Barely Legal

63

Jules Kenworth was angry, even for him. “What the fuck do you guys think you’re doing?” he yelled through the phone.

Taperelli was taken aback. “What’s the matter?”

“What do you think is the matter? Jesus Christ, I ask you to do one simple thing.”

“What simple thing?”

“Pick up the girl. That’s all I said. Grab the girl.”

“We did.”

“Yeah. You did a slam-bang job.”

Taperelli was becoming confused. “What do you mean?”

“She’s dead! The headline’s in this morning’s New York Post! The girl is no good to me dead. You really fucked up this time.” Taperelli heard a bang as Kenworth slammed the phone down.

Taperelli buzzed his secretary. “Drop what you’re doing and run out and get a copy of the New York Post.”

Five minutes later she returned with the paper. The headline, LAWYER’S GIRLFRIEND MURDERED, jumped off the front page.

Taperelli snatched up the phone and called Mookie. “Did you kill the girl?”

“What?”

“The lawyer’s girlfriend. I told you to pick her up, not kill her.”

“I didn’t kill her.”

“Then why’s she dead?”

“She’s not dead. Chico’s holding her out in Queens.”

“Oh, is that right?”

“Yeah. I took her there myself.”

“When?”

“Last night.”

“Alive?”

“Alive and kicking.”

“You see the New York Post?”

“No, why?”

“The paper says she’s dead.”

“Bullshit. She’s in Queens.”

“Yeah, well, then someone’s wrong. She can’t be dead and in Queens.”

“Why not? They got a cemetery.”

“Get out there. Make sure she’s alive.”

“She’s alive, all right.”

“You sure she’s the right girl?”

“Absolutely. I saw her myself. It’s her, all right.”

“Yeah, well, get out there and check on her. This fucking case is jinxed.”