'You haven't told me much, Robert.'
'You got someone tight?'
Milo pivoted slowly and faced him. 'What I got is you, Robert, trying to jerk me around, withholding evidence on top of that brick in your trunk. I figure six months minimum-get the wrong judge, you might even be talking a year or so.'
Gabray held out his hands. 'Hey, I just don't want someone walking and coming after me. This guy was.
'What?'
Gabray was silent.
'This guy was what, Robert?'
A con okay? He looked like serious business. A hard-case 'You could tell that from far away?'
'Some things you can tell, okay? The way he stood, I dunno. He had these shoes-big and ugly, like you get in the joint.'
'You could see his shoes?'
'Not up close-the light. But they were big-I seen shoes like that before. Whaddya want from me-I'm trying to help.'
'Well, Robert, don't you worry. There's no one in custody.'
'What s/?' said Gabray.
'What if what?'
'I tell you and cause a that you bust him? How do I know he's not gonna get out and come looking for me?'
Milo held up the photo again. 'Look what he did, Robert.
What do you think? We're gonna let him walk?'
'That don't mean nothing to me, man. I don't have confidence in thesystem.'
'That so?'
'Yeah. I see guys all the time, do bad stuff and walk on technos.'
'Tsk, tsk,' said Milo. 'What's this world coming to? Listen, genius, we find him, he won't walk. And you tell me something that'll help me find him, you'll walk too. With brownie points. Hell, Robert, all the points you'll have, you'll be able to screw up a couple more times and coast.'
Gabray smoked and tapped his foot and frowned.
'What is it, Robert?'
'I'm thinking.'
Ah.' To me: 'Let's be real quiet.'
'His face,' said the bartender. 'I seen it. But just for a second.'
'That so? Was he angry or anything?'
Nah, just talking to her.'
And what was she doing?'
'Listening. I thought when I saw it: this punk cunt's listening to Mr. Straight. Don't make sense.'
'Mr. Con.'
