'You ratted me out, huh?' She didn't smile and he said, 'You know I would've told him the whole story. The only reason I haven't, Fran was still talking to the prosecutor about me, even after I got home. I felt he couldn't in conscience do that unless he believed I was a priest.'
She said, 'Being deceitful doesn't bother you?'
'Not too much, no. You think I should've gone to prison instead of Rwanda?'
'I have no idea,' Mary Pat said, 'what you did in Rwanda, besides take pictures of kids.'
'I thought I did okay,' Terry said, 'considering. I said Mass once in a while, always Christmas and Easter. I heard Confession every week. I asked my housekeeper one time if she thought I was doing any good. She said I could do better.'
For a moment there Mary Pat looked as though she might be in shock, speechless. He knew, though, it wouldn't last.
He said, 'Things aren't always what they seem, are they?'
24
THE MUTT WAS LATE PICKING up Johnny. Seven-fifteen, when he stepped out the front entrance of Randy's, was a busy time, parking attendants in their red jackets jumping in cars to gun 'em out of there. The Mutt said to one of 'em, 'Hey, boy, bring Mr. Agley's Caddy you come back, hear?' Shit, it must've taken him fifteen minutes, pulled up in the car and the Mutt said, 'What's wrong with you, taking so long?' This Tootsie Roll sassed him, saying, 'I couldn't find it, boy.' And the Mutt remembered Randy telling him one time to quit calling the parking attendants 'boy,' saying, 'Colored guys don't like it, they hear it as a term of disrespect. You didn't call 'em 'boy' in prison, did you?' The Mutt said he didn't call 'em nothing, as he never had a reason to speak to any of 'em. Then, to make it worse, he couldn't locate the entrance to the goddamn MGM Grand gambling casino on the first pass and had to go around again, the freeway right there messing him up. He thought Johnny would be sore 'cause he was late. Uh-unh…
Getting in the car as the Mutt slid over Johnny said the only thing he needed to know, 'You got it?'
The Mutt handed him a fat wad of bills and Johnny had to face the fact the guy was serious, there was a hit going down and he was driving the fuckin car. Johnny took time to open the wad and riffle one end. All hundreds. He said, 'Well, all right,' to get himself with it, show the Mutt he was cool. 'What time you got?'
The Mutt had to work his watch out of the sleeves of his leather coat and his bodyshirt. He held it close to the Cadillac instrument panel, in front of the digital clock, and said, 'A quarter of.'
They were moving now, making their way through the west side of downtown, Johnny thinking, Lafayette or Fort Street over to Woodward, hang a right to Jefferson… He said, 'Where'd you get the Caddy? Man, it's still got that new-car smell in it.'
'It's Randy's.'
'Jesus Christ he know you took it?'
'I asked was he going anywheres, he said no.'
'You realize if somebody at the scene, anybody, a witness, spots the license plate the cops'll trace it back to him?'
'I was Randy I'd say the car was stolen.'
'What if they trace it to you?'
'I'd tell 'em Randy don't allow me to drive the car. Anybody says I took it's a liar, wanting to get me 'cause they say I disrespect 'em calling 'em 'boy.''
'The fuck're you talking about?'
'It don't matter.'
Johnny said, 'Lemme guess. Randy's the one gave you the contract.'
'That's right.'
'But has no idea you took his car.'
'What he don't know won't hurt him, will it?'
'Randy get you the gun?'
'The one I'm gonna use? I don't have it yet.'
It got Johnny agitated again and he had to stay cool. 'What're you talking about? We have to stop and pick it up?'
'Uh-unh, the guy I'm supposed to hit? He's giving it to me.'
Johnny couldn't think of the next question 'cause there were too many next questions. In a way then he changed the subject, asking the Mutt, 'Who's this you gonna hit? You know him?'
'Yeah, Mr. Moraco.'
And Johnny said, 'Jesus Christ-hey, come on.'
'Randy hates him.'
'I imagine, yeah, if it's worth twenty-five grand have him taken out.' Big numbers, Johnny feeling the wad in his pocket, making a big-time move with this goofball calling the shots. He said, 'And it's Vincent giving you the piece to use?'
'Yeah, for the other one.'
'That's right, I forgot.'
'We keep going after this one's done.'
Johnny's brain was still trying to handle the idea, Jesus Christ, of driving this hayseed to hit Vincent Moraco. 'But he doesn't know, Vincent doesn't-no, there's no way.'
'What?'
'Or he wouldn't be giving you the fuckin gun.'
''Course not, he don't suspect shit.'
Johnny was learning you had to pay close attention to what the Mutt said and ask the right question. Then it made sense, even if you still couldn't fuckin believe it.
They were on Jefferson now heading east past the Renaissance Center's cluster of glass towers, the city's skyline. It was a nice evening, fifty-five degrees out. Johnny settled down. He was here, he might as well go through with it. Christ, five grand it couldn't take that long. He wouldn't have to get out of the car…
'Okay, you're gonna clip Vincent Moraco.'
'Yes sir, shoot him in the head, make sure.'
'He hands you the gun and you pop him.'
'I collect my money first.'
'Mutt, you want to make sure the gun's loaded.'
'That's a good point. Man, I don't want to shoot him and all I hear's click click. Yeah, that's a good thing to remember, check it first.'
Johnny thinking, The fuck'm I doing here?
Terry in his black suit and Roman collar, ready to go, stood at the front window in the living room, anxious. Fran, coping with his mountain of work, called to say he wouldn't be home before eight.
The girls'd had their supper and were in the library watching MTV.
Mary Pat was in the kitchen. When the Chrysler Town Car pulled up to the front door Terry checked his watch. It was seven thirty-five.
He saw Vito Genoa get out and come up on the stoop to ring the bell.
Debbie wasn't in the car. In the foyer Terry called, 'I'm going now,' and Mary Pat came out through the dining room. She asked when he'd be home. He said he had no idea. Mary Pat said he should've eaten something. He said he still wasn't hungry. Vito Genoa nodded to him as he came out. Terry asked if they were picking up Debbie.
Vito said another guy was getting her. Terry said he wondered, wouldn't it have been easier if one car picked them both up. Vito said easier for who? Terry sat in back during the forty-minute ride down and over freeways to
