'Kill him.'
'Ah,' Billy said softly.
'Objections?'
'Absolutely none.'
'Good.' Bollinger swallowed half of his drink. 'Because I'd do it even
if you had objections.'
The captain came to the table and asked if they would like to hear the
menu.
'Give us five minutes,' Billy said. When the captain had gone, he said,
'When you've killed Harris, will you leave him like the Butcher would?'
'Why not?'
'Well the others have been women.'
'This will confuse and upset them even more,' Bollinger said.
'When will you do it?'
'Tonight.' Billy said, 'I don't think he lives alone.'
'With his mother?' Bollinger asked sourly.
'No. I believe he lives with a woman.'
'Young?'
'I would imagine so.'
'Pretty?'
'He does seem to be a man of good taste.'
'Well, that's just fine,' Bollinger said.
'I thought you'd see it that way.'
'A double-header,' Bollinger said. 'That just adds to the fun.'
He grinned.
'Detective Preduski is on the line, Mr. Harris.'
'I'll talk to him. Put him through. Hello?'
'Sorry to bother you, Graham. Can we be less formal than we've been?
May I call you Graham?'
'Sure.'
'Please call me Ira.', 'I'd be honored.'
'You're very kind. I hope I didn't interrupt something.'
'No.
'I know you're a busy man. Would you rather I called you back later? Or
would you like to call me back at your convenience?'
'You didn't interrupt. What is it you want?'
'You know that writing we found on the walls of the Mowry apartment?'
'Too clearly.'
'Well, I've been trying to track down the source for the past few hours,
and-'
'You're still on duty at two in the afternoon?'
'No, no. I'm at home.'
'Don't you ever sleep?'
'I wish I could. I haven't been able to sleep more than four or five
hours a day for the past twenty years. I'm probably ruining my health.
I know I am. But I've got this twisted brain. My head's full of
garbage, thousands of useless facts, and I can't stop thinking about
them. I keep picking at the damnedest things. Like the writing on the
walls at the Mowry apartment. I couldn't sleep for thinking about ' it.
