“Don’t ask.”
I filled Pearl’s bowl with food and brought Susan a coffee. I added some milk to a small pitcher and brought it over with the sugar dish. She gave me a sleepy smile.
“It was a long if not fruitful night.”
I took a seat across from her at the kitchen table with my plate.
“We located an important piece of evidence for Jack McGee’s case.”
“That’s terrific.”
“It would be terrific if it were in my possession,” I said. “But it’s owned by a man who doesn’t like me very much right now.”
“Who?”
I told her about Z and me breaking into the drug house in the South End. And I told her about it being connected to Jackie DeMarco.
“Of all the drug houses and all the criminals in Boston,” she said.
“Jackie’s been a busy man,” I said. “He’s taken over a lot of territory in a short amount of time. I’d step on his toes with about anything in Charlestown or Southie. But this was special, only a few blocks from Holy Innocents. Now I know why he’d wanted to control that land and any development.”
Susan nodded and drank some coffee. It never ceased to amaze how a licensed therapist was open to discuss down-and-dirty criminal activity. Her dark eyes watched me in wonderment, listening to every word. A gold light covered the kitchen table and Susan’s hands on her coffee. Her nails were freshly painted a bright red.
Pearl snuffled up and waited for me to scratch her ears. “Am I wasting my time to ask you to tread carefully?” Susan said.
“I am impervious to bullets.”
“Did I tell you about one of my clients who believed he was George Reeves?”
“Shall we go down to your couch?”
“Do you think I didn’t notice the blood on your shirt?”
“Ketchup,” I said. “I should never eat and drive.”
“I think it’s a terrible idea to seek out a guy like Jackie DeMarco,” she said. “Why not just hand it over to your new friend in Arson?”
“Professional pride?”
“Might get you killed,” she said. “Just how far has this gone now?”
“Jackie has something I need,” I said. “And I have something he wants.”
“What does he want?”
“About two hundred thousand dollars and several guns.”
“Jesus,” she said. “Taken off those men last night?”
I nodded. I tried to appear modest. I had raked in a lot of loot and firepower.
“Did you and Z hurt his people?”
I made a waffling gesture with my right hand. I stood and poured myself a cup of coffee. Freshly ground Sumatran from Whole Foods. I got up for the toast and returned to the table. Pearl followed me back and forth, tail wagging. “Z did provide wonderful support,” I said. “I think he’s ready.”
“We have made great efforts to have a life together while living separately,” she said. “But with the fire, we’re more connected than we ever have been. I need you whole. Not stealing some thugs’ money and guns.”
“I collect blondes and bottles, too,” I said. The Bogart imitation was flawless.
“Okay,” Susan said. “But you’ll shower and change clothes before you make me a decadent breakfast.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And most important?”
“Don’t get killed,” I said.
47
You are fucking crazy,” Vinnie Morris said.
We were walking together through the Common. A guy dressed in a teddy bear costume was playing an electric guitar by the Frog Pond. A group of Japanese tourists were enthralled.
“First you accuse him of torching a church,” Vinnie said. “And now you bust into his place of business. He’s not like his old man. He’s not going to shake hands when it’s all over. He’ll send one of his people to make you disappear.”
“Don’t forget Hawk shot a couple of his men last year.”
“’Cause he’d buddied up with that judge’s friend,” Vinnie said. “That shit nearly sent him to jail.”
I held up an index finger. “But it didn’t,” I said. “He walked away.”
“No thanks to you,” Vinnie said. “Christ. What do you want me to do?”
“Send a message for me,” I said.
“Do I look like fucking Western Union?” Vinnie said.
“I don’t want this message filtered through his people,” I said. “I want this direct to Jackie. I want to meet him alone. I give him the money and he gives me the surveillance footage. He needs to understand any illegal activity will never be turned over to the cops.”
“So you’re asking him to trust you,” Vinnie said. “After you screwed him twice.”
“Exactly.”