“I think I’d rather do that.”

“No sir,” Cherry said.

“Oh Cherry, please don’t make me go to jail. I’m innocent,” Bobby said. “I don’t want to go.”

“Too bad,” Cherry said and crossed her arms.

“Be nice,” Arlene said. Though I know Cherry thought she was being nice. She liked Bobby.

“She’s teasing, Mama. Aren’t we, Cherry baby? We understand each other.”

“I’m not her mama,” Arlene said.

“That’s right, I forgot,” Bobby said. And he widened his eyes at her. “What’s your hurry, Russ?” Bobby said, and I saw I had almost come to a stop in the street. The jail was a half block ahead of us. It was a tall modern building built on the back of the old stone courthouse. Two people were standing in the little front yard looking up at a window. A station wagon was parked on the street in front. The fog had begun to burn away now.

“I didn’t want to rush you,” I said.

“Cherry’s already dying for me to go in there, aren’t you, baby?”

“No, she’s not. She doesn’t know anything about that,” Arlene said.

“You go to hell,” Bobby said. And he grabbed Arlene’s shoulder with his hand and squeezed it back hard against the seat. “This is not your business, it’s not your business at all. Look, Russ,” Bobby said, and he reached in the black plastic bag he was taking with him and pulled a pistol out of it and threw it over onto the front seat between Arlene and me. “I thought I might kill Arlene, but I changed my mind.” He grinned at me, and I could tell he was crazy and afraid and at the end of all he could do to help himself anymore.

“Jesus Christ,” Arlene said. “Jesus, Jesus Christ.”

“Take it, goddamn it. It’s for you,” Bobby said with a crazy look. “It’s what you wanted. Boom,” Bobby said. “Boom-boom-boom.”

“I’ll take it,” I said and pulled the gun under my leg. I wanted to get it out of sight.

“What is it?” Cherry said. “Lemme see.” She pushed up to see.

“It’s nothing, honey,” I said. “Just something of Bobby’s.”

“Is it a gun?” Cherry said.

“No, sweetheart,” I said, “it’s not.” I pushed the gun down on the floor under my foot. I did not know if it was loaded, and I hoped it wasn’t. I wanted Bobby out of the car then. I have had my troubles, but I am not a person who likes violence or guns. I pulled over to the curb in front of the jail, behind the brown station wagon.