into the DeGraffenreid case, or any of the other Navajo cases.”
Block shrugged as if it were no big deal. “So? Make him talk. Put the fear of a vengeful fucking God into him. You know how to do that shit. Look what you did to that poor commie bastard this morning.”
“Don’t be a goddamn moron. Frings is untouchable. He’d write about it in a second, and no matter how goddamn charming and innocent I act, half the people will believe it. So I did a couple of other things. You know Frings’s girl? Nora Aspen?”
“She’s a nice piece.”
“Feral’s got her.”
“No shit.” Block seemed to enjoy this news.
Henry nodded. “He pinched her from her apartment. Left a note for Frings to drop the case.”
“Has he?”
“Not yet. He may need her to suffer a little first. Let him know the gloves are off. I also sent Smith to have a chat.”
“I’m guessing that didn’t go over.”
“No. But he cut Frings a little. Gave him something to think about.”
“Well, don’t hurt that Aspen piece too much. Wouldn’t do too much good for the American male’s morale.”
Henry shook his head. “Another thing. Lena Prosnicki got out.”
“Christ almighty. How’d she do that?”
Henry frowned. “We’re looking into it. We’ve got no idea what she did once she escaped. One of the nurses noticed she was gone during bed check. Feral was busy, so I sent Smith after her and he took care of it.”
“Jesus, Red, there’s a lot of shit happening.”
Henry nodded, staring at the far wall.
“So what does Bernal have to do with any of this?”
“I don’t like that this is all happening right now. Doesn’t make sense to me that, like you said, it all happens at once like this. There’s always something, but in drips. This is a goddamn flood.”
“So what’re you going to do?”
Henry didn’t answer. He had a funny look about him. Block was about to ask again, then thought better of it.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
It was late, but she said she wanted a bath. Of course, without windows, she had no way to know the time. The drug-induced sleep would have contributed to her disorientation, as well. Feral had not foreseen this request—stupidly, he told himself—but it seemed reasonable enough. Still, it posed some logistical problems. He went through his bathroom and carefully removed anything that she could use to harm him or herself: razors, of course, and the rope that he used to hang laundry, scissors, all medicines, and matches. Even without these items, she could still drown herself. It was awkward. He drew her a warm bath.
She was in a robe when he let her out of her room. It was the first time that she had stepped foot in the rest of the apartment, though it was only to walk a few feet down a hallway. Her hair was up and she looked unkempt in a becoming sort of way. He paused at the open bathroom door and let her enter. She began to close the door, but he stopped it with his hand.
“You must leave the door open.”
“Are you going to watch me bathe?” she said with a pout. Was it a flirt? A taunt? A challenge? Whichever, it made him uneasy.
“No. I’ll sit in the hall, but I can’t let you shut the door. You could hurt yourself.”
She smiled. “Think I’d drown?”
Feral didn’t smile. “I don’t know.”
She gave him an indifferent shrug, turned, and without warning shed her robe. Feral looked away quickly and moved a step down the hall so that he could not see in, his heart pounding.
“The water is perfect,” she called out.
He wasn’t sure how to respond, so he said, “Do you see the soap?”
“Thank you.”
Feral stood silently in the hall, listening to the gentle sloshing of the water as she moved about in the tub. After a brief silence, he called out to her, “Is everything okay?”
“It’s lovely,” she said, sounding as if she meant it.
“There’s a towel on the sink when you’re done.” He kept his voice level but wanted to hear her again.
“Yes, I see it. Thank you.”
After a few more minutes he heard the sound of water displacement and then dripping as she got out of the tub. He heard the soft noise of towel against flesh as she dried herself. Feral stayed rooted to his spot in the hall.
She appeared in her robe, her hair wet and pulled back, her face shining. As she passed him in the hall, small beads of water dropped from her hair onto