'I heard that story,' Elaine said. 'Wasn't there something about it in the papers?'
'I think one of the columnists used it. Mick refuses to confirm or deny. In any event, Farrelly's never been seen since.'
'Do you think he did it?'
'I think he killed Farrelly. I don't think there's any real question of that. I think he went around showing off a bowling bag. I don't know for sure that he ever opened it, though, or that there was anything in it.'
She thought it over. 'Interesting friends you have,' she said.
Before our club soda ran out, she got a chance to meet him. He came in with two much smaller men in tow, two men dressed alike in jeans and leather flier's jackets. He gave me a slight nod as he led the two the length of the room and through a door at the rear. Some five minutes later the three reappeared. The two smaller men walked on out of the bar and headed south on Tenth Avenue, and Ballou stopped at the bar, then came over to our table with a glass of twelve-year-old Jameson in his hand.
'Matthew,' he said. 'Good man.' I pointed to a chair but he shook his head. 'I can't,' he said. 'I have business. The man who's his own boss always winds up working for a slavedriver.'
I said, 'Elaine, this is Mick Ballou. Elaine Mardell.'
'A pleasure,' Ballou said. 'Matthew, I've been saying I wished you would come by, and here you are and I have to be off. Come back again, will you?'
'I will.'
'We'll tell tales all night and go to mass in the morning. Miss Mardell, I'll hope to see you again as well.'
He turned away. Almost as an afterthought he raised his glass and drained it. On his way out he left the glass on an empty table.
After the door closed behind him Elaine said, 'I wasn't prepared for the size of him. He's huge, isn't he?
He looks like one of those statues onEaster Island .'
'I know.'
'Rough-hewn from granite. What did he mean about going to mass in the morning? Is that code for something?'
I shook my head. 'His father was a meatcutter in theWashington Street market. Every once in a while Mick likes to put on his father's old apron and go to the eight o'clock mass at St. Bernard's.'
'And you go with him?'
'I did once.'
'You bring a girl to the most remarkable places,' she said, 'and introduce her to the most remarkable people.'
* * *
Outside again, she said, 'You live near here, don't you, Matt? You can just put me in a cab. I'll be all right.'
'I'll see you home.'
'You don't have to.'
'I don't mind.'
'Are you sure?'
'Positive,' I said. 'Besides, I'm going to need that sketch Galindez made. I want to get it photocopied first thing in the morning and start showing it to people.'
'Oh, right.'
There were plenty of cabs now, and I flagged one and we rode across town in silence. Her doorman opened the cab door for us, then hurried ahead to hold the door to the lobby.
As we rode up in the elevator she said, 'You could have had the cab wait.'
'There are cabs all over the place.'
'That's true.'
'It's easier to get another one than pay his waiting time. Besides, I might walk home.'
'At this hour?'
'Sure.'
'It's a long walk.'
'I like long walks.'
She unfastened both locks, the Segal deadbolt and the Fox police lock, and when we were inside she fastened them all again, the two she'd just unlocked and the other, the police lock that could only be engaged from inside. It was a lot to go through given that I was going to be leaving in a minute, but I was pleased to see her do it. I wanted her to get in the habit of setting all the locks the minute she walked into the place.
And not just most of the time. All of the time.
'Don't forget the cab,' she said.
'What about the cab?'
