Part 3 (1/2)

He picked up the speaking tube connecting with his barmen. ”Send me Puddle and Slade. And invite Tharpe if he's interested.” He smothered the tube, looked at me. ”What are you into now, Garrett?”

”Nothing. I'm on vacation. Why? You looking for another chance to kite me and get out from under your gambling debts?” I realized it was the wrong thing to say before I finished saying it. Morley was worried. When Morley Dotes worries about me it's time to shut my yap and listen.

”Maybe I deserve that.” His cohorts Puddle and Slade came in. Puddle I'd met before. He was a big, sloppy fat guy with flesh sagging in gross rolls. He was as strong as a mammoth, smart as a rock, cruel as a cat, quick as a cobra, and completely loyal to Morley. Slade was new. He could have been Morley's brother. Short by human standards, he had the same slim, darkly handsome looks, was graceful in motion, and was totally self-confident. He, like Morley, was a flashy dresser, though Morley had toned it down considerably tonight.

Morley said, ”I've managed not to put a bet down for a month, Garrett. With my willpower and a little help from my friends.”

Morley had a bad problem with gambling. Twice he's used me to get out from under debts of lethal scale, which has been a cause of friction.

Morley's vegetarian bar and restaurant and thug hangout is more hobby and cover than career. What he really does is bust kneecaps and break heads, freelance. Which is why he has his Puddles and Slades around.

Saucerhead came in. He nodded to everybody and dropped into a chair. It creaked. He didn't say anything. He doesn't talk much.

Saucerhead's line splits the difference between mine and Morley's. He'll pound somebody for a fee but he won't kill for money. He does mostly bodyguard and escort work. If he's really short he'll do collections. But never a.s.sa.s.sinations.

”Right, then,” Morley said, with the players in place. ”Garrett, you've saved me a trip. I was going to drop by your place after we closed.”

”Why?” They looked at me like I was a freak-show exhibit instead of a broken-down, self-employed ex-Marine.

”You sure you don't have something going?”

”Nothing. Come on. What gives?”

”Sadler dropped by. He had a message for the trade from the kingpin.” The kingpin is Chodo Contague, emperor of TunFaire's underworld. He is a very bad man. Sadler is one of his lieutenants and a worse man. ”Someone wants your head, Garrett. The kingpin is putting out word that whoever tries for it will answer to him.”

”Come on, Morley.”

”Sure. He's as drifty as a fairy girl on weed. He's obsessed with honor and favors and debts and balances. He thinks he owes you big and he's by d.a.m.ned going to keep you alive to collect. If I was you I'd never do it, so I'd always have him behind me like my own pet banshee.”

I didn't want a guardian angel. ”That's only good for as long as he stays alive.” Kingpins have a way of dying almost as frequently as Karenta's kings.

”Gives you a vested interest in his health, don't it?”

”One hand washes the other,” Saucerhead rumbled. ”You really don't got nothing shaking?”

”Nothing. Zero. Zip. I've only had two prospects in the last ten days. I turned them both down. I'm not working. I don't want to work. It's too much like work. I'm perfectly happy just sitting around watching everybody else work.”

Morley and Saucerhead made faces. Morley worked as much as he could because he thought it was good for him. Saucerhead worked all the time because he had to feed his huge body. Morley asked, ”What about those prospects?”

”Good-looking blonde this afternoon. Probably a cla.s.s hooker. Had somebody hara.s.sing her and wanted it stopped. I gave it to Pokey Pigotta. Just before I came down here, an old guy who wanted me to find something he thought was lost. Now he's looking for somebody else.”

Morley frowned. He looked at the others and found no inspiration there. He picked up the three chuko knives, handed one to Puddle, one to Slade, and tossed the other to Saucerhead, who said, ”Chuko knife.”

Morley said, ”Garrett had an encounter on his way down here. We don't usually see gangs in the neighborhood. They know better. Tell us about it, Garrett.” My feelings were hurt. n.o.body was impressed by the fact that I'd taken away three knives. I told it all. Saucerhead said, ”I gotta remember that brick-on-the-toes trick.”

Morley looked at Puddle. Puddle said, ”s...o...b..ll.”

Morley nodded. ”That's the albino, Garrett. A total crazy. Boss of a gang called the Vampires. He halfway thinks he's a vampire. The one you left standing sounds like Doc, the brains of the gang. He's crazier than s...o...b..ll. Won't back down from anything. And him a bleeder. I hope you had sense enough to finish it while you could.”

He looked at me and knew I hadn't.

”They're crazies, Garrett. A big gang. As long as s...o...b..ll is alive they'll keep coming. You embarra.s.sed him.” He got out pen, ink, paper, and started writing. ”Puddle. Take two men and see if there's still anyone around out there.”

”Sure, boss.” A real genius, Puddle. I wondered who tied his shoes.

Morley scribbled. ”The Vampires were way off their turf, Garrett. They come from North Reservoir Hill. Priam Street. West Bacon. Around there.”

I understood. They hadn't come south on a lark. I hadn't been a target of opportunity.

I got that chill between my shoulders again.

Morley sanded what he'd written, folded it, dashed something on the outside, then handed it to Slade. Slade looked at it, nodded, and walked out. Morley said, ”If I was you, Garrett, I'd go home and bar my doors and sit tight with the Dead Man.”

”Probably a good idea.”

We both knew I wouldn't. What if word got around that Garrett could be pushed?

Morley said, ”I don't keep up with street gangs. There're too many of them. But the Vampires have been making a name. Getting ambitious. s...o...b..ll wants to be top chuko, captain of captains...Excuse me.”

His speaking tube was making noises. He picked it up. ”I'm listening.” He held it to his ear. Then, ”Send him up.” He looked at me. ”You leave a broad trail. Pokey Pigotta is here looking for you.”

8.

Pokey wandered in looking like a living skeleton. Morley said, ”Plant yourself, Pokey,” and gave him that look he gives when he's planning a new diet for someone. Part of Morley believes there's no problem that can't be solved by upping your intake of green leafies and fiber. He was certain we could achieve peace in our time if we could just get everybody to stop eating red meat.

I asked, ”You looking for me?”

”Yes. I have to give you your money back. I can't do the job.”

Pokey refusing work? ”How come?”

”Got a better offer to do something that's more interesting, and I can't handle both jobs. You want to farm it out to Saucerhead? I'll give you what I got. For nothing.”

”You're a prince. You doing anything, Saucerhead?” He wasn't the best man for the job but what could I do? Pokey had set me up.

”Give me the skinny,” Saucerhead said. ”I ain't buying no pig in a poke.” He was suspicious because Pokey wanted out.

I gave him what I'd given Pokey, word for word. Pokey gave me my retainer, said, ”I cased the area but didn't make contact with the princ.i.p.al. The building is being watched, front and rear, by nonprofessionals. I a.s.sume the princ.i.p.al is their target, though the building contains nine other apartments. There's a caretaker who lives in the bas.e.m.e.nt. The tenants are all single women. The watchers left when it got dark. They went to the Blue Bottle, where they share a third-floor room as Smith and Smith. Once it was apparent they were off duty and were not going to be replaced, I went home. I found my new client waiting.”

Pokey described Smith and Smith, who sounded like your basic nondescript working stiffs.

”I can handle it, Garrett,” Saucerhead said. ”If you don't want to keep it for yourself.”

I handed him the retainer. ”Take care of the woman.”