"Stop talking like this Rafferty! You're going to be fine! The ambulance is almost here. I can hear it."
He pulled me closer, "Stop lying to me Lisa. That dark blood all over your hands tells me one thing and that's that my liver is all blown away. I don't have long and you know it."
His body tightened in a spasm and my heart bled for him. He opened his eyes, "Get a life, and get your butt into a church and get right with God …" His lips twisted up in a slight grin, "Enjoy your life with your locksmith friend too!"
His eyes closed and he was gone, even as the slight grin remained. My face quivered with the emotion I longed to express, but this wasn't the time or the place.
I stood up and wiped the tears from my face with my hand, getting blood on my face in the process. I turned from the still body on the ground and headed for the building where the dead sniper was.
I stepped into the room followed by an ashen faced Sal.
"What do you have so far?" I asked a little harshly.
Two detectives glanced at each other and then shrugged.
One spoke up, "Male in his thirties of middle eastern decent. No identifying paper work on him. The rifles military grade, we're running his prints to see if he's on anybody's list. I can tell you he's most likely a terrorist instead of a paid hit man hired to bump you off though."
"How's that?" I asked.
He pointed to a chair and I saw a vest draped across the back of it. It was a bomb vest complete with hand held detonator.
"Thank God he got plugged before he had a chance to use that thing!" The other detective said while shaking his head.
"Thank you detectives. Let me know what you find out about him." I said courteously, before I left the room.
Going to the street again I turned to Sal. I could see that he was taking his partners death very hard. "Sal, I have to go on a trip to see someone concerning this case."
He shrugged and said, "When do we go?"
"We don't. I need you to stay here and man the fort. If anybody asks about where I am tell them I'm tracking down a lead in the case. If I drive through the night I should be able to be back here by tomorrow afternoon."
Sal looked like he wanted to object, but he could see my mind was made up. "At least tell me where you're going?" he said pleadingly.