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'I'm trying to imagine something like that happening to me。'
Nicholas looked at him for a moment in pleasure。
As if by mutual consent； they began to walk slowly down the path towards Croaker's waiting car。 Both seemed somehow reluctant to be on their way； as if dreading the frenzy of the city。 Just before they reached the car； Croaker said； 'What's your
opinion of Justine's old man？'
Nicholas looked at him。 'That's an odd way to put it。'
Croaker shrugged。 'A figure of speech。'
But Nicholas suspected his friend of having inserted a subtle warning。 'I started out by hating his guts；' he said slowly as if formulating his thoughts as he spoke。 'But dial's hardly surprising； given Justine's point of view and the way he and I first met。 He's deliberate and heavy…handed and used to getting everydiing he wants。 I don't like any of dial。'
'I hear a 〃but〃 hanging around there some place。'
Nicholas stopped and faced Croaker。 'Look； it would be very easy … and expedient for us all … to write him off as a rich villain out of some dime…store novel but it's not as simple as all that。'
'He's a murderer； Nick。'
'He's vulnerable …'
'Oh； Jesus…'
'He loves his girls； no matter what they think of him。 He'd do anydiing to protect them。 And he's not as sure of himself as he ought to be。 There's something …'
'It's the grand act he's putting on for you。 He needs your help and he knows you're no dummy。'
'I really think you're wrong。 He's not as two…dimensional as you make him out to be。'
'All right。 Your ninja goes out and kills people；' Croaker said。 'But there must be someone somewhere who he es home to and loves。 He is still what he is。'
'You're ignoring the plexities …'
'He's a fucking shark； man。 You'd better face up to it。'
'You're looking at it from only one point of view。'
Croaker shook his head。 'No； Nick。 I've just known him longer； dial's all。'
On the way into the city； Croaker told Nicholas all he knew about the circumstances of Vincent's death。 It wasn't much。
He dropped Nicholas at Tomkin's building on Park and continued downtown。 At the office the M。E。's report on Vincent was waiting for him。 He slung his sopping jacket over the back
of the grey and dull green chair； took a MintyPick out of his breast pocket； flipped it into his mouth and opened the folder。
What he saw brought the sweat out on his forehead and along the line of his upper lip。 He ran a hand through his thick hair and swore under his breadi。 Then he reached for the phone。 There was the minimum of delay。
'Nate？' he said when he got the M。E。 on the line。 'Croaker。 Thanks for the report on Vincent Ito。 Someone must have broken his back to get it here so soon。'
'I did it myself。' Graumann's voice sounded tired。 'We're all still a bit stunned here and …'。
'Hey； Nate； I'm working on it。'
'What's up？ And don't give me any schmeer？
'Not much；' Croaker admitted。 'Only dial it seems related to the deaths of Terry Tanaka and Eileen Okura。 They were friends of Vincent's。'
'Yeah； I remember the files。 Vincent did the autopsies himself。 But how？ There's certainly no similarity in M。O。' Croaker rubbed at his eyes。 'Right now； all I can say is that M。O。 doesn't seem very relevant。'
'I see。 I phoned Doc Deerfordi out on the Island。 I wanted it to e from me。'
'How'd he take it？'
'Not well。 Look； Lew； we'd … I'd appreciate anything you can do … you know 。。。' His voice trailed off。
'I know you two were close。 Believe me； the minute I have something； I'll be in touch。〃 He looked up。 Vegas was in the open doorway； grinning like a Cheshire cat。 He put one finger in the air； put his hand over the speaker； said； 'Hold on； I'll be off in a minute。'
'。。。 the funeral arrangements；' Graumann was saying。
'Do that；' Croaker said； 'I want to be there。' He looked down at the report。 'About this chemical substance you found … are you certain …'
'Like I said； I did the autopsy myself。 There's no doubt about the finding。'
'Good。 That narrows things down considerably。'
'There's absolutely no way the substance could have been
introduced accidentally。 It happened shortly before his death。' 'So I see；〃 Croaker said； reading the typescript。 'A modified nerve toxin； slowed down his muscular responses enough so that…'
'I'd say he was pretty near helpless by the time … by the time it happened。'
'It wasn't injected。'
'No。 It would have no effect that way。 This is an organic pound we're talking about； npt a laboratory synthetic。 It must have been sprayed and from close range。 He might have known his murderer。'
'Or just not suspected。 Anyone … even someone ing quickly out of a crowd … could have sprayed him。 Listen； I'll get back to you。'
'Yeah。 I just hope it won't be long。'
Croaker cradled the receiver thoughtfully。 Still no word from his contact。 What was taking so fucking long？ 'e on in；' he said to Vegas。 He shifted the MintyPick from one side of his mouth to another。 'Where you been all duded up？' Vegas was wearing a plum…coloured suit with wide lapels and modified flare trousers。 Underneath； he wore a pink shirt with a high collar。
'Been out pickin' up the shit；' Vegas said； the wide smile still stitched to his mouth。 'Yeah； real bad shit this time； my man。 Took us three months settin' it up。'
Croaker grunted。 'Business as usual。' His mind was on the M。E。's report。
'No way； man。 No way a…tall。' Vegas lounged his huge frame against the open doorway； disdaining the chair inside the office。 'This time I got me a fox among all this shit I just hauled in。'
Croaker clucked his tongue。 'Don't tell me you're planning to mix business with pleasure。'
Vegas shook his head and his grin seemed to expand。 'Uh…uh； not this fox。 This fox is special。'
'Yeah？ They're all the fucking same； man； those cunts you e across。'
Vegas was waiting for this。 He poked his forefinger towards Croaker and said； delightedly； 'Not this one。 This one's your fox； man。 I just been her guardian angel till I got her here。'
Croaker looked up； puzzled。 'What the hell are you talking about？'
Vegas laughed good…naturedly。 'What I gots downstairs in the wagon is one piece of high…priced property； man。 C'mon； follow me。' Croaker swung his jacket off the chair…back； followed Vegas down the hall。
'This better be worth it；' he said shortly。 'I ain't got time for any of your jive。'
'Oh； no jive； man。 No jive。' Vegas laughed again； stabbed the elevator button。 'What I got on ice down in the alley is goin' make your day。 Trust me。' He gave a hearty laugh and slapped Croaker on the back as the elevator doors opened and they rode down。 They shared the car with a uniform bringing a scruffy…looking Puerto Rican collar down for prints and pics and nothing more was said until they went out through the side entrance。
They came abreast of the police van in the cool dimness of the concrete alley。 In this tightly enclosed space； Vegas's body…size was magnified； he was as big as Paul Bunyan amid the White Mountains。
He put an enormous hand on Croaker's shoulder and Croaker was automatically reminded of one of the cases on which they had been teamed。 The Atherton thing。 Christ； he thought； but that was a bitch ！ Thought sure we were gonna float away on a sea of blood and never see this goddamned world again。 Jesus I He could see it as clearly as if it had just happened： he down with his shoulder shattered by a 。45 slug and Vegas rising from the shadows of the burned…out car like an avenging angel。 Croaker had fired on his assailant； spinning him around； his second and third shots a useless reflex aimed at the stars。 But there was this mountain of a black man with the tyre chain and the snub…nosed pistol the bastard had modified so that it could blast a hole in a brick wall at ten feet； and Vegas took him on with just his bare hands and I never saw anyone go down so hard or so fast 〃from one blow as that motherfucking hood。 There were three other corpses that night； Jesus； what fucking mess！ Croaker felt the pressure of the other's grip。
'Don't you worry none；' the big man said softly。 'We look out for each other； don't we？ I don't give a rat's ass for anyone around here； you know that？ They're all a bunch of goddamned
hypocrites。 I got my job to do； I do it。 The rest of them； well； they all got an axe to grind； one way or another。 There's always an angle to play out here； ain't that right。 War's a perfect place for angles； you know that。 The smart make out in wars。 They ain't got no conscience； they ain't got no emotion。 All they got to worry about is keeping their tails on straight； after that； they got all the time in the world to look for the gravy rollin' in under the dirt and the scum and the …' Vegas stopped abruptly； aware that his grip had tightened painfully on his friend's flesh。 He shook his head like a wounded animal。 'Sorry； Soldier； it's been a heavy day。' He smiled ruefully。 'Real heavy duty。'
'It's okay； Spook。' They had given each other nicknames long ago when they had first met； it gave them both a forting feeling of privacy amid the openness of their days and nights on the force。 At times； Croaker thought that this was the falsest feeling in the world； on those days when he felt pletely invaded by his job。 'We're two fucking heroes who think that shovellin' shit is heroic。' He laughed。 'But cheer up。 What the hell； it could be worse。 We could be the ones ma1（in' the shit。'
Vegas threw back his head and laughed； the rich sound rolling off the high walls。 'Now； look； here's the dope；' he said。 'We been working； like I said； on this Scarsdale bust for three months； no less。 We get a tip to move。 We move。 Lots of stuff there … enough pills to keep the goddamned Chinese Army awake for a year； a whole lotta horse； carload o' coke an' about a half a ton of reefer madness。 Okay； not so bad。 That's going on in the back of the place。 In the front they got a party going on and everyone gets busted； you know？ That's when I saw her。 Thought I'd bring her in myself； just in case。 I think she's clean but' … he shrugged … 'you know how that is sometimes。 Anyway； she's yours if you want her … I can straighten them out upstairs。'
'How can I know if I want her；' Croaker said； 'if I don't
know who she is？'
Vegas transferred his hand from Croaker's shoulder to the lever of the back door to the van。 'Sittin' in the。 dark right in here； man； is Raphael's elder daughter； Gelda Tomkin。'
Croaker felt a jolt race through him just as if he had been doused with ice water。
Vegas leaned on the lever； grinning； the reinforced…steel door swung outward and Croaker stepped in。 The door slammed shut behind him。
He stood for a moment in the dimness unmoving； letting his eyes adjust to the low light seeping in through the windshield； washed to a pale grey by the mesh screen dividing the blessed from the damned。
She sat on one of the plain metal benches riveted along either side of the van。 Her head was tilted back； resting against the wall。 This put her profile into prominence so that he could see the arch of her long forehead； the straight patrician nose； the flair of the highly sensual lips； the long cool sweep of her curving throat。 He knew without having to see them now the dark sparks of her eyes； the rather heavy torso with its thrusting breasts and ample hips。 Knew； too； the long sweep of the perfect legs from thigh to calf to slim exquisite ankle palely outlined as they stretched out before her； those magnificent legs which； quite inexplicably； made her heaviness an overwhelm…iogasset。
'Well 。。。' He felt a great weight about his body and an inarticulateness that obliged him to clear his throat and begin again。 'Well； Gelda； what have you been up to now？'
The sharply delineated profile dissolved into sweeping shadow as she turned her head to look in his direction。
'Who the hell are you？' Even in anger there was a rich lustre； a 〃silkine^s to her voice that made it seem as if he had spoken to her yesterday instead of several months ago。 Even alarm could not diminish its effectiveness。
'Croaker；' he said； moving towards her。 'Lieutenant。 Remember me？'
'Should I？' The tone had turned aqueous； soft and languid。 The air between them seemed to tremble。
'Maybe。 I met you once before。' He stoo