks to his car, I shout, “Hey, man! You’re not driving back to Indy tonight, are you?”
“I am,” he shouts back. Then he ducks into his car.
Phelps hugs Hellie on the front stoop for quite a while. Iwatch her head nodding, then pausing, then nodding again in his embrace. She drives away after that with a small wave in my direction, which I reciprocate. Then Phelps goes back inside and Allie emerges, her cute dress now concealed by a heavy coat. She makes it halfway down the walk, then stops and gets busy on her phone.
The ambulance is just pulling away.
“Hey!” I call, beckoning Allie over. “Breaking the story to TikTok?”
“Texting a friend.”
“Want a smoke before you split?”
She hesitates. “Actually... why not.”
She walks over, her heels striking like little mallets against the cement. I light her cigarette with the dying stub of mine. She inhales slowly, eyes closed, her cheeks hollowing. An aggressive suck, on the scale of sucks.
“So... not the kind of party you probably expected,” I offer.
She snorts, smoke billowing from her nostrils.
Time for my shot in the dark. Because, c’mon, here’s the outsider who had no reason to be here, and she just happens tojoin the group on the night of a murder. And maybe it’s just the chaos of the universe at work. But what can I say? It feels soothing to imagine there’s an actual reason for her presence. That she wasn’t just some side character whose name no one will remember.
“Doug Pfluger isn’t a stellar person,” I say as I light up another for myself. “So I don’t think anyone has to feelbadabout the fact that he’s getting put away for this.”
Allie looks straight at me.
“Do you... know what I mean?” I give her a significant look, on the scale of looks. Then I wait for a telltale flicker of emotion, but her face might as well be stone.
