Out of Sight

Buddy said, "Nothing else pending?"

"Nothing. How about if I go see Foley?"

"You don't want your name on the visitors list out there. Sit tight till you hear from me."

"You talk to him," Gle

I'd still like you guys to go in with me. You think you might be interested?"

Buddy didn't comment right out and say if they would or not.

Gle

Right here.

Twenty minutes with the Audi parked off to the side of the turnpike's southbound lanes, trouble lights blinking, a note stuck in the side window that said GONE TO GET GAS, Gle

A few more minutes passed before he heard them coming.

SEVEN

Karen told Foley, climbing the bank in the dark, it would be a lot easier if he'd quit hanging onto her. He let go of her arm and dropped back a couple of steps saying he was only trying to help, so she wouldn't slip in the weeds and fall. Karen said, "You mean and ruin my good suit?" The back and the sleeves stained with his muck, the skirt snagging now in the brush. He said he didn't want her to hurt herself.

Karen hoped she'd be able to tell about it later. The conversation in a trunk full of handcuffs and tactical gear with a bank robber escaped convict who wondered if it would be different if they'd met in a bar.

Like a first date, getting to know one another. Her dad would love it.

"And then what happened?" That was a good question.

Foley stayed behind her now looking at her slim figure, her legs at eye level in the short skirt that hiked up on her, tight against her rear end as she climbed the grade. Buddy was up ahead. Foley said, "Have your clothes cleaned and send me the bill," wanting to say something to her, keep it light, but he felt awkward with her now, tense.

She said, "I'll send it to you at Glades."

Still not acting scared.

They reached the top of the grade to move through the scrub and now he could see the car, amber lights blinking. He didn't see Gle

"Jesus, what'd you crawl through, a sewer?"

Standing at the edge of the trees with Buddy saying to him then,

"That's a white car?"

"What's the difference? It's the only one here."

Gle

Foley said, "Take your sunglasses off," his tone mild, Karen Sisco standing only a few feet away.

"I see better with them on," Gle

"I'd take 'em off," Foley said, "before they get stepped on."

He was aware of Karen turning to look at him, but kept his eyes on Gle

"Wait in the car," Foley said.

Gle

"I'd like you to go wait in the car," Foley said.

"How's that?

Take her with you and put her in back."

Gle

"The backseat."

"What do you need her for?"

Foley stared at him, waiting.

Gle

Buddy said, "Be cool, Studs. Are you cool? Go on, quit talking so much."

"Studs," Gle

"Now we're old pals again, back in the yard at Lompoc. How come that seems like such a long time ago?" He motioned to Karen saying, "Come on, have to do what I'm told."

She walked past Foley without looking at him and he said, "Wait a minute," to Gle

"Let me have your raincoat." He said, "Somebody forgot to bring me clean clothes," looking at Buddy with a straight face.

He didn't get it. He said, "I brought 'em, they're back at Glades in the Cadillac. You wanted to take her car…"

And Karen said, "You can blame me if you want. I don't mind."

What Foley wanted was to tell them he was kidding, for Christ sake, he wasn't blaming anyone, he was trying to lighten up, get rid of this awkward feeling he had. And since he couldn't do that he kept his mouth shut and watched Karen walk over to Gle

Gle

Gle

Foley watching them.

Close to him Buddy said, "What's wrong with you?"

Foley didn't answer, watching Gle

She watched Gle

"Like I said, I walked away from a prison myself one time, out in California, so I know what it can do to your nerves, being a wanted fugitive. But if he thinks he can talk to me like that… Shit, I've been here over a half hour watching headlights coming this way, hoping to Christ they don't stop and it's the Florida Highway Patrol, if you think that's fun. I even smoked a doob lurking there in the fucking bushes. I wouldn't mind another one, either, right now. How about you?" He turned his head enough to look at her, at the same time ru

"You must be scared shitless, get in a situation like this. You heard me ask him what he's go

Karen leaned forward to have a look. She saw them against the dark foliage, one holding her shotgun, the other, Foley-it looked like he was unbuttoning his shirt, working at it, his head lowered. They seemed to be talking.

"What I mean is you can be the man inside," Gle