Jackknifed

"Max, maybe you don't understand me. We're foes. We'll fight. One of us will be the victor. One of us will be vanquished. But I don't gratuitously hurt others. I grant you DaVanna's a bit twisted and I let her have her petty revenge. But now it's time to end this pointless sideshow."

"How are you going to do that?" I asked.

"Your pretty young thing Sky is going to find out that Chuck is Charles Andrew Beasley. He's serving three consecutive life sentences for murder at a supermax in Youngstown. I'm going to make sure he confesses to Andrea's murder. You and I know he did it. His confession will clear the books."

"I'm confused," I said. "Why would you do that for Alessandra?" I couldn't see how Lily could be advantaged by helping my good friend.

"Even people like me who run on the wrong side of the tracks have a code. Pinning a murder on an innocent person offends me."

So Lily did have an innate sense of justice. How ironic.

"And DaVanna?"

"I'll deal with her," she said dismissively. It was clear who the alpha was in that relationship.

I'd never thought I'd say this to her.

"Thank you Lily."

Her message was delivered. And received gratefully. I didn't trust myself to stay a minute longer with her. If I did, I might spend the rest of the afternoon with her and I couldn't justify that to myself. I pivoted in my seat to get out.

"And Max, happy birthday," she said to me when my back was turned to her.

My birthday wasn't for six months. I turned back around to face her. "It's not my..." I started to say, then stopped when I saw what she'd put in my hand.

She had handed me a plastic storage bag with a bloodied jackknife in it.

"Like I said, happy birthday Max." A smile curled up on her ruby red lips. I wanted to kiss them.

"Goodbye Max, but not farewell," she said.

Jasmine was there to open the door for me.

I got out of the car holding the very object I'd been seeking, stunned at the turn of events. Lily was full of surprises, both good and bad. I waited by the curb, watching Jasmine get back into the car. The silver chariot roared to life, carrying my seductive, mysterious, devious (and sometimes wonderful) adversary into the flow of traffic and beyond until it disappeared into the horizon.

* * *

"Where's lunch?" said Lesley, noting I came back without the usual takeout sack full of fried chicken.

I reached into my inside jacket pocket and pulled out the plastic bag with the jackknife in it and placed it in her hand.

"How did you get this?" she asked, her face showing amazement.

"Lily gave it to me as an early birthday present, along with a guarantee that Chuck, who by the way is Charles Beasley, will make a full confession to the murder."

"Your birthday isn't for another six months."

"Did you want me to give it back?"

"Fuck no. This will absolve Alessandra," she said gleefully.

Then she thought for a moment.

"Why?" she asked.

"Lesley, sometimes you don't look a gift horse in the mouth. It was Lily's sense of justice."

"Justice?"

"I guess even criminals have a code."

"I don't know what to make of her," she said, looking at the knife and hefting it in her hand.

"It's what makes it worth waking up in the morning."

"I'm calling Alessandra right now," said Lesley, pulling out her phone.

"I think I'm going to find Sky. It's time to celebrate."

"Max... it's only one."

"It's five somewhere," I said. "Take the knife to the evidence room and then go see your girlfriend."

"I owe you Max."

"I'll put it on your tab partner."

* * *

Max, Lesley, Sky and the rest of the crew will return.