Part 15 (1/2)

Right.

”For me it was a traumatic surrender to my sinful side.” He took a long pull of brandy. He was drinking straight from the bottle now. ”I've always suffered from a weakness for female flesh.”

”Don't we all.”

He scowled. ”That wasn't a problem when I was younger. If I visited a prost.i.tute and she found me out, she'd laugh. Priests are their best customers. But if I were found out now I could be destroyed.”

I understood. It was not that it would make him a better or worse person, but it would be a tool that could be used to bludgeon him.

”I wrestle the demon within but in the end I always lose, so discreet women are a must. Donna was a G.o.dsend. Whatever her faults, she kept her mouth shut.”

She did that. ”Did she know who you were?”

”Yes.”

”That's a lot of power to hand a working girl.”

”It was accidental. And she never abused it.”

Maybe. ”How did you meet her?”

”She was an actress. Working in a playhouse on Old s.h.i.+pway. I saw her. I wanted her. She led me on a long chase but persistence paid off.”

For both of them. But I didn't say that.

”I moved her into that place barely three months ago. It was less dangerous to visit her there. Those were three happy months, Mr. Garrett. And now all this.”

He finished the brandy. He looked the sort to become a maudlin drunk. I didn't need that. I had no time to feel sorry for anybody but me. It was time to start easing him toward the door. ”How should I get in touch?”

”Don't try. I'll find a way to see you.” Suddenly, he was as ready to leave as I was to have him go. The beer had me too sleepy to concentrate. He started toward the door. ”Good luck, Mr. Garrett. And thank you for a fine brandy, though I cheapened it by swilling it like bottom-grade wine.”

I got him out the front door, locked up, and hurried back to see how many marks could be stuffed into a bag a little bigger than my clenched fist.

Morley invited himself in as I got started. ”What was that, Garrett? He was weird.”

”A client who prefers to remain anonymous.”

He didn't like that. Like everybody else, he thought I should make an exception and trust his discretion.

”I don't want to seem impolite, Morley. But I haven't been getting much sleep.”

”I can take a hint, Garrett. Let me say good night to the old man.”

”Go ahead.”

A minute later, as I took the money to the Dead Man's room, I overheard him giving Dean advice about how to adjust my diet so I wouldn't be tired and cranky all the time.

Good old Morley, looking out for my well-being behind my back. If Dean started trying to feed me salads and bean curd, I'd strangle them both.

28.

I closed the door behind Dotes, bolted up, leaned against the door frame and sighed. Now back to my dreams of blonde sugarplums. I'd stay with them a while. No need to be a fanatic about getting an early start.

Then I recalled that I hadn't tried to straighten things out with Tinnie. The longer I let that slide, the more difficult it would be. And I really needed to find Maya and apologize to her.

There are only so many hours.

The street was so quiet I heard the hollow, echoing clop-clop clop-clop of a horse approaching, the metallic rattle of iron rims on cobblestones. I listened. There isn't much vehicular traffic after dark. It advertised the fact that here was somebody worth robbing. of a horse approaching, the metallic rattle of iron rims on cobblestones. I listened. There isn't much vehicular traffic after dark. It advertised the fact that here was somebody worth robbing.

The sound died.

My heart sank, though there was no obvious reason it should.

I went to the kitchen to see if Dean could use some help. Maybe I'm a little psychic and sensed there was no point in trudging upstairs.

Someone pounded on the door. The knock had a ring of determination, as though whoever was there had no intention of going away.

I employed my best put-upon sigh and went to see what it was.

It was the kingpin's man Crask, looking uglier and meaner than ever because he was trying to be friendly and courteous. ”Chodo says he'd consider it a big favor if you'd come out to the house right away, Mr. Garrett. He said to give you his a.s.surance that it's important and that you'll be compensated for your trouble.”

I was getting compensated by everybody in sight without having the slightest notion what was going on. I'd get rich if the mess never sorted itself out.

And the Dead Man thought I couldn't survive without him.

I didn't turn Crask down. Sooner or later I'd end up b.u.t.ting heads with his boss, but when that happened it would be over something more substantial than lost sleep.

”Let me finish getting dressed,” I said. d.a.m.n, Crask gave me the creeps. I never met anybody who reeks of menace the way he does, except his sidekick Sadler, who has a soul struck from the same cold mold.

Five minutes later I clambered into Chodo Contague's personal coach. Chodo wasn't aboard. Morley Dotes was. I wasn't surprised. He looked as sour as I felt.

Not much was said during the trip. Crask is no conversationalist. His presence tends to put the damper on a party.

Chodo's estate is a few miles north of TunFaire's northernmost gate, in a manor that would do any duke proud. The grounds are extensive, manicured, and surrounded by a wall meant more to keep in than to keep out. Several hundred thunder lizards cruise the grounds and provide protection more certain than any moat or castle wall. I've heard that Chodo has survived a.s.sa.s.sination attempts he knows nothing about because his guardians ate everything but the a.s.sa.s.sins' names.

I looked out the window. ”Chodo's pets seem frisky tonight.” It was cold out. The colder it gets the more sluggish thunder lizards become.

”He had them warmed up,” Crask said. ”He thought there might be trouble.”

”That why we're here?”

”Maybe.”

There must be two guys living inside Crask's skin. One is the stiffly formal butler character that Chodo turns loose on diplomatic errands, and the other is the Crask who grew up on the waterfront, whose hobby is biting the heads off cobras. I hope I never have to deal with that Crask, though I expect it's inevitable. He's a completely casual and remorseless killer and he's smart. If he got the word to get me, he'd have me before I knew he was coming.

The coach stopped at the foot of steps leading to Chodo's front door. There was light enough to read by, lanterns by the dozen burning, like Chodo was throwing a party and we were the first to arrive. Crask said, ”Don't get out.” Like Morley or I might be dumb enough to step outside and pet the monsters snuffling around the coach. He got out and went up the steps. The beasts didn't bother him.