Conversation · Titus Hardie

"Do you have any clues on where Ruby went?"

"She's not far. We know that much -- she didn't take her lorry. So she's on foot."

"Good fucking luck, man... She knows this place like the back of her hand. You'll never find her."

"Yeah, Al." He gives a sharp look. "And we won't either."

"She's not really a..." The man stares into his beer. "Hardie candidate anymore, is she?"

"She's not, Glen."

"Do you know what she's doing with Ulan frequencies?"

"The what now? I've no idea." He looks around. "Boys?"

"She said she's... building a..." His voice is very quiet. "A pale emitter."

"What?"

"We were talkin' about radio equipment. She said she's doing Ulan frequencies and a pale-something. I don't know more."

This guy barely understands what he's talking about.

"There you have it. Pale-something." Titus puts an end to it.

It feels like you'll get to know -- soon enough.

"Can you tell me where on the coast I should start looking?"

"Sure -- there are some shithouses there. A cinderblock town. The fisher-folk there refuse to unionise, so that's one place we haven't looked."

"I hear they have a shack where junkies sometimes crash. Time for you to step up."

"We will start there." The lieutenant takes a quick note. "One more question: what does Ruby look like?"

"Boyish. Hair's red, dyed. She looks like a lorryman."

"I'll start there. One more question: what does Ruby look like?"

"What was she scared of?"

"I told you -- you."

"Me, personally?"

"Yes -- you, the cop with the sideburns and the disco clothes."

And a hole in his heart. That first.

"I'm sorry. God, why does everything flee at the sight of my shadow?!"

"It seems you have that effect -- especially on women." He looks at you.

Right. That's the second one now who's trying to flee you.

"You know, when I first saw you limp in here I thought she was paranoid, or sniffing her own supply, but..." He measures you up. "Now I'm not so sure."

"She probably knew me from my singing days."

"Yeah, that's real funny. She wasn't laughing though." He looks at you.

"Don't forget the funny tie too."

"How can I forget." He nods at your tie.

You and I are going to dance in the moonlight under a billion stars.

"No wonder she's afraid. I have come to declare the ending of the Human Experiment."

"Sure. The human experiment. That's real funny." He looks at you without smiling.

"I have no idea why she'd be scared. I'm just a normal cop with regular thoughts in his head."

"Sure -- normal," he says without smiling.

"And the hole in his heart."

"Why not? You suck on that gun like someone tore you a brand new asshole."

"Why not?" He looks at your chest. "You look about ready to do something pretty crazy because some bird fucked you over."

"Me? As in the RCM?"

"No -- you. As in the cop with the sideburns and the disco clothes."

"When did she leave?"

"Friday afternoon. When you first arrived. I got word the RCM was in town, then she came in to see me. Told me she was leaving. That's when we had our little... conversation."

"It's not much, but it'll do." (Go!)

"It'll have to." He puts his hand out.

Shake it.

His grip is firm and reassuring. Like holding a piece of unpolished granite.

Not just granite -- tightly packed RCM sergeant material.

"You should be a cop, Titus."

"When are you gonna get it through your dumb head?" He scoffs. "I already am, I just wasn't sure you were."

And he still isn't. People aren't afraid of good cops in the way Ruby was afraid of you, he thinks, then turns back to his men.

"When are you gonna get it through your dumb head?" He scoffs. "I already am, I just wasn't sure you were."

Just think it.

No -- he already is a sergeant. That's what you're feeling. He just wasn't sure what you are.

You know, I don't usually do this -- I just measure things, but...

[Leave.]

"You said it would be nice to have a ballistics lab. Use ours -- turn this into a real police force."

"Like the RCM?" He lets go of your hand. "You're a real police force all right -- of the Wild Pines. Everyone around here knows that. So watch your ass out there."