Chapter 24

WHEN GARY EISENHOWER came into my office on a rainy Monday morning, he had a purple bruise on his right cheekbone and a swollen upper lip. He moved stiffly to one of my chairs and eased himself into it. When he spoke he sounded like his teeth were clenched.

“I need a gun,” he said.

“I would guess that you do,” I said.

“I’m a convicted felon,” he said. “I can’t just buy one.”

“Also true.”

“Can you give me one?”

“Probably not,” I said. “Who beat you up?”

He made a slight movement with his lips, which, if it hadn’t hurt, might have turned into a smile.

“How’d you know?” he said.

“I’m a trained detective,” I said.

“Couple guys came around, tole me to stay away from Beth Jackson.”

“You’re still seeing her?” I said.

“Yeah.”

“Even though she hired me to put you out of business?” I said.

“Yeah,” Gary said.

“She your mole in the gang of four?” I said.

“How’d you know there was a mole?”

“You knew who hired me,” I said.

He shook his head and winced.

“And-” I said.

“You’re a trained detective,” Gary said.

“You tell them to take a hike?” I said.

“The two guys?” he said. “No, I said, ‘Sure thing.’ ”

“But?”

He started to shrug and remembered that everything hurt and stopped in mid-shrug.

“But she kept coming around and”-again the try at a smile-“what’s a boy to do?”

“So they caught you again and decided to get your attention,” I said.

“Yeah.”

“One of the guys slim and dark, sort of quiet?” I said.

“Yeah, Zel, he said his name was. The one poured it on me was some kind of ex-pug. He had a funny name, too, but I’m a little hazy about some of the details.”

“Boo,” I said.

“Yeah,” Gary said. “Boo. He liked his work.”

“So now what?” I said.

“I took my beating, but I’m not going away.”

“So you’ll see Beth again?”

“Absolutely.”

“You care that much about her?”

“I like to fuck her,” Gary said.

“She’s not your only option,” I said.

“I told you before, I’m tougher than I seem,” Gary said. “I been punched around before. But I’ll fuck who I want to fuck, and no one tells me who that can be.”

“My God,” I said, “a principled position.”

“So I need a gun.”

I shook my head.

“Can’t give you a gun,” I said. “But maybe I can take Zel and Boo off your back.”

“You?”

“Yep.”

“How you going to do that?” Gary said.

“Sweet reason,” I said.

“ ‘Sweet reason’?” Gary said. “You being funny?”

“I hope so,” I said.

“How quick can you do this?”

“Pretty soon. In the meantime ask Beth to, ah, lay off, at least for a few days,” I said.

“What are you going to do,” Gary said.

“Talk to some people, arrange a few things, call in some favors,” I said.

“Who you gonna talk to?” he said.

“I have friends in low places,” I said. “Can you keep it in your pants for a few days while I save your life?”

Gary nodded.

“Why you doing this for me?” he said.

“Damned if I know,” I said.


Загрузка...