Bingo! “How’d you know DeRosa?” I said.
“He hired me and Kevin to do some stuff.”
“For Conroy?”
“I guess.”
“You know what happened to McGonigle?” I said.
“I heard Kevin got it in a shootout over on A Street.”
“From me,” I said.
“Huh?”
“He got it from me. I shot him.”
Scanlan took in some more smoke. I knew so few people who smoked anymore that it was kind of fascinating to watch him.
“How come you shot him?”
“He was trying to shoot me,” I said.
Scanlan shrugged. “Shit happens,” he said.
“Tell me about Marvin Conroy.”
“Nothing to tell,” Scanlan said. “When the cops tried to hang me with that bum rap he helped me out with the lawyer.”
“Why?” I said.
“I guess he was the one got Jack to hire us.”
“To do what?”
Scanlan said, “A little of this, a little of that.”
“You’re a thug,” I said. “You were doing strong-arm work.”
“Cops couldn’t hold us.”
“Somebody shot Jack DeRosa to pieces,” I said.
“Jack?”
“Jack and his girlfriend,” I said. “Fifty rounds.”
“Margy?”
“Yep.”
“Why her?”
“Probably for being there.”
“Who done it?”
“What would be your guess?” I said.
“How the fuck would I know?”
“I figure Jack got it because he knew something and somebody wanted to make sure he didn’t tell it to me.”
“You?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I figure you know it, too.”
“They killed him so he wouldn’t talk with you?”
“Seems like.”
“So?”
“Now I’m talking to you,” I said.
Scanlan looked around the parking area.
“You son of a bitch,” he said.
I smiled at him.
“You’re setting me up.”
“No,” I said. “I’m asking you about Marvin Conroy.”
“Why him?”
“Detective’s intuition,” I said.
“And if I don’t know nothing about him?”
“I keep hanging around and asking about him and talking to you and talking to other people about talking to you.”
