That widened four eyes.
Bettina Bel Geddes said, “You know what? I’m out of here.” To Heck: “You are now officially on your own, moron.”
Heck licked his lips. “Okay, sorry, let’s back it up, Bett—”
“Uh-uh, you crossed the line, Brain-Death.”
She stomped out, slammed the door.
Michael Heck seemed to deflate. “Maybe I should leave, too.”
“Not your choice,” said Milo, “once we book you for all sorts of things.”
Heck’s face lost color. “Book me? C’mon, man, I’ve got no more guiltiness than I did before—okay, what can I do?”
“Bettina claimed she could help us, Mike. We assumed she meant you could help us.”
“Well,” said Heck. “It’s not like it’s…CSIor anything. Maybe it’s nothing. I can’t say for sure.”
Milo smiled. “Would you like something to drink? There’s a bigger room we can use. With coffee—or tea if that’s your thing. Or water or Coke.”
Heck scratched an arm, did the same with the other. “Sure. Let’s get out of here. I’ll take coffee.”
“Got some pastries, too.”
Heck touched his gut. “No way, I’d heave.”
“You never know, Mike. Sometimes the truth heals.”
Chapter
34
The big room. The size of the room caused Heck to stop outside the threshold. The setup made him hesitate longer.
The long table pushed to the wall. Leaving a triangle of three chairs in open space. No barrier between our two and his.
My suggestions.
Milo said, “Ditch the table to make him feel vulnerable, I like it. Wonder why we don’t do it more.”
—
Once inside, Heck sat and accepted a cup of coffee but didn’t drink it. With nowhere to put it, he passed it from hand to hand, finally set it on the floor.
Milo said, “Tummy still off?”
Heck grimaced. “I’ll be okay.”
Milo said, “Don’t want you to kick it over,” retrieved the cup, and brought it back to the urn. “You change your mind, Mike, you know where it is.”
He sat back down, stretched, smiled.
Heck licked his lips. Rubbed his arm and tapped his feet and waited for Milo to speak.
He didn’t.
I said, “So how long have you known Bettina, Mike?”
