“Of course not,” Kucharski said equably.“Five minutes is allI’ll need.”
The nurse left the room, and Christine Foster let go of asnorting chuckle.“For God’s sake, John.I supposeI’mallowed tostay?”
“If you’re good.”Kucharski dropped his formal manner.Lauriewas watching him in apprehension, and Sasha, well attuned now tothe shifting sounds of the ECG, gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.“I’m sorry, Agent Kucharski,” Sasha said.“We know there’ll bethings we need to talk to you about, but Laurie really isn’t wellenough to—”
“I haven’t come here to interrogate the poor lad.I just wantedto clap eyes on him.He looks much better with a pulse, doesn’t he?Oh, and to tell him about his car.”
Sashaand Laurie exchanged a glance.Neither had spared the Merc athought since putting her to such dire use in the Birchwood night.“My car?”Laurie echoed uneasily.“Is it about the fine for using aresident’s permit?Because I meant to sort that out before I left,but...”
“We’ve dealt with that, plus your outstanding penalties for thecongestion zone.Pay your own dues in future, please.But what Imeant to say was, if we requisition a vehicle, we’re obliged torepair or reimburse.Our mechanics said the back seat was beyondrepair—cream leather shows every little mark—so they’ve sourced areplacement and fitted it.Oh, and they refilled and sprayed thatkey mark down the side, nice a job as someone had done with waxcrayon.”
“That seems...almost too generous.Thank you.”
“Well, maybe we wouldn’t have gone to such lengths forwitnesses who hadn’t helped put down a gang of Romanian warlords.We apprehended the rest of Stefan Petrica’s men on their way out ofBirchwood.We will need your testimony in due course, but...”Kucharski sobered.“In the meantime, Sasha, I’m sorry about yourfather.I know Romani culture values a man according to who he is,not what he’s done.”
“I’m not wholly of that culture.”Sasha hadn’t had time toprocess his memories of the showdown by candlelight in the deepwoods, but every time he thought of Stefan now, all he felt was adizzying sense of freedom.“I did feel that way.Not anymore.”
Kucharski surveyed him and Laurie.“Good,” he said.“Thatkind of loyalty deserves a better object.”
“What about...”Sasha hesitated.He had wanted to be alone withLaurie before he opened this box, somewhere peaceful and safe whereLaurie could find his own way of telling him the truth he alreadyknew.He lifted the lid just a crack, a huge ache of sorrow passingthrough him.“The woman who was with you, Elizabeth.What happenedto her?”
“I’m afraid we lost her trail.I don’t anticipate picking it upagain.”Kucharski assumed the sphinx-like look that had presumablyserved him so well among the Romanian warlords.“If we ever did, ofcourse, she’d receive our protection.”
“Even if she didn’t...if she couldn’t act as awitness?”
“Yes.Even then.”
“Thank you.”
Kucharski nodded.Then he glanced at Christine Foster andbrightened.“Well, we must let your other visitors get back tomauling you to death, Laurie.I just wanted to tell you both—anyfurther communications about this case will come from Agent Fosterhere.I won’t be available.”
“Are you going undercover again?”
“Are you kidding?No—our non-fraternisation rules make it hardfor us to get married, that’s all.So I’m retiring.”He looked insatisfaction at Foster, who had produced a deep and rosy blush.“I’ve been running around with a gun all my life.It took beingdead to make me realise what I was missing.”
***
Lateevening, and all the visitors gone.Laurie was sleeping.Thehospital room faced westward, and the light that filled it had astained-glass brilliance, shifting through shades of apricot, rubyand gold.Sasha knew this light had its own purpose and beauty.Heknew there was a whole planet out there, minding its business andwaging its wars, but all he could care about was how the world andits light dealt with the man beside him.Sasha understood and lovedthe copper glow because it burnished Laurie’s brow, caressed theinjured side of his face.He loved this sunset because Laurie wasalive in it, heart beating steadily in the holy light.
In themidst of this sanctity, Laurie surfaced, drawing a fearful breath.He sought Sasha’s eyes, the bronze light turning his own todeep-sea indigo.He said, as if carrying on a conversation fromjust a moment before, “But the birds, Sash.The mirrorbirds.”
Sashafrowned.He felt Laurie’s brow, but there was no trace of feverthere.He was due his evening meds, and his gaze was lucid, ifstill shadowed by his dreams.“Are you thinking about the chirilo,sweetheart?”The mirror was still by the bed: perhaps that washaunting him.Sasha set it face-down.“You don’t have to worryabout that.You don’t have to worry about anything atall.”
“I do.Because Kucharski was right—sometimes you do have todie.To realise what you’ve got.”
“You didn’t die.”Sasha smoothed back strands of his hair.“Stefan’s gone, and Clara’s fine, and even the big tough Interpolguys are getting married.”He smiled.“It’s a bloody fairytaleending, other than you getting shot.”
“That’s just it.The getting married part, I mean.Every time Ithink of it, I see the mirror birds.”
“Would you like to try and make sense for me?You don’t sounddelirious, but I’m more than willing to panic and hit thatbuzzer.”
“Please don’t.”Laurie struggled to sit up, and Sasha pressedhim back, found the remote control and raised the head of the bedfor him.“Thank you.I’m not delirious, Sash.I do want to explain.When Nicole told me what she’d done—that she’d filmed me withWesley, put it on the internet, sent it to the bloody papers—thatwas how I saw it.Millions of little birds made of glass shards,shooting out in all directions.And it wasn’t just that they weremade of glass, glass with sharp edges to...tear up anyone I loved.They were mirrors.I could see myself in them.Everything that washappening, all that pain—it was my fault.Just me.”
“That’s forgiven, Laurie.Didn’t I say so?”
“Yes.On the heath, right beside Mama Luna’s camp fire.And Ibelieved you, because...”
“Because it felt like she was still there, and I’d never havelied to her spirit.”Sasha laid a hand to Laurie’s chest, the placeover his heart where the electrode pad still recorded and confirmedhis existence.“Or to yours.What does it have to do with marriage,though?”
