Hostage

Quickly, Talley says, 'I'll find you in the coffee shop.'

Nurse Whitehall cocks her head, clearly wondering what Consuelo means.

'Were you with him when the pit bull attacked?'

'That what he told you happened to his hand?'

Talley feels the flush creep up his neck. He meets Consuelo's eyes with a silent plea for help.

'Yeah, Consuelo was there. When we collared the rapist in Venice.'

Consuelo bursts out laughing, spraying peanuts and caramel all over the gurney.

'A rapist? A pit bull? Jesus, lady, this dumb putz slammed his finger in the car door.'

Consuelo walks away, gurgling his smoker's laugh.

Talley wants to crawl under the gurney and disappear. When he looks at Nurse Whitehall again, she is staring at him.

Talley shrugs, trying to make a joke.

'I thought it was worth the shot.'

'That really how you hurt your hand, you caught it in a car door?'

'Not very heroic, is it?'

'No.'

'Well, there you go.'

Nurse Whitehall walks three steps away, stops, turns back, and looks at him with an expression of profound confusion.

"I must be out of my mind.'

She kisses him just as two doctors and another nurse step off the elevator. Talley pulls her close, kissing her deeply, just as he does again that night after their date at the Police Academy 's Rod and Gun Club, and every night thereafter. From the instant he sees the warmth in her eyes, Jeff Talley is in love.

Three months and one day later, they marry.

TALLEY

Talley felt embarrassed and angry with himself. He had been so consumed that he had forgotten about Jane and Amanda. He checked the charge on his cell phone battery, then pocketed the phone and joined them.

Amanda looked like her mother: Both were short, though Amanda was a bit taller, and both were thin. They shared what Talley felt was their most telling feature: Faces so expressive that they were open doors to their hearts. Talley had always been able to see whatever Jane felt; in the beginning when the feelings were good, this was good; but toward the end, the open reflections of pain and confusion added to a load he found impossible to bear.

Talley kissed his daughter, who was as responsive as a wet towel.

'Sarah told us that there are men with guns barricaded in a house! Where are they?'

Talley pointed toward the cul-de-sac.

'Just around the corner and up that street. You see the helicopters?'

The helicopters made it hard to hear.

Amanda's eyes were wide and excited as she looked around at the police cars, but Jane looked drawn with dark rings circling her eyes. Talley thought that his wife looked tired. He felt a stab of guilt and shame.

'You been working overtime?'

'Not so much. Two nights a week.'

'You look tired.'

'Does it make me look older, too?'

'Jesus, Jane, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry.'

She closed her eyes and nodded, her expression saying that they were covering familiar ground.

Rather than stand outside, Talley brought them into the house. Mrs. Peña's kitchen was filled with the rich smells of brewing coffee and cheese enchiladas. She had put out pitchers of water and cans of soft drinks, insisting that the officers help themselves, and now she was cooking.

Talley introduced Jane and Amanda to Mrs. Peña, then led them into the family room. The big television was playing live coverage of the scene. Amanda went to the television.

'Sarah said they have hostages.'

'They have a father and two children. We think that's all, but we don't know. One of the kids is a girl. About your age.'

'This is so cool. Can we go see the house?'

'No, we can't go up there.'

'But you're the chief of police. Why not?'

Jane said, 'It's a crime scene, Mandy. It's dangerous.'

Talley turned to his wife.

'I should've called, Jane. This thing broke just after we spoke, then everything was happening so fast that I didn't even think of it. I'm sorry.'

Jane touched his arm.

'How are you doing?'

'I think the guy's going to come around. I've been on the phone with him, he's scared, but he's not suicidal.'

'I'm not asking about the situation, Chief. I mean you.'

She glanced at her hand on his arm, then looked up at him again.

'You're shaking.'

Talley stepped away just enough so that her hand fell.

He glanced past her at the big television. He could see Jorgenson hunkered behind his radio car.

'The Sheriffs are taking over as soon as they get here.'

'But they're not here. You are. I know what this does to you.'

'They'll be here when they get here. I'm the chief of police, Jane. That's it.'

She stared at him the way she did when she was looking for meaning beyond his words. It used to infuriate him. Where Jane's face was a mirror to every emotion she felt, his face was flat and plain and revealed nothing. She had often accused him of wearing a mask, and he had never been able to explain that it wasn't a mask. It was a tightly held control that kept him from falling apart.

He looked away again. It hurt to see her concern.

'All right, Jeff. I'm just worried about you, is all.'

Talley nodded.