It was several nights later that Jim and Karen met again. To Jim’s amazement Karen flew home before Jim finally left the police station. He finally decided that it was all right; he had no sole claim of ownership over Karen, and knew she preferred it that way. He did finally decide to call her, and the agreed to meet the following evening at Palisades Park.

They met without a word to each other - they didn’t even hold hands. The instead walked a distance until they found a tree without two teenagers under it. They sat facing each other in silence for several minutes before Jim broke the ice.

“Want to talk?” He asked.

Karen nodded. “I think so,” she said.

“How do you feel?”

“Confused. I mean, Jeff was becoming a nuisance and I’m glad he’s gone, but I don’t feel I should be glad. I did think I loved him at one time.”

“I know.”

“And the way he died - it was so brutal. I’ve never been so... so repulsed by violence in my entire life as I am now.”

“Understandable. Neither of us was ready for that.”

“I didn’t want Jeff to die. He needed help. He had been a normal person.”

Jim shrugged. “Who knows what the hell normal means? We all do the oddest things under pressure. You called Jeff ‘textbook’ even when he had a gun on you.”

Karen looked down. “I was frightened out of my wits.”

“I don’t know. That comment was pretty witty. I was proud of you.”

“Proud? I was so scared I was projecting an overload. I had already made him feel ashamed. Jim, you didn’t kill Jeff, I did!”

Jim reached to hug Karen, who had started to cry. “”No,” he said, “no you didn’t. We all did. My punch couldn’t have done it without you, but the punch was my idea. A.J. yelled at me to stop when he saw it coming, but with his size and speed it’s conceivable he could have stopped me.

“Jeff was the kicker though. Think about it; I don’t think he intended to survive the night. The shot would have been heard and security is pretty tight in there and the guards were armed. He could get in easily enough with the right bribe, but once shots were fired the guards’ loyalty would lie with the band.”

Karen looked up. “It’s called suicide transference,” she said. “The subject wants to die but hasn’t the guts to do it, so he finds a way for someone to do it for him. It makes sense.” Her eyes were drier.

Karen sighed. “It’s a shame you didn’t know him when I met him,” she continued. “He could be fun. He was right you know.”

“About what?”

“About how much you’re like him, or at least like he was when we first met. Outgoing, filled with a mastery of puns, with a keen eye for the sublime and subtle. He was easy going, and took whatever shit life threw at him in stride.”

Jim shook his head. “I never saw it. I never would have even guessed.”

“He changed a lot, especially up to the end. I think he still saw himself as he was so long ago.” She started crying again, and Jim continued to hold her.

“Make me a promise,” Karen said.

“Whatever you need,” Jim replied.

“Don’t be in love with me. I know...I know you’re starting to head in that direction and so am I, but I don’t want it. My first relationship after Jeff shouldn’t be one of love, but one of recovery.”

“How long were you divorced when we met?”

“Sixteen hours.”

Jim shook his head again, this time in wonder. “Jesus! I never knew.”

“I never said.” Karen wiped her eyes. “God damn it Jim! Why the hell couldn’t you have just been a good fuck? Hell, I would have settled for an average fuck in the condition I was in!”

“I don’t understand.”

“You went to that bar out of habit. I went there because Mike - God, even I call him Mike now - told me his clientele were the one night stand kind of people. I only went there to get laid!”

Jim nodded. “I see now,” he said. “You never expected to enter a relationship. Do you think we should call it quits?”

Karen shook her head. “No, and neither do you. We couldn’t if we tried. We’ve become symbiotic because of our abilities. I can’t leave them behind and neither can you.”

“I think it’s more involved than that.”

“It is.”

“You just want us to watch our steps.”

“There’s a lot of shit in the field.”

Jim sighed. “Okay, I promise. I won’t be in love with you. I make no such promise about lust though.”

Karen smiled. “Fair enough. I promise exactly the same thing.”

“Good. Come back to my place?” Jim asked with a smile.

Karen sighed, then laughed a small laugh. “Sure. This celibacy act is getting dull.”