Part 17 (1/2)
What you really really lose are choices. I've seen men stabbed over which TV program to watch. lose are choices. I've seen men stabbed over which TV program to watch.
You get to make some some choices, but those are only between bad and worse. One of the heavies asks you to do something. Say no, and somebody in there gets told to kill you. Or at least f.u.c.k you up so bad that you end up wearing a diaper or breathing through a tube in your throat. choices, but those are only between bad and worse. One of the heavies asks you to do something. Say no, and somebody in there gets told to kill you. Or at least f.u.c.k you up so bad that you end up wearing a diaper or breathing through a tube in your throat.
You could ask for PC. Or you could do what you got told to do. Either way, you'd be alive. Protected, even.
You'd also be nothing.
So, if you have to kill somebody, you might as well start with the guy who started your problem.
Having to sit and wait until I could meet with the cop again, that was okay. Truth is, I didn't even want to go out-I wanted to be where it was safe. I had that apartment. With a TV where I could watch whatever channel I wanted to.
So I worked out. Watched TV. I didn't cook, just brought home takeout. There were like a hundred different places for that-I never even had to go to the same one twice.
I drank a lot of water. The kind that comes in bottles.
I tried to figure out what the cop would do. Maybe I would have been better off with his partner, the black guy. He was closer to my age, and you could see that the rape stuff had made him angry, like he took it personal.
But it hadn't been the black guy who'd figured out why my alibi for that rape was no good. That older cop, Tom-the other guy was Earl-Detective Tom Woods, he snapped it right away.
In my whole life, I never gave up a man I worked with. But the guy who owned that jewelry store, I didn't know him. Never even met him.
I kept thinking about whether that would be enough to make it right. It's hard when there's no rules for something you have to do, because you still have to do it.
He was already on the bridge when I showed. Even in the heat, he was wearing an old-style raincoat, had to weigh a few pounds. Probably miked to the max. Which meant I'd have to dance around with every word out of my mouth. Even if the big cop had done the right thing, I knew his kind; if anything happened to the guy who'd actually raped that girl, I'd be good for that one. Extra Extra good. good.
While I was still deciding how to play it, he got off first: ”It's no go.”
”What d'you mean?”
”That girl, she may have been...say, unsure of herself before. Even after the plea. But now it has has to be you. In her mind, I mean.” to be you. In her mind, I mean.”
”But if I could just-”
”The court gave her a Permanent Order of Protection, okay? You go anywhere near near her, and you're going back in.” her, and you're going back in.”
”But if-”
”If you contact contact her, same thing. Or someone doing you a favor contacts her. She gets a letter, a phone call, a f.u.c.king e-mail...it's gonna be on you.” her, same thing. Or someone doing you a favor contacts her. She gets a letter, a phone call, a f.u.c.king e-mail...it's gonna be on you.”
”But you know know I didn't do it.” I didn't do it.”
”And I'm I'm going to tell her that?” going to tell her that?”
I looked at the river. People's boats were going by. Mine was sinking.
”What if I knew something?”
”About the-?”
”Yeah.”
The big cop took a step back, like some invisible pair of hands had pushed him off.
”Now you're going to give up-?” you're going to give up-?”
”Come on.”
”Yeah. What would be the point? You were willing to do that, you could have skipped your last jolt altogether.”
”The statute of limitations, it's run.”
”Meaning the other guys with you on that job haven't, huh? Could be true, for all I know. The owner, no way that little slime-ball's leaving town-they're going to keep his a.s.s in court for years.”
”How could they-?”
”Not for the crime. The lawsuit. The insurance company's not going down without a fight, not for that kind of scratch. That jeweler, he's been living small. Claims he can't make a living be cause that heist of yours wiped him out.”
”You don't want him?”
”For what? Like you you said, it's too late for us to charge him with anything.” said, it's too late for us to charge him with anything.”
”So why bother to talk to me at all?”
”You didn't plan that job, Caine. No offense, but I never liked you for that that part either.” part either.”
I looked out at the river.
”If we knew who put that one together, we could probably tie him to dozens of jobs.”
I shrugged.
”We couldn't even arrest him. But we could could put him out of business.” put him out of business.”
”You said, putting the job together, that wasn't me. You that that sure?” sure?”
”Like I said, no offense, but...yeah, I'm that sure. Now, that that guy's name, that would be worth something. Maybe even something like me and my partner visiting that girl....” guy's name, that would be worth something. Maybe even something like me and my partner visiting that girl....”
”Yeah. Only, not the same way you'd 'visit' the guy you think think set up the job you set up the job you think think I was on.” I was on.”
”Who said anything about rough stuff? I just mean, we go over and have a talk with the man. We explain what we know. Tell him we've got all kinds of warrants. And all the time in the world. So we sit on him, see who comes and goes. He doesn't get hurt. But he does go out of business.”
”I get it.”
”So I talk to the girl, and you-”
”No.”