True Detective

'The city council's giving me three hundred bucks. Me and Miller and Lang, each of us get that. And commendations. That's like getting a medal, I suppose.'

'You should be honored. You don't sound it.'

'I'm not. I quit the department, you know.'

'I know, I know.'

'You saw it in the papers, too, huh?'

'I heard.'

Where would Uncle Louis have heard?

'Nate,' he said. 'Nathan.'

Something was coming; otherwise it would've just been Nate.

'Yes, Uncle Louis?'

'I wondered could I have lunch with you tomorrow.'

'Certainly. Who's buying?'

'Your rich uncle, of course. You'll come?'

'Sure. Where?'

'Saint Hubert's.'

'That's pretty fancy. My rich uncle's going to have to pick up the tab if we go there. I never been there before.'

'Well, be there tomorrow, promptly at noon.'

'Promptly, huh? Okay. You're the boss; you're the only rich relative I got.'

'Dress nice, Nate.'

'I'll wear the clean suit.'

'I'd appreciate that. We won't be dining alone.'

'Oh?'

'There's someone who wants to meet you.'

'Who would that be?'

'Mr. Dawes.'

'Yeah. sure. Rufus or the General?'

'The General.'

'Say, you aren't kidding, are you?'

'Not in the least.'

'The biggest banker in Chicago wants to see me? Former vice-president of these United States meets former member of the downtown division's pickpocket detail?'

'That's correct.'

'Why, for Christ's sake?'

'Can I count on you for noon. Nathan?'

Nathan again!

'Of course you can. Hell. Maybe we can stick Dawes for the check.'

'Noon, Nathan,' Uncle Louis said humorlessly.

I sat looking at the phone, after hanging up. for maybe ten minutes, trying to figure this. And it just didn't figure. Cermak and Nitti wanting to see me was one tiling; Dawes was something else again. I couldn't work it out.

And I had forgot to ask about the file cabinets.

At about six, I went down onto the street and found another cool evening waiting for me- the day had been cloudy, no snow, a little rain, and the sidewalk was shiny, wet. Van Buren Street itself, though, sheltered by the El tracks, looked dry. A streetcar slid by, obscuring the store across the way- Bailey's Uniforms- for just a moment. I walked to the restaurant around the corner from Barney's building; it was a white building with a vertical sign that spelled out

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