238
DON ZACHAR IA
four, I repeat, four police cars interrupted their normal tours and
came here at speed red."
"Speed red?"
"That's a police term: speed red, speed blue, speed pink; it
describes the approximate speed the police vehicle should use in
getting to the destination." He paused here as if in great thought
over what he just said. "Speed red is a fast speed, endangering the
lives of the officers who are driving the vehicles and endangering
the lives of pedestrian women and children who might dart in the
way of a police vehicle getting to their destination."
There was some shuffling about and some of the other offi–
cers nodded their heads. There was one who was kind of grinning
though. "I set the alarm off Lieutenant, because I wanted to get
all those people out of my house. I'm sorry. I didn't quite think
you would all come--" I swept my hand around the room.
"Mr. Roth," the spokesman said in a pretty sharp voice really
hitting his notebook with his pencil, "if I put that in this note–
book it would set off a series of events that might lead to your
indictment. "
"God." I was immediately sorry for my choice of a word.
"What I meant to say Lieutenant, was that I thought I smelt gas,
and because I feared an explosion with all those people in the
house I turned the alarm system on."
"Oh." He motioned to two of his men and they disappeared
toward the basement. The spokesman kept writing in his notepad
for what seemed to be an awfully long time, although he never did
turn the page. I was watching him pretty closely. When they fi–
nally left, satisfied with my story, I insisted that they all go with
bags filled with rye breads, cold cuts, and everything until the
kitchen was bare of food. I let them out, I think even more be–
wildered than when they came in. Loaded down in both hands
with tons of groceries, it would have been a hell of a note if they
had to draw their guns. Most of the people had gone home, but
there were still some milling about my front lawn killing the grass.
I smiled at them and motioned to my sister to come in.
"Noel, what the fuck is going on?" It was not a word she
used lightly. "What were those policemen carrying?"
"I'm taking the children to Fire Island tomorrow morning."
"There will be people coming here--"
