Summer Cool

'Tell me or I'll put another fucking nostril in your nose,' Paine said.

'Waiting to talk to you.'

'About what?'

'You're obstructing a drug investigation.'

Paine pressed the gun hard into Martin's nose, waiting for more.

'We're looking for Robert Petty.'

'Why?'

Martin became silent again.

Paine was going to threaten him again when he saw Martin's eyes focus from Paine to something behind him, and Paine felt the end of the barrel of someone else's.38 in his neck.

'Drop the gun, get up, put your hands on your head,' Sims's voice said behind Paine.

Paine did what he was told.

Martin got up and smiled at Sims, who was nearly as heavy as Martin but wore the weight better. He was balding and wore rimless glasses and didn't smile.

'Does this mean we can eat?' Martin said cheerfully, pulling Paine's hands down behind his back to handcuff them.

'Just shut up, okay?'

Martin finished with the cuffs then came around to stand next to Sims and look at Paine. 'He said he was going to put another nostril in my nose,' Martin said, looking hurt.

Sims said to Paine, 'You're in a bunch of trouble, shithead. 'Course it looks like someone already told your face that.'

'Did you have a warrant to break into my hotel room?' Paine said, ignoring the comment. He wanted to lie down. Or die.

Sims smirked, taking two folded pieces of paper out of his pocket. 'That, and another birthday surprise. I have a warrant for your arrest for the murder of somebody named. .' He unfolded the paper and read from it.'. . James Coleman, of Yonkers, New York.' He smiled. 'You're going back to New York, cop killer.'

Martin smiled at Paine, turned to Sims. 'Can we eat now, Jerry?' he asked.

23

Chief Bryers, with his car and driver, was waiting for Paine at LaGuardia Airport. As they pulled away from Sims and Martin, who had personally flown back with Paine and who stood smiling and waving at the curb outside the American Airlines terminal, Bryers removed Paine's handcuffs.

'Relax,' Bryers said. 'You're not being charged with anything.'

Paine looked at him levelly_; there seemed to be a hint of amusement on Bryers’ face behind the bureaucrat's veneer. 'Then what am I doing here?'

'There was a time, for about twenty minutes yesterday, when you were directly connected with the murder of Jim Coleman.'

'Who issued the warrant?'

Bryers smiled slightly. 'I did. Let's just say I was politely asked to do it.'

'By who?'

'The U.S. Attorney's office. And let's say he was asked by someone else above him.'

'You were ordered to have me sent back to New York?' Bryers said,

'Asked.' The chagrined smile remained.

'Don't you care about being jerked around?' Paine asked.

Bryers’ demeanor darkened. 'That's not the way I'd put it.'

'How would you put it?'

'Let's just say a lot has happened since yesterday. A lot of it I have you to thank for.'

Paine waited for more.

Bryers suddenly smiled widely and slapped Paine on the knee. 'You're a good man, Jack. You're honest, and you're tough. I'd like you to work for me.'

'Didn't Coleman make me an unauthorized job offer a few days ago?'

'This is different. You've helped me clean up the whole department in less than a week, and I'd like to have you around for good. Rank of detective, second class, to start. We can talk about salary over drinks.'

Paine studied Bryers’ face to see if he was joking. But Bryers didn't have the kind of face that joked.

Bryers said, 'Don't you realize what you've done?'

'You did break into Coleman's house, didn't you? You left no prints but I know it was you.'

After a moment, Paine said, 'Yes.'

'You didn't plant that stuff in the hutch drawer, did you?'

'It was there already.'

Bryers almost laughed. 'Well, don't you realize that Coleman's log contained the names of every crooked cop in the department, and half the dealers in Yonkers? That would have taken me months, maybe years, to get at. I've got ten indictments already, and another five in the works! And then the department's clean!'

'That's nice.'

'Jack, in twenty years, I've never had a day like this! We even solved Roberto Hermano's murder.' He laughed. 'Turned out it was a lover's quarrel, if you want to call it that. Hermano was a fag. Apparently he and some other fag named Philly Ramos were an item. When Roberto started fooling around on the side with a sixteen-year-old named Jeff Samuels, Ramos found out about it and killed him out of jealousy. This kid Samuels came to us with his parents. They were white as a sheet, their little boy, good background, all-white school, mixed up with this kind of homo crap. The kid was a wreck, told us everything. He said Bob Petty had been protecting Hermano, and that after Petty disappeared Roberto wanted to leave New York with Samuels, but the kid wouldn't go with him.' Bryers’ enthusiasm dropped a notch. 'Jack, I am sorry about your friend Petty turning out bad-'

'Who said Petty was involved?'

'His prints were all over the club where we found Coleman's body. So were yours. You tell me what to think.'

'Was his name in Coleman's ledgers?'

'No. But he and Coleman could have had a separate agreement. Or Petty may have gone on the take recently. Or maybe Petty decided to take over the whole operation.'

Paine was silent.

'Look, Jack, you have to be reasonable,' Bryers said. 'I've got Petty directly connected with a murder in Yonkers, one in Fort Worth, Texas, and now I have an APB in from Tucson for Petty for the murder of someone named Enrique Quinones and his girlfriend. All of the bodies were hacked to pieces and decapitated. I think it's safe to say that Petty is involved, and that he may be out of his mind. What do you think? Of course, you were there, too. And you look like you were in a war. So talk to me.'

'I don't know what to think.'

'Listen, Paine,' Bryers said. 'I'd really like you to come back to the department. It would be good for you, for me, for everyone.'

'How would it be good for me?'

Bryers showed surprise. 'Don't you miss the police force? Your father was a good cop, from what I hear.'

'I don't miss the force.'

Bryers’ surprise increased. 'Do you mean that?'

'Look,' Paine said, facing Bryers, letting anger run into his face. 'I was a cop once, I was in love with it then, but I'm not a cop anymore.'

'But with all the corruption gone-'