I nodded, unslinging it from my back and trying to hold it out to him. Cam held up his hand. "No, you keep it for now. We'll talk what to do with it at the rest stop. In the meantime, let me get us something to drink.”
I waited in the warm sun, the wind slightly abrasive in that way I'd come to expect from New Mexico in the summer. I saw Cam grab two drinks and pay for them, and I realized that despite the emotions, I was very thirsty, and just a little bit hungry. I guess stress does that to you.
I went inside, grabbing a Snickers bar to add to Cam's pile. He paid without a word, handing it to me as we headed outside. "Okay, so which do you want, the cherry Coke or the root beer?"
"Root beer," I said automatically. "Goes better with the chocolate."
He handed it to me and I got in my car, following Cam to the rest stop. Getting off the interstate, I was glad to see there was at least a bit of grass around the covered picnic table area.
I took a seat on the bench, Cam joining me a minute later. "So tell me your thoughts," he said as he took a seat. "I know what I'm thinking, but to be honest, the thoughts are really dark right now. I need to know that I'm not just being vengeful."
"If you're thinking that you want to unleash Albertine on whoever did this, you and I are on similar tracks," I said, opening my bottle.
I didn't know if I was thinking with my heart or with my head, but I knew the answer. "I want to find whoever authorized this and tear them a new asshole," I said after a few moments. "There's no justification for what happened today. You even warned them off, and they still came."
It was the first time since seeing Cam get out of his truck that he smiled. This wasn't the warm smile he often gave me when he was amused or the lover's smile he would give me in bed. This was predatory, chilling. It was the smile of a wolf that has sighted its prey and was eager for the kill. I couldn't help it, I shivered, but at the same time, I knew I was grinning, too.
"Then let's do some work," he said, taking a deep swig. "We've got a lot to do, and not as much time as I'd like to do it in. There's going to be administrative stuff, dealings with the police, all of that eating into our time as well. But first, let's get home. I need to send Senpai a message."
"What's that?" I asked.
"That hell is coming, and he better pray to whatever gods he believes in that he wasn't actually involved with Pinzetti."
Chapter 31
Melina
The next day, I stayed home with Albertine while Cam went to the police station to talk to the cops. So far, none of the students had talked about his heroics, and he wanted things to stay that way. Therefore, while he knew there were pictures and sworn statements from the cop who had shot him to take into consideration, he wanted it made clear that he wasn't going to become the public face of a major tragedy.
"If they want a public face, how about Tawny Shaw? She died holding one of her students so that she wasn't riddled with bullets. Give it to the cop who shot me, who had the guts to try and do something, and then the smarts to not blow me away. Doctor the fucking coroner's report so that Pinzetti died from .40 caliber S&W rounds and not a snatched up AK-47."
For my part, I gave Jay Winters a call at the pharmacy on his office line. He picked up on the second ring. "Winters' Drugs."
"Hey Jay, it's Melina," I greeted him. "I just wanted to let you know that Cam and I are okay."
"That's good news,” Jay said. "I heard from someone he got banged up?"
"Just something on his arm, but he'll be fine. In fact, in three or four days the docs said I can take the stitches out myself. I thought that might be cool."
Jay chuckled on his end of the line. "I bet. If you want, stop by and pick up some surgical scissors if you need them." His voice grew somber, and he paused before continuing. "Melina, I hate to go demanding more of you, I'm sure you're trying to be supportive to Cam and all, but is there any way you might be able to come in tonight for a closing shift? The girl I have on, her cousin was Tawny Shaw.”
"I'll be there," I said immediately. “I’m just so thankful Cam made it out of there okay. I can’t imagine what she must be going through."
"Thank you," Jay said. "As for pay, I'll pay you time and a half for it, is that okay?"
“Whatever you think is right. I’m not doing it for the money, Jay.”
"Whatever you need, any time Melina, you just ask," he finally said. "Thank you."
"See you tonight at six," I said, not sure if I could say more without getting emotional. Hanging up the phone, I tried to call Cam, but his phone went to voicemail, so I sent him a text message telling him about the shift.