anybody.”
“You don’t think you could have pulverized, I don’t know, Ben Purvis and gotten the same reaction?”
“Ben Purvis is an idiot who can barely tie his shoes. He’s going to end up dead sooner or later. He croaks, people just assume he got what was coming to him. With Tsang, people will tighten up like they’re about to get a hot poker up their ass. We need everyone alert, everyone game.”
Leonard Reeves shook his head as they gingerly stepped aboard the boat. Reeves gently placed his side of the bag onto the floor. Malloy dropped his like a sack of potatoes.
“You don’t need to be gentle with this thing,” Malloy said. “He’s deader than oatmeal. In fact, he might actually be the same consistency as oatmeal right now.”
“You’re a sick fuck, Malloy,” Reeves said.
“And you’re a rich prick, Len,” Malloy replied.
“Fair enough. Where we headed?”
“There’s a buoy out by the Marine Transfer station in the East River.”
“Ninety-first Street I think,” Reeves said.
“We’re going to tie our friend up, and then…” Malloy reached into his pocket and pulled out a plastic bag.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Balloons?”
“We want Mr. Tsang here to be found right quick.”
“Did you have to make them pink?”
Malloy laughed. “I’m a romantic.”
“All right, let’s go. I want to be back in bed by six o’clock.”
“No problem. You will be.”
“Good. And hey, Malloy, did you guys take care of the girl? You know, the reporter?”
“Paulina Cole?”
“Yeah, her,” Reeves said. “Didn’t you guys have something planned for her?”
“It’s taken care of,” Malloy said.
“She’s kind of hot for an older broad,” Reeves said. “Hey, wouldn’t it be kind of funny if I screwed her?”
“After what I did to her this afternoon,” Malloy said, “I don’t think she’s going to let any strangers come near her for a long, long time. Or her daughter.”
