NYPD Red 4 by James Patterson Page B

bandage around Teddy’s waist.
    “A diamond necklace.”
    “I can’t believe it. You robbed a jewelry store?”
    “No,” Teddy said, his head down. “A limo. There was this actress in the back, and Jeremy knew she’d be wearing this expensive necklace, and—”
    “Oh my God. Elena Travers?”
    Teddy didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.
    “You killed Elena Travers?” Annie said.
    “I didn’t shoot her, Ma. Honest. Raymond did.”
    “But you had a gun.”
    “Yeah.”
    “And what’s the one cardinal rule that your father taught you?”
    “No guns.”
    “And now that poor actress is dead, and you’re facing life in prison. Who is this Jeremy, anyway? What’s his last name?”
    “I don’t know. Raymond did all the up-front work. Tonight was the first time I saw him. He was supposed to give us ninety thousand for the necklace, but Raymond didn’t trust him, so when Jeremy shows up, Raymond tells him we’re not giving him the necklace until he hands over his gun.”
    “And of course he did,” Annie said. “No arguments.”
    “Right. So then I go and get the necklace and put it on the coffee table.”
    “And just like that,” Annie said, “Jeremy pulls out a second gun that he had tucked in the back of his pants.”
    “It was an ankle holster. He drilled Raymond right between the eyes. He turned on me, and I head-butted him just as he pulled the trigger. He went down hard, and I ran for my life.”
    “The cops will be looking for you. Sooner or later, they’re going to be knocking on my door. You can’t stay here.”
    “Ma, I’ve got no place else to go.”
    “I’m cat-sitting for the couple next door while they’re on a cruise. You can stay there for the next ten days.”
    She taped down the ends of the ACE bandage. Then she picked up his shirt and helped him into it. “You can put your pants on by yourself,” she said.
    Teddy stepped into his jeans, buttoned the fly, and cinched the belt. “Hey, Ma,” he said, digging his hand into his pocket. “I brought you a present.”
    He pulled out the diamond and emerald necklace and handed it to her.
    “Oh my God,” she said. “Teddy, it’s…it’s exquisite. I thought Jeremy took this.”
    “He did, but when I knocked him down, he hit his head. He was kind of groggy, so I figured I’d grab the necklace while I could, and maybe one day you and me could find a buyer on our own.”
    Annie Ryder stood there, watching the light refract off the eight million dollars’ worth of stolen jewelry in the palm of her hand. At first she was dumbfounded, unable to speak. And then she found the words that always brought joy to the face of her slow-witted but good-natured son.
    “Smart thinking, kiddo.”

CHAPTER 26
    I opened the door to my apartment. It was pitch-black. I’m from the school of “I’ll leave a light on in the window for you,” so this was not a good sign. I tapped the switch on the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. Cheryl’s purse, keys, and department ID were sitting on the hall table.
    I made my way to the dining room, flipped on a light, and there it sat: the romantic dinner for two was exactly where it was when I walked out. Still on the table, untouched, and, by now, incredibly unromantic.
    I didn’t have to wonder how Cheryl felt. Nothing says “You’re not getting laid tonight” like cold clotted lasagna and rock-hard garlic bread.
    But in case I had any doubts, the bedroom door was shut, and my blanket and pillow had been dumped on the sofa.
    I carried the perfect dinner out to the incinerator room, cleaned the kitchen, then tossed and turned on the sofa until five forty-five. The bedroom door was still shut, and I knew I’d be smarter to leave and shower at the precinct.
    But first I stopped at the diner to talk to my therapist.
    “The doctor is in,” Gerri said, bringing me coffee and a bagel, then sliding into the booth across from me. “What the hell did you do wrong now?”
    “That’s the thing,” I