Comeback

7

Macready rode down in the elevator with them. He had an air about him of gloomy satisfaction, as though taking pleasure in something he knew to be a sin. He said, "We got a situation here, I don't know if you two realize this."

Thorsen said, "A situation? What kind of situation?"

"I mean," Macready said, "Lew Calavecci went out on a limb when he brought the Quindero kid over here, and now maybe the limb broke off."

The elevator reached the ground floor. They stepped out to find a snag, a traffic jam of people being funneled slowly through one checkpoint at the main entrance. Everybody in and out was being closely studied.

Macready stood on line with them, and Thorsen asked him, "Out on a limb? Why?"

"What have they got Quindero on?" Macready asked. "Nothing, or next to nothing. His two pals killed the girl, his sister, but everybody acknowledges Quindero didn't know about it till long afterward, so he isn't a party to that crime at all. The three of them came here intending to commit a crime, but they didn't do it. The other two they're holding on murder one, to be shipped home, but all they have on Quindero, here or anywhere else, is obstruction of justice, because he knew the robbery at the stadium was going to take place and he didn't inform the police. But that's Mickey Mouse, and everybody knows it, that's just to hold onto him a couple days. His lawyer's going to laugh at that one. In fact, he's already laughing at it. But now we got a different situation."

Thorsen said, "What?"

Macready seemed to consider whether or not to go on. The line inched forward, people irritable but obedient, one at a time leaving the building, one at a time entering it. Macready said, "I don't know if you two got much of a sense of Lew Calavecci."

"I think we do," Thorsen said.

"Enough to go on," Parker said.

"Well," Macready told them, "Lew let Quindero believe he was in a lot deeper shit than he actually is. You know, he put the screws to him a little. More for fun than to get anything out of him. And he didn't get clearance from anybody to bring Quindero here to confront Carmody because he knew damn well nobody would give him clearance."

"Oh," said Thorsen.

"And now," Macready said, "it looks like Quindero's teamed up with our shooter."

Thorsen said, "Teamed up? He was a hostage."

"In the stairwell," Macready said, "the shooter took the time to shoot the lock on Quindero's cuffs, free him up. We found them there. Quindero must figure he's got nothing to lose, so he's thrown in with the shooter, and they're somewhere together. Two instead of one."

Parker said, "Calavecci needs Quindero back safe and sound, doesn't he? Not a scratch on him."

"Good luck, say I," said Macready. Looking at Parker, he said, "I hear the shooter was the guy you're looking for, is that right?"

"George Liss," Parker agreed. "Looked like him."

They were nearly to the head of the line; Macready would usher them through. Waiting, he nodded and said, "I can see where, following George Liss around, it wouldn't be dull work."