“I am,” I said.
“I don’t even know what we’re fi ghting about,” he said.
“I think you wanted to show me that you could kick my ass,”
I said.
“And maybe I can,” he said.
“Maybe,” I said. “Hasn’t been going too good so far.”
Still sitting, Red nodded.
“Whaddya want?” he said.
“I want to talk with you.”
“I ain’t ratting out Perry,” he said.
“No harm having some coffee,” I said. “Talking about it.”
He nodded. Red hadn’t been knocked on his ass very often. He was trying to adjust.
“Okay,” he said, and got slowly to his feet.
34.
I met epstein for breakfast at Zaftig’s in Brookline.
“There’s nothing closer?” I said when I sat down.
“It’s close for me,” Epstein said.
“You live in Brookline,” I said.
“Am I Jewish?” Epstein said.
“I think so,” I said.
“And I like a nice deli,” he said.
“My honey is Jewish and she lives in Cambridge,” I said.
“Sometimes they stray,” Epstein said.
“On the other hand, she is a shrink,” I said.
“But they never stray far,” he said.
“Comforting, isn’t it,” I said. “We got anything to talk about or have you just been missing me?”
“Good to stay in touch,” Epstein said. “The latkes here are fabulous.”
The waitress brought us coffee, and I ordered latkes with applesauce. Epstein had eggs and onions with some sable.
“The big red-haired guy,” Epstein said. “He’s not in the system either.”
“He didn’t seem like a pro to me,” I said. “He knew what he was doing, he wouldn’t have dissed Chollo.”
“Chollo?” Epstein said.
“Friend of mine from LA, be like dissing a cobra.”
Epstein smiled.
“Remind you of me?” he said.
“No.”
The waitress came with breakfast, and more coffee. I had a bite of latke.
“How are they?” Epstein said.
“How should they be?” I said.
“Fabulous,” Epstein said.
“They’re fabulous,” I said.
Epstein nodded.
“Name’s Darcy Englund,” Epstein said. “AKA Red.”
“I suspected that would be his nickname,” I said.
“Nice to confirm it,” Epstein said. “Only other thing we got is that Red’s been with Alderson at least as long as Alderson’s been at Concord College.”
“In what capacity?” I said.
“Red?” Epstein said. “Hard to say. Friend, driver, gofer, bodyguard. We don’t know. Mostly he’s just around.”
“Never been arrested,” I said.
