Page 51 of The Accomplice
Panting for breath, she let me hold her. Physical contact was not easy for Bloch. But right now, with her blood up, either she didn’t notice, or her engine was running too fast to feel it.
Gradually, her breathing deepened and the pace slowed.
I relaxed my grip, slightly. Just enough to test whether she would break free and start pounding the wall again. She didn’t. I released her, stood back.
Grabbing a handful of paper towels, Denise ran cold water over them and stood, cleaning first Bloch’s bloodied knuckles, and then, with great care, she dabbed at the powder covering her face.
A tear had ridden through the layer of dust on her left cheek, leaving a deep track in relief, like a scar.
Denise wiped it away, and then the two women embraced.
‘What the hell is going on ?’ said Denise.
‘The Sandman has Kate. You can’t tell anyone. Not the cops, nobody. He says if we don’t get an acquittal for his wife, he’s going to kill Kate.’
Shutting her eyes tight, she held Bloch close, whispered something to her.
Bloch nodded and they parted. Bloch sniffed once, said, ‘I have to meet Lake. I’ll call you from the car,’ and left.
Harry stood in the doorway, said, ‘Bloch’s gone. Is she okay ?’
I shook my head.
‘I didn’t think so. Goddamn it. What are we going to do ? We have to tell the cops.’
‘No, he’ll kill her,’ I said.
‘So, whatarewe going to do ?’
I raised my hand to wipe the sweat out of my eyes and noticed my fingers were trembling, and it wasn’t from the exertion of holding Bloch. My nerves were shot to shit. I couldn’t think.
Tile fragments cracked underfoot as Denise went back to the sink, ran more water over fresh towels and gave one to me and one to Harry. She leaned on the stall, folded her arms, and dabbed at the tears streaking her mascara.
‘This isn’t a law firm,’ said Denise. ‘I worked in law firms all my life. This, right here, this is afamily. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to Kate. What the hell are we going to do ?’
Harry and I stared at each other.
Finally, Harry said, ‘Looks like we don’t have a choice.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
BLOCH
In Bloch’s line of work getting a few cuts and bruises was something she accepted. It was common enough, and she had bandages in her glove box. Sitting in traffic, she wrapped up both knuckles. Blood still seeped through the cut on her right hand, but it wasn’t too bad. It would do for now. She wasn’t used to displays of emotion, or anger. It took something out of her, but she had never been in a situation where her best friend was in real danger. For Bloch, these were uncharted waters. She needed to keep her cool. Keep her head – so she could use it.
Waving at her from the sidewalk, Lake approached Bloch’s Jeep as she pulled up at the curb and buzzed down the passenger window.
‘Get in,’ she said.
‘But we’re right here. This is the Nielsens’ street.’
‘Get in. We need to go somewhere else first.’
He hesitated, but only for a moment, then got in beside her and put on his seat belt.
‘What I’m about to tell you goes no further,’ said Bloch, gunning the engine as she pulled out. ‘If the cops or the feds find out about this, I’ll know it came from you. And then I’ll hurt you. Do you understand ?’ she asked.
‘What’s wrong ?’
