Double Play

41.

“You could take Sunday off,” Burke said.

“I could,” Jackie said. “And if I told you I wasn’t scared I’d be lying.”

“You been scared since this started,” Burke said.

Jackie looked at him hard.

“You think so?”

“Sure. You’re alone against the world and people hate you. Of course you’re scared. Nothing wrong with that.”

“I’m not alone,” Jackie said. “I’m with Rachel.”

“Yeah,” Burke said. “You are.”

“And I had all those people up on Lenox Avenue when Paglia wanted to shoot me.”

“Yeah,” Burke said. “You did.”

Jackie grinned suddenly.

“And I got you.”

Burke laughed without amusement.

“Hot dog!” he said. “You want to take Sunday off?”

“Can’t,” Jackie said. “Then we get a letter saying they gonna kill me on Monday? I take Monday off? Tuesday? Wednesday? The season?”

Burke nodded.

“Okay,” he said. “I get it.”

“You gotta see to protection for Rachel,” Jackie said.

“I’ve got Rickey’s word,” Burke said. “There will be people with her.”

Jackie nodded.

“All right,” he said. “Then we just go about our business.”

“It may be nothing anyway.”

“And if it’s something,” Jackie said, “you’ll handle it.”

“Sure,” Burke said.

“So you worry about it,” Jackie said.

“Sure,” Burke said.