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  "All the more reason for us to keep our asses covered."

  "I know that, Doug, but " "Littrell won't touch a case unless we've got

  solid evidence " "To back it up," Burke shouted."I've got it, okay?

  God knows I've heard the sermon often enough."

  "I just don't want another major fuckup," Pat fired back."This

  department can't afford one, and neither can you."

  Pat's shout reverberated around a sudden and uncomfortable silence.

  The other officers averted their eyes from the two who were arguing.

  "Come on, y'all," Mac mumbled."Stay cool."

  It was well known, especially to Burke, that Pat favored him over other

  officers in the division. Not only because he considered Burke a good

  cop, but because the two had started out friends. They'd gone through

  the academy in the same class. Pat had chosen administration over street

  work, but rank hadn't made a difference in their relationship.

  Until recently. The circumstances surrounding Kev Stuart's death had

  placed a strain on their friendship. Burke felt it. But he also

  understood where it was coming from. Doug had to answer to his superiors

  for the conduct and performance of each of the officers under his

  command. Being the go-between was difficult at any time, but especially

  when he was trying to protect the reputation of an officer who was also

  a friend.

  Burke realized that Doug didn't want his career sacrificed to that one

  dreadful mistake. Doug had gone to the mat for him when his stability

  and reliability came into question following the incident. Publicly and

  privately, he'd backed him one hundred percent through the trial.

  Despite the anger of the moment, Burke understood that Doug didn't want

  him to lose his head and do something reckless, providing the nervous

  decision-makers a good reason to seize his badge.

  Since the outburst, he and Doug hadn't broken eye contact. His temper

  now under control, he said, "Give me a shot at Sachel."

  "In your present frame of mind, I don't think so," Pat replied

  evenly."Tomorrow maybe."

  '"He'll be sprung by tomorrow."

  "We'll drag our feet on the bail hearing."

  Burke sighed, rubbed the back of his neck, then gave each of the other

  officers a sour glance."Then I'm going home." "What about me?" Hahn

  asked.

  Pat looked at Burke."You call it. This is your show."

  "Like hell it is," he grumbled. Then, to Hahn, he said, "We'll lock you

  up for a couple of hours."

  "Oh, Jesus. I hate that stinking place."

  "Sorry, Ray, but we can't let you be blown or we're really screwed."

  Pinkie stood up and snapped shut his briefcase.

  "You're leaving?" Sachel exclaimed in disbelief."You can't leave.

  What am I supposed to do?"

  "You're supposed to spend the night in jail."

  "Jail? Jail? When can you get me out of here?"

  "I'll start working on a bail hearing first thing in the morning.

  I'm afraid you're in for the night."

  "Well that's just great. Fuckin' great."

  "A little cell time will be good for you, Sachel. It might make you

  think about how stupid you've been."

  Sachel stopped his grousing and looked sharply at Pinkie."What do you

  mean?"

  "I mean you're a fool to get arrested for selling to a customer in the

  club." Pinkie had kept his temper under control as long as the policemen

  were in the room, but now that they'd granted him a moment alone with

  his client, he felt free to vent his rage.

  "This guy is no stranger to me," Sachel said in his defense."He's a

  regular. I sell to him all the time. I didn't see any harm " "Shut up,"

  Pinkie snapped."Since when did you become a user?"

  "Me? I'm not. Never have been."

  "But your girlfriend is."

  "Girlfriend? What the hell you talking about, Pinkie? I gotta wife.

  A kid. I don't have a girlfriend."

  Pinkie hated for someone to lie to him. He hated it even worse when the

  lie was so blatantly transparent as to imply that he was too stupid to

  see through it."The acrobatic dancer. Frizzy red hair. Skinny ass.

  Small tits, but nipples the size of saucers. Come on, Sachel, you know

  the one."

  Sachel swallowed hard. Sweat popped out on his forehead and his skin

  turned a sickly shade of pale that clashed with his bright jacket.

  "You've been banging her for three months," Pinkie said softly, almost

  sympathetically."She's swapping you sex for dope. My dope. You're

  supplying it to her for free. And that's stealing, Sachel.

  "Furthermore, because it's free, she's doing so much of it that about

  half the time she's too stoned to perform. As you know, she's the club's

  most popular dancer. Men drink for hours while waiting for her act.

  They pay well to stay and see her famous back-bend finale, but they go

  home early if she cancels." Pinkie stepped close enough for Sachel to

  smell his minty mouthwash."Your hard-ons are costing me money, Sachel."

  Sweat rings had formed around the sleeves of Sachel's yellow coat.

  "I wouldn't do anything against you, Pinkie. You know that." "Do I?"

  He shook his silver head."I've heard rumors, Sachel.

  Upsetting talk about you and your ambitions."

  Sachel tried to smile, but his rubbery lips didn't quite cooperate.

  "You can't believe gossip."

  "Oh, I believe it. After tonight, I do."

  "Wh ... whadaya mean?"

  "Why would a smart narc like Burke Basile arrest you over a couple of

  ounces? He was careless once, but he's too damn clever to screw around

  with a cheap, smarmy hustler like you unless he wants something from

  you."

  "Like what?"

  "Information. Evidence."

  "I'd tell them to go fuck themselves."

  Ignoring Sachel's self-righteous indignation, Pinkie continued: "They'll

  let you spend a night or two in jail with the worst of the worst, let

  you see how really bad incarceration is, and then, when your defenses

  are down, they'll offer you a deal. My guess is it'll be a dismissal of

  all the charges against you in exchange for information about your

  operation."

  "I'd never take a deal."

  Pinkie smiled."No, I don't believe you would."

  Sachel relaxed."Hell no. I'd never betray a friend."

  "I'm confident you won't." Pinkie's voice was deceptively silky.

  "Because I'm sure you'd rather do some jail time than have anything bad

  happen to your boy."

  Sachel's bravado collapsed."My boy? Oh God, Pinkie. No. I " Pinkie laid

  a hand on Sachel's shoulder to calm him and to stop his sputtering."I

  look forward to seeing that kid play for the Tigers, and so do a lot of

  other people." He gently massaged Sachel's rigid deltoid.

  "Wouldn't it be a shame if he was seriously injured in a freak accident,

  if his promising career in football was abruptly ended before it even

  got started?"

  Sachel began to cry.

  "Wouldn't you hate to see your son fall victim to a tragic accident,

  Sachel?"

  Sobbing like a baby, Sachel nodded.

  Would you like some eggs?" v Jv "No thanks, Pinkie." Bardo glanced over

  at Roman."But I'll take a cup of
coffee."

  After returning home from the police station, Pinkie realized he was

  ravenous. He'd awakened the butler and asked him to prepare a breakfast.

  Rather than being disgruntled, Roman was happy to oblige. Having been

  saved from death row instilled a lot of loyalty.

  Roman carried a carafe of fresh coffee and another cup and saucer to the

  kitchen table."Will you be needing anything else, Mr. Duvall?"

  "No thank you, Roman. Good night." Over the rim of his china cup, Bardo

  watched the old gentleman as he went down the hall toward his

  quarters."Not too many niggers like that left in the world."

  "I wouldn't let him hear you say that," Pinkie remarked as he broke the

  yolk on one of his sunny-side-ups."When he caught his wife in bed with

  another man, Roman took an ax to both of them."

  "No shit?" Bardo was obviously impressed."Hmm."

  Pinkie came straight to the point of the unscheduled meeting.

  "We're going to have trouble with Basile."

  "Duh! " Pinkie's fork halted halfway to his mouth. He looked up at Bardo

  and was pleased to see that the other man correctly read the meaning

  behind his dangerous expression.

  '"Sorry," Bardo mumbled."Didn't mean to sound like a smart ass. It's

  just, you know, I'd already figured we weren't finished with that Boy

  Scout yet."

  "I thought we could take care of him in good time, but I've changed my

  mind. I don't think we should wait."

  "Why? What's up?"

  Pinkie told him about Sachel's arrest."I think it's time we sent Mr.

  Basile a message."

  "Okay."

  "A clear message that if he meddles with us, he's begging for trouble.

  Bad trouble."

  "What do you want me to do?"

  '"Pinkie?" At the sound of Remy's voice, both men looked toward the open

  doorway where she was standing, wrapped in a robe, her hair tousled,

  eyes sleepy."I didn't hear you come in."

  "I've been back a while." Pinkie noticed that she had deliberately kept

  her eyes away from Bardo, and Pinkie couldn't help but wonder why that

  was."Mr. Bardo and I had some business to discuss."

  "At this hour?"

  "Urgent business."

  "I see."

  "Go back to bed. I'll be there shortly."

  Her gaze shifted to Bardo for a millisecond before she looked back at

  Pinkie."Don't be long."

  Keeping his voice low, he finished his conversation with Bardo. It took

  no longer than it did for him to finish eating his food. In conclusion

  he said, "I'd like this taken care of immediately." "Sure.

  " "Immediately," Pinkie repeated with emphasis."The impact should be

  hard and strong, like a blow to the head. I want this to be a real

  wake-up call for Basile and everyone in the Narcotics Division."

  "I understand."

  "As to your fee ..."

  "The usual?"

  Pinkie nodded."You can leave by the back door, same as you came in."

  After Bardo left, Pinkie reset the alarm system, then went upstairs.

  Remy was in bed, but she was still awake."What was that about?" "I told

  you. Business." He began undressing, but his eyes remained on her. i"Are

  you feeling well, Remy?" He could tell the question made her uneasy."Of

  course. Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

  "You haven't been yourself lately."

  She gave him an unconvincing smile."You know I get a little blue every

  winter. I'm ready for spring. It seems a long way off."

  "You're lying." In their natural state, other men might feel vulnerable

  and less imposing. Not Pinkie. Nakedness didn't inhibit him.

  Placing his hands on his hips, he gave his wife a stern stare."You've

  been dragging your ass around for weeks."

  "I told you, it's " "The time of year? Bullshit. Where'd these

  newfangled ideas of yours come from?"

  "What newfangled ideas?"

  "The ones you so outspokenly shared with our party guests last night."

  Dropping his voice almost to a whisper, he said, "You came awfully close

  to siding with the opposition, Remy."

  "That's ridiculous. You know whose side I'm on."

  "Do I?"

  "You should."

  She met his gaze levelly. He could see no equivocation in her eyes, but

  he wasn't ready to let the matter drop just yet. Her position in his

  life did not include the voicing of opinions on anything of importance.

  "I also didn't like the fact that you disappeared during my party."

  "I didn't disappear. I developed a headache and had to come upstairs and

  lie down."

  '"A headache?" he repeated skeptically."You've never had headaches

  before. You've never been this lethargic before either. Are you ill?

  Maybe I should schedule a doctor's appointment for you."

  "No! " The force of her answer surprised even her. She mollified it with

  a light little laugh."It's nothing, Pinkie. I'm fine. Just a little

  moody, that's all."

  He sat down on the bed close to her and stroked her neck."The one thing

  I won't tolerate, Remy, is someone lying to me." His fingers ceased

  stroking her."Tell me, now, what the hell is wrong."

  "All right," she exclaimed angrily. Throwing back the covers, she left

  the bed, then turned back to confront him."It's that man."

  He came to his feet."What man?"

  "Wayne Bardo."

  "What about him?"

  "He makes my skin crawl." She hugged her elbows and rubbed her bare

  arms."I loathe him. I can't stand to be in the same room with him." "Why

  not? Has he done something, said something to you?"

  "No, no. Nothing like that." Obviously vexed, she expelled a deep breath

  and pushed her fingers through her hair."It's just a feeling I get. He

  gives off vibes, evil vibes. I was hoping that after his trial he

  wouldn't be hanging around so much. Tonight, I find him at our kitchen

  table."

  Pinkie was on the verge of laughing with relief. Most women thought

  Wayne Bardo was attractive until they got to know him better. It pleased

  him that Bardo's Mediterranean good looks held no appeal for his young,

  beautiful wife. Her studious avoidance of him was due to repugnance, not

  attraction.

  Hiding his relief, he said, "Bardo does odd jobs for me. He's working

  off part of his legal fee." "Well, from now on please conduct your

  business with him somewhere other than the house."

  "Why do you dislike him so much?"

  "Isn't it clear? He frightens me."

  Pinkie did laugh then as he pulled her into his embrace."He frightens a

  lot of people. That's why he's so useful to me."

  "You use him to frighten people?"

  Above her head, he frowned. She rarely asked him even the most harmless

  questions about his business dealings. Lately she had expressed more

  than a passing interest, and that could be dangerous.

  More than a few of his clients had been double-crossed by spiteful wives

  or girlfriends who knew too much."Why are you so curious about my

  association with Bardo?"

  "I'm not, so long as he doesn't come to the house. I don't want him

  here."

  "All right. If Bardo offends you, I'll try and keep you separated."

  "Thank you."

  "Now that's settled
, I want your promise that you'll stop this

  irritating moping."

  "I'll try."

  He placed his thumb beneath her chin and tilted her head back.

  "Do."

  He spoke softly, but he didn't need to raise his voice for her to catch

  his drift."Have I given you any reason to be discontent, Remy?" She

  shook her head."Good." He ran his thumb across her lips."I'm glad to

  hear that. Because I want you to be happy. I'd hate for us to have

  another situation like Galveston."

  "That was a long time ago."

  "But not so long ago that we've forgotten it."

  "No, I haven't forgotten it."

  "So you're happy?"