The Fregoli Delusion by Michael J. McCann Read Free Book Online

swing set. Her hands were clasped lightly together in her lap. The front of
her blouse was stained with vomit. Bob Rodriguez, her husband, crouched before
her, talking to her in a soft monotone. As Hank approached he looked around and
stood up.
    “Lieutenant Donaghue.”
    “Hi, Bob.” Hank shook his hand.
“Can you give us a minute?”
    “Sure. No problem.” Rodriguez took
a few steps back, then caught a gesture from Horvath and moved quickly over to
join him at the corner of the yard.
    Hank squatted. “What’s going on,
Detective?”
    Peralta said nothing, eyes down.
    “Detective! What’s going on?”
    Her eyes snapped up. “Donaghue.
You’re here.”
    “I’m here. What’s going on? What
are you doing right now?”
    Peralta frowned again, licking her
lips. She took a deep breath and shook her head. “Taking a break, I guess.
Sorry.”
    “No need to apologize. Listen to
me.”
    She held his gaze. Her eyes were
bloodshot and her eyelids were red.
    “The scene’s secured,” Hank said.
“The task force is catching the case, so we’re off it as of now. Understand?”
    She nodded.
    “Give me your duty weapon.” He
held out his hand. When she hesitated, he flicked his hand as though impatient.
“Duty weapon, Peralta. Now.”
    Very slowly she leaned over and
removed her sidearm from its holster on her belt. She dropped the magazine into
her free hand and gave it to Hank. He put it in his jacket pocket. She ejected
the round in the chamber. Hank put it into the same pocket. She then turned the
disarmed gun in her hand and offered it to Hank, stock-first. He dropped it
into his other jacket pocket and held out his hand again. “Back-up.”
    “Not carrying it today,
Lieutenant.”
    “You sure?”
    She pulled up her pant leg to show
him a bare calf and ankle. “Left it at home today.”
    “My back’s killing me. Let’s stand
up.” Hank stood up and, when she remained sitting, he held out his hand once
more. “Stand up, Amelda.”
    She let him help her to her feet.
    “Go home with Bob and take the
weekend off. We’ll talk on Monday morning. All right?”
    “I’m done, Hank. That’s it. I’m
done.”
    “We’ll talk about it Monday.”
    “No. I want a life, Hank. I can’t
stand this anymore. I’m not going to be another Stainer. I want a life.” She
unclipped the badge and identification card on her belt and dropped them into
his hand. “I’m done.”
    He walked her over to Horvath, who
led her between the buildings to the street.
    Hank gave Rodriguez Peralta’s
badge and ID card. “Take her home. She’s on leave until Monday.” He put his
hand on Rodriguez’s arm before he could turn away. “She isn’t carrying her
back-up weapon.”
    “I don’t know anything about
that.”
    “Your first priority when you get
her home is to find it and secure it, understand?”
    “I don’t think she’s—”
    “When she’s over the hump she’ll
be fine,” Hank pressed, “but right now you need to make sure you’ve got all the
bases covered. Secure all weapons in your home, and stay with her. She should
see a doctor right now, she might need something to get her through the rest of
the day. Burnouts are nothing to fool around with.”
    “Will this go on her record,
Lieutenant? Will it affect her career?”
    “I wouldn’t be worried about that
right now. Just get her looked at and get her home. Lock up any firearms you
have so she can’t get at them. It’s an important precaution.”
    Rodriguez nodded and hurried after
his wife.
    On the little scrap of lawn in
front of the duplex, Hank and Horvath watched Peralta reach out to take her
husband’s hand as they walked away, down the middle of the street. Rodriguez
pulled her close as they passed the clusters of staring young men.
    “I feel awful,” Horvath said. “I
should have done something. Seen it coming.”
    Hank shook his head. “She’s never
been the kind to talk a lot about herself. There’s no way you’d know.”
    “I’m