Backtracker (42 page)

"
Well,
"
snorted Larry,
"
I don
'
t know if it adds up to
that
.
Maybe you oughtta
'
go back and recheck your arithmetic.
"

"
You
can
see the future,
"
declared Dave.
"
I
know
I
'
m right about you.
"

"
Huh,
"
grunted Larry.
"
If you already know you
'
re right, then why are you bothering to tell me all this?
"

"
Because I want you to admit it
!
"
flung Dave.
"
Because I need to understand.
"

"
You mean you want to know your
own
future, right?
"

"
No
!
"
Dave snapped hotly.
"
I just want to
understand
!
I want to know why you
'
ve done the things you have!
"

"
Like what
?
"
smirked Larry.

"
Why did you send me to help Boris? Why didn
'
t you talk him out of suicide yourself? Why didn
'
t you save Ernie
'
s parents? Why didn
'
t you stop Mr. Martin from killing himself?
"
Aflame, Dave opened the floodgates, let the questions rush out of him in a torrent; they had been pent
-
up within him for so long that they exploded from his lips, burst forth in a sudden release.
"
If you didn
'
t want anybody to know what you could do, then
why
did you drop hints about what was going to happen? Why did you give any clues at
all
,
huh?
"

"
What
clues
?
"
shrugged Larry, smiling innocently.

"
Listen
!
"
shot Dave, desperation mingled with zealousness in his voice.
"
I
know
you don
'
t want people to know what you can do! I can
see
why you wouldn
'
t want everyone to know that you can see the future...but I
swear
that I won
'
t
tell
anyone about this! If you
'
ll just
explain
it to me, Larry, I
swear
I
'
ll keep it secret!
"

"
What if there
'
s nothing to explain
?
"
asked Larry.
"
Do you want me to just make up a story so you
'
ll go away happy?
"

"
I want you to tell me the
truth
,
"
hurled Dave.
"
No more
lies
,
Larry! You
'
ve been lying and covering up ever since you got to town, and
this
time, I want the truth.
"

Smiling, Larry slowly shook his head, reached back to scratch the nape of his neck. For a long moment, he said nothing, just looked smug and bemused.

Waiting for a response, Dave watched the guy; he wondered if Larry was going to confide in him or if he would simply brush aside the inquiry. Thus far, Larry
hadn
'
t
been very helpful, had evaded and deflected, tried to occlude and confuse...and yet, Dave still held out hope that the enigma would deign to enlighten him.

With a clap of his hands, Larry ended his reverie.
"
Okay,
"
he said cheerfully, pushing away from the table.
"
Okay, buddy.
"

"
Okay what
?
"
Dave asked hopefully.

"
Okay,
"
grinned Larry, strolling past him.
"
You can go now. You said if we went upstairs and talked, you wouldn
'
t give that
video
to the cops...so we came upstairs and we talked. I did what you asked, so now you can go. Show
'
s over.
"

"
What
?
"
blurted Dave.

"
I said
'
show
'
s over,
'"
lobbed Larry.
"
We made a deal, and I held up
my
end of it. I talked to you, and now I can get some sleep.
"
Grinning with mock gallantry, Larry bowed beside the doorway and waved for Dave to exit.

Dave was dumbfounded. After all the things that
he'd
said, the powerful argument that
he'd
presented, he was still being stonewalled; Larry was still trying to shield himself, this time by extricating Dave from the premises.

Dave knew that he
couldn
'
t
leave yet; he
couldn
'
t
go while all his questions remained unanswered. Though Larry might decide to forcibly remove him, he would have to try to stand his ground. The
"
show
"
wouldn
'
t
be over until he decided that it was...or until Larry Smith battered him unconscious and pitched him down the stairs.

"
No,
"
Dave said quietly, firmly.
"
We
'
re not done yet. You haven
'
t told me a damn thing.
"

"
Aw, c
'
mon,
"
sighed Larry.
"
We had a deal! You told me you wouldn
'
t harass me anymore if we went upstairs this one time and talked!
"

"
Quit trying to put words in my mouth,
"
said Dave.
"
There wasn
'
t any deal...just a promise. I promised that if you wouldn
'
t talk to me in private, I would go straight to the cops and give them the
video
. Now, I
'
m making
another
promise: if you don
'
t cut the bullshit and give me some straight answers, I
'
m
still
going to take that
video
to the police.
"

"
Now look,
"
Larry said severely.
"
I
'
m trying to be a nice guy here, but I
'
ve about had it. I
'
ve listened to everything you had to say, and I think I
'
ve been pretty damn patient, but enough is enough.
"

"
I
will
go to the cops,
"
Dave stated emphatically.
"
If you make me leave, I
swear
I
'
ll do everything I
can
to make your life miserable.
"

"
Maybe I oughtta
'
call the cops on
you
,
"
suggested Larry.
"
Maybe I should have them haul your ass outta
'
here for trespassing and harassment.
"

"
Talk
to me
!
"
snapped Dave, angry and desperate.
"
Just
talk
to me!
Explain
things!
"

"
I
'
m done talking,
"
Larry said grimly.
"
Show
'
s over, kid.
"

"
Damnit
!
"
exploded Dave, and then he spun away from Larry and stalked to the window.
"
I
'
m
sick
of this! All you ever
do
is give me the
runaround
,
and I
'
m
sick
of it!
"
In a fit of fury and frustration, he plunged his fists against the windowsill.
"
This is such
bullshit
!
I already
know
what you can do! I already know!
Why
can
'
t you just
tell
me about it?
"

There was no response from Larry.

"
Shit
!
"
ranted Dave, again beating the sill.
"
Al
l you do is play head games!
You talk about stuff, and it comes true, and then you try to tell me you never said anything
about
it! You drag me into the woods just in time to save my friend
'
s
life
, and then you tell me it was just a lucky
guess
!
Damnit!
"
Engulfed in an angry storm, Dave felt like ramming a fist right through the window; he wanted to break something, break anything, release the tidal swell of emotion that churned within him.
"
What kind of
idiot
do you think I
am
,
that I can
'
t figure it out? After all the stuff that
'
s happened, how can you expect me to believe your lies?
"

Still, Larry Smith said nothing.

"
I deserve an explanation
!
"
flung Dave.
"
The parents of one of my best friends
died
!
My
boss
died!
I
deserve
to know why you didn
'
t
save
them! I deserve to
know
!
"
Breathing rapidly, heart hammering, Dave stopped his tirade; his head slumped forward and pressed against the cold window
-
pane.

At that moment, he heard an unexpected sound. His head popped away from the window, and for an instant, he doubted that
he'd
heard correctly.

Behind him, the door had closed; surprisingly,
he'd
heard it click shut.

The door had closed.

Hastily, he spun around. He saw Larry standing there, by the door, arms folded over his broad chest. The guy
'
s expression was solemn; his eyes were cold, his lips drawn in a tight line.

"
Ever since I can remember,
"
Larry said slowly,
"
I
'
ve had these...flashes...pictures in my mind.
"

Dave caught his breath. He could hardly believe what he was hearing.

At long last, Larry Smith was going to tell him the story.

At long last, the story.

Incredulously, Dave listened.