Heroic Measures (continued)

"We'd better call it in," Torino said. His voice still trembled slightly.

"It already was," Walter reminded him. "You heard it on the radio."

Torino gave Walter a blank look and then flushed slightly. "Yeah," he said softly. "Right."

He looked in the direction of the shredded corpse.

"We'd better get out of then," Torino added. "They might think we did it."

Walter stared at Torino and tried hard not to laugh. He was successful—barely.

Still, Walter realized, the young hero might have a point. While it was most unlikely that the police would suspect either of them of committing this heinous act, they would probably keep them there for questioning. While neither of them knew anything about the brutal murder, the interrogation, however friendly, might detain them here for hours. Too much of a delay would be difficult to explain to Abigail.

"You're right," Walter agreed. "There's nothing we can do for him."

Torino cast a glance in the direction of the body without looking directly at it.

"Let's go," Walter said, rising to his knees and handing Torino back the flashlight.

Torino studied the flashlight suspiciously, as if it had become contaminated merely by being pointed at the corpse, before finally accepting it.

Walter stood for several moments, looking at the dark shape that had once, only a short time earlier, been a living human being. He knew it was an image that he would not soon forget.

"Let's go," he whispered.

He turned and headed out of the alleyway, back toward the street. Torino was a pace ahead. Neither of them said a word.