'You used to be a mouthy bastard,' he said finally.
'Brevity is the soul of wit,' I said.
'Why's the kid want to find her?' Vinnie said.
I shrugged. 'She's not around.'
'So what?' Vinnie said. 'My old lady's not around either. I ain't looking for her.'
'He cares about her,' I said.
'There's one difference right there,' Vinnie said. 'She got something he wants?'
'His past,' I said.
Vinnie looked at me some more, and tossed his foot some more.
'His past,' Vinnie said.
I nodded.
'What the fuck is that supposed to mean?'
'Kid's about to get married,' I said. 'She was pretty much a bitch all his childhood and he wants to know her as something other than that before he moves too far on into adulthood.'
'You shoulda been a college professor,' Vinnie said.
'You say that because you don't know any college professors,' I said.
Vinnie shrugged. 'Anyway, that may all be true, whatever the fuck it means, but it don't help my case. Or, far as I can see, yours.'
'True,' I said. 'But you asked me.'
'Yeah,' Vinnie said. 'Sure. The point is you'relooking and we're looking and I want to be sure we aren't trampling on each other's feet, you know?'
He took a package of Juicy Fruit gum from his coat pocket and offered me some. I shook my head, and he selected a stick, and peeled it open, and folded it into his mouth.
'Me and Joe don't give a fuck about her,' he said. 'We want him.'
'I don't give a fuck about him,' I said. 'I want her.'
Vinnie smiled widely. 'Perfect,' he said and chewed his gum slowly.
'How about Gerry?' I said.
This time there was no hint of expression in Vinnie's face. 'Hey, he's
Joe's kid.'
'Joe's a creep,' I said, 'but compared to his kid he's Abraham Lincoln.'
Vinnie turned his hands palms up.
'Is Gerry going to get in the way?' I said.
'Joe told him to stay out of this.'
'You think he will?'
Again Vinnie's face was without expression. His voice was entirely neutral.
® ю
No.
'Like I said. What about Gerry?'
'Okay,' Vinnie said. 'We won't fuck around with this either. I been with
Joe a long time. You don't like him. That's okay. He don't like you. But
Joe says he'll do something, he will. He says he won't, he won't.'
'That's true for you, Vinnie. It's not true for Joe.'
'We won't argue. I know Joe a long time. But we both know Gerry and we know he's a fucking ignoramus.
'But he's mean and you can't trust him,' I said.
'Exactly,' Vinnie said. 'And Joe loves him. Joe don't see him for the fucking weasel that he is.'
'So you're going to have trouble with Gerry too.'
'Nothing I can't handle.'
'Tricky though,' I said.
'Yeah,' Vinnie said.
'You want to tell me what kind of mess Gerry is in with Richie Beaumont?'
'No.'
The light was beginning to fade outside, and the traffic sounds drifting up from Boylston Street increased as
