the place last night.
I changed into a dark pin-striped suit, grabbed a leather attache case. It wouldn't get anybody's attention if I stood by the pay phone in the Criminal Court waiting for it to ring.
When Pansy saw the leash, she spun in a circle, dancing for joy. I hooked her up and we all went down the back stairs.
First stop was the hospital. I left Pansy in the back taking Belle's hand.
'Is she going to be all right back there?'
'What could happen to her?' I asked, reasonably enough.
The Prof was sitting up in bed, half a dozen pillows propped up behind him. His legs were still in casts, but lying flat on the bed. A metal bar ran between the casts. I looked a question.
'To make sure they stay straight until the casts come off,' he said.
'How you doing?'
'Not as sweet as drinking wine, not as bad as doing time.'
'We got something,' I said, moving close to the bed.
The little man's eyes shifted to where Belle was standing against the wall. I held out my hand behind me, not turning my head. She came up and took it. 'She's with us,' I told him. 'She's in this.'
He flashed his smile at her. 'This your man, little girl?'
Her smile blazed back. 'He surely is.'
'That makes me your brother-in-law, darlin'. Soon's we finish this fight, I'll show you the sights.'
She leaned over and kissed him. 'I'll be waiting.' Belle sat on the bed. It didn't shift more than half a foot. I pulled up the chair, keeping my voice down.
'Mortay called. We got a meet tonight.'
'Where?'
'Playground back of the Chelsea Projects.'
'Skinner heaven.'
'I know.'
'I don't like it. If he don't buy the play, how you gonna walk away?'
'I need a shooter. With a night scope. On the roof.'
'The only one I know is . . .'
'Not Wesley. I'll get someone else - I got it covered.' The Prof didn't know about my connect to UGL.
His voice dropped even lower. 'You going to dust him?'
'No way. Just make sure he gets the word - I want to tell him we got no beef. Walk away. The shooter is in case he wants to try and send another of his freakish messages.'
'Burke, I'm telling you, this Mortay . . .'
'I got it covered,' I told him again. 'You hear anything?'
'Got some promises, but no product.'
'I'll see you tomorrow.'
He put his hand on mine. 'Burke, listen to me like you used to on the yard. You want to roll the dice, make it nice.
'I got it,' I said, throwing him a salute.
93
I held the door for Belle to get into the car. 'He's really so much better, isn't he?'
'He's better, but he's not back to himself yet.'
'You'd expected him to be dancing by now?'
'Not the physical thing. The Prof, he's like two people. Half is this rhyming-time, upbeat thing you see, okay? The other half is how he got his name. Like a religious thing - I don't have a name for it. Re got his name because he can see things.'
'Like what's going to happen?'
'Sort of. Like I said, I can't really explain it. But he can preach, square business. Talk that religion like he means it. Strong enough to make you buy a piece sometimes, when he really gets on a roll. That's what's missing now.'
Belle tapped fingernails on one knee, paying attention, listening close. She turned to look at me. 'Maybe he don't like what he sees comin',' she said, the Southern-swamp tang strong in her voice.
94
I pulled the Plymouth into the parking lot across from the Criminal Court. The parking lot where I met Strega for the first time. The court where I first saw Wolfe in action. It was nine-forty-five - all the spaces were taken.
'Cruise around the lot like you're looking for a place to park,' I told Belle. 'You find one, pull in. Watch for me - I'll be coming down those steps,' I said, pointing across Centre Street. 'You see me coming, catch my eye. We may have to move out right away.'
I gave Pansy the signal. She flopped down in the back seat, filling it to capacity.
I crossed the street, grabbed the phone I wanted. I picked up the receiver, holding down the hook, and acted like I was listening to someone on the other end, glancing at my watch.
I knew my watch was accurate, because it read ten o'clock just as the phone rang. I released the hook.
'Can I see you? Today?'
'Handball court closest to Metropolitan. One o'clock.'
'Thanks.'
I was talking to a dead line.
95
I came down the steps, spotted the Plymouth making a slow circuit. I caught it on the second pass, opened the door. Belle rolled out to Lafayette Street, turned south, in the direction of the office.
'I don't have to get moving until around noon,' I told her. 'But I need the car when I do.'
'I'll go with you.'
'No, you won't. And get that pout off your face.'
She didn't. 'Make a right,' I told her as we came to Worth Street. 'Head down to the river.'
Pansy poked her head over the top of the front seat. 'Want to run, girl?' I asked her. She growled.
I showed Belle where to pull in. There were only a few cars on the broad strip of concrete, the usual collection of humans minding other people's business. I opened the back door, hooked Pansy's leash, and we strolled along the river. Her snout wrinkled at the smells, but she held her position. On my left side, slightly ahead. Every time I stopped, she sat. When we got to the deserted pier, I let her off the lead, making a circle with my hand, telling her not to roam far. Freed of the restraint of the leash, she did what comes naturally to her. Lay down.
'You lazy old thing,' Belle said. She looked around, her eyes sweeping the Jersey shore on the other side. 'Sure doesn't smell like any water I ever saw.'
'It's not water - ust a liquid toxic-waste dump.'
'You can't swim in it?'
'No. But on a good day, you could walk on it.'
'Ugh!'
