Do No Harm

He moved through his remarks on autopilot. At one point, the room filled with laughter, and he was momentarily nervous before realizing he'd delivered a stock joke. Diane came in about halfway through and sat in the back.

As soon as he finished, she headed out with one of the new residents, a tall, striking brunette. David had to walk at a fast clip to catch her in the parking structure nearby. Diane was climbing into the passenger side of a red VW, the other resident at the wheel. A soft rain was falling, more like a wet breeze.

"Excuse me, Dr. Trace."

Diane paused, half in the car. "Yes, Dr. Spier?"

"I wanted to talk to you more about… about the case this afternoon. Would you mind terribly if I gave you a ride home?"

She thought for a moment, chewing her bottom lip. "I guess that's fine." She leaned back down. "I'll see you tomorrow, Marcy."

The friend nodded and pulled out, and David returned her wave. "Where are you parked?" Diane asked.

He looked around the wide lot. "To be honest, I'm not sure."

She shook her head but did not comment. She waited patiently as he walked around the lot with the alarm button depressed on his key chain, pointing it in all directions. Finally he heard a blip somewhere behind him and followed the noise back to his Mercedes. He debated opening the door for her, but decided that would be inappropriate.

Aside from her occasional directions, they drove in complete silence to her apartment building on Chenault. He pulled over to the curb and they sat silently in the car, studying the faux walnut dash.

Diane said, "Let me get a word in edgewise, would you?"

"Look," David said. "It's been a very difficult past few days and, for me, past couple of years. Lately, I've been trying to figure out how it all fits together, where I am in all this. As foolish as it sounds, I don't think I've really known where I am for a good long time, and I've only recently started piecing that together. And then this whole shitstorm hit with the escape… " His voice trailed off and he realized he wasn't sure what he was saying. "You're right-I won't deny that I have certain feelings for you. But I'm not sure that those feelings are entirely appropriate."

"Feelings can't be inappropriate," Diane said.

"It's not that simple for me right now." He studied the steering wheel. "I'm afraid I'm a little lost."

She nodded once, slowly. "That's the first honest answer you've given me, so I'm gonna let you get away with it." Amusement flickered through her eyes. "For now."

"And I'm sorry I spoke to you so sharply."

"I'm sorry I was pushing you. That's not my place." She laughed. "Wow. Our first fight and we haven't even had sex. You really know how to cut right to the good stuff." Smiling, she put her hand on the door handle.

"So after all that, would it be entirely rude for me to tell you I think you're quite stunning?"

She considered. "Yes," she said.

"Okay," David said. "You're not stunning."

"You're not either."

David swerved out of his lane when he answered his ringing cell phone. He straightened the car and gave an embarrassed look around, but the road was empty.

Blake's raspy voice. "You paged me again?"

"Yes."

"Don't turn it into a habit."

"I'm looking into a few angles and if I… if I happened to locate the suspect and could bring him in or alert you, would you handle the arrest?"

Blake's laugh gave off a deep rattle. "Your planning didn't work out so hot last time."

"Would you?"

"Shit, yeah. I'll take the collar. And the book deal. TV movie. Talk-show circuit. This cop thing's only temporary. I really want to direct, you know."

"I'm serious."

"Well, shit, now that makes all the difference." A sigh. "Yes. I would handle the arrest-if you silver-platter it for me. But I can't interfere with an LAPD investigation without getting my ass in a serious sling. So short of you walking this guy in to me or giving me an exact location, save your quarter."

"All right. I just wanted to know who to contact if anything firm pans out."

"I'll be waiting with bated breath. Oh-and Doctor? Don't get yourself hurt."

David snapped the phone shut and laid it on the passenger seat. He turned off San Vicente, leaving behind the aisle of coral trees draped with nighttime mist, and threaded back through the quiet residential streets to his house. He cursed softly when he saw the flashing lights behind him.

He pulled over and waited, retrieving his registration from the glove box. A loud knocking at the window startled him upright. Jenkins. With a black metal flashlight. He'd hit the window so hard with the flashlight, David was surprised it hadn't cracked. Jenkins held the flashlight down near the lens, so the shaft could be snapped forward like a baton. Bronner appeared on the passenger side, his flashlight angled into David's eyes.

David took a moment before rolling down his window and then only rolled it down halfway. Without turning his head, he gazed into his rearview mirror, searching for other cars on the dark road. There were none.