“A little war conference with the troops.”
“You mean they?re speaking to me?”
“They?re thinking about it,” he said, leading me out the door. His Black Maria was hunched down in
the loading zone, like it was looking for trouble.
“Why don?t I take my car?” I suggested. “In case we have to split up.”
“No worry,” he said, opening the door for me. “I?m your tour guide for the day. It was a raffle. I lost.”
“Keep it under ninety, will you?” I asked as I got in.
“It stutters under ninety,” he answered.
“Fine, let?s listen to it stutter for a while.”
He took me to a bright, airy place in a row house overlooking the river. It didn?t look like a restaurant;
it was more like having coffee in someone?s living room. The place was about five minutes away,
hardly time for the Maria to get up to speed, for which I was momentarily thankful. I was sure I
wouldn?t be that lucky for the entire day. Zapata, Salvatore, and Flowers were seated at a table in the
back.
“Hey, Mildred,” Salvatore yelled across the room as we entered, “two more javas.”
They all stared at me as I approached their table.
“What?s the matter, is my fly open?” I asked as 1 sat down.
“Sorry,” Charlie One Ear said. “We haven?t seen you in the daytime.”
“What you see, gentlemen, is a ruin,” I said. “Give me a couple of days to get some sun. I look much
better with a decent night?s sleep and a little colour.”
“It?s the fluorescent lights in the Warehouse,” Charlie One Ear 1oked. “They give everyone a ghastly
pallor.”
“Well,” I said, smiling at everybody, “thanks for not judging me on first appearances.”
“Yeah, you?re welcome,” said Salvatore.
“Y?see what it is, Kilmer, we decided to throw iii with you,” Zapata said. “On a temporary basis, see
what happens.”
“Gee whiz, I don?t know what to say,” 1 replied sarcastically.
“Thank you? will be fine,” said Charlie One Ear.
“Thanks again.”
“Our pleasure,” Charlie One Ear replied. “Now, just what specifically is it we?re looking for?”
“What I need,” I said, “is connections.”
“Like such as?” Chino Zapata asked.
“Like maybe a hooker who?s been bending her heels in Louisville, suddenly shows up here. Chances
