Tick Tock

Chapter 45

AFTER ANOTHER THREE FRUITLESS HOURS spent fishing through Son of Sam letters at my desk, I was toast. I was about to leave, when I received a call from Miriam telling me that the commissioner was on his way back from a speech in Philly and wanted me to brief him in person. So I stuck around for another two eye-melting hours at my desk, only to have Miriam call back to say that the Big Kahuna had actually changed his mind and I was free to go.

Tonight out in Breezy was the church-sponsored carnival we'd been looking forward to since our vacation began. For the past couple of weeks, I'd had this grammar-school romantic vision of taking Mary Catherine on all the rides, being next to her as she screamed and laughed, maybe winning her one of those stupid oversize teddy bears.

Traffic was light for a change, so I managed to get back to Breezy Point in just over an hour. Instead of going to the house, I drove straight over to St. Edmund's, hoping to catch the last of the summer carnival.

I was momentarily hopeful when I saw that the rides and tents were still there beside the rectory. But then I realized that all the lights were off. Even the fried-dough cart was shut up tight.

Talk about missing the party, I thought, as I idled beside the darkened parking lot. Even the carnies were snug in their beds fast asleep.

I really felt like crap. I couldn't protect the city. I couldn't even protect my kids from a pack of jackasses. Now I was AWOL from the height of our long-awaited summer vacation.

I stared up at the still and towering black shapes of the rides against the dark sky. It was the most depressing moment of my day, and that was truly saying something. I headed back for the house.

But apparently I'd spoken too soon. My day wasn't over. Not by a long shot. As I was coming alongside the house, Seamus sat up from the front porch steps and waved for me to pull over. He was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, his priest's collar nowhere to be seen. What now?

"Finally," he said, snapping his phone shut as he got in. "Don't bother parking. We have a meeting."

"What are you talking about?" I said.

"I didn't want to tell you with everything going on in the city."

"Tell me what?"

Seamus let out a breath, his blue eyes cold in his deeply lined face.

"We had another Flaherty incident. It was at the carnival. The fat kid, Sean, pushed Eddie by one of the rides. Eddie fell into Trent, and Trent flipped over the railing beside the ride."

"What?" I yelled.

"No, he's fine. Shaken up, like the rest of us, but fine. I went ballistic and called the local precinct. But a funny thing happened. The two officers who arrived didn't seem too concerned. So I asked the monsignor of St. Edmund's about it. You'll never guess the last name of the precinct's second in command."

"No!" I said. "Another Flaherty?"

"No wonder they made you first-grade detective," Seamus said.

I shook my head, truly steamed. Nothing pissed me off more than a fellow cop abusing his power.

"They're a scourge, these people. From way back. I actually knew their father when I worked in the meatpacking district before I went to college. He was a loan shark as vicious as they come. Used to make his rounds come dinnertime, and if a man couldn't pay, he'd mercilessly beat him in front of his own family."

"Father of the year," I said.

"That's why we need to head over there now and squash this thing. This nonsense has to stop. I pulled some strings and arranged a sit-down."

"A sit-down?" I yelled. "Who are you, Father Tony Soprano?"

"You don't grow up in Hell's Kitchen without knowing a few people, lad. I called in a few favors. What of it? We're due over there now. It's time to settle this thing man to man, West Side-style."

"Over where?" I cried.

"The Flaherty house, Mike. Pay attention. And keep your gun handy."