Читать книгу Border City Blues 3-Book Bundle - Michael Januska - Страница 32

TWO COPS: ONE FAT, ONE THIN

A shadow swept across the yard. McCloskey looked up in time to see a turkey vulture light upon a branch in the black oak. The sight of it made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He picked up a charred piece of wood frame from the burned cabin and hurled it at the creature. It hissed and flew off, wobbling through the haze like a falling angel.

The trap door in the floor was open and there were footprints everywhere. On top of the footprints were tracks where the coroner had pulled up his wagon to collect the bodies. The shadows were dull but McCloskey could still feel the sun beating down hard. He slowly made his way across the little radish field that divided the two properties.

There were no signs of life outside Lesperance’s house and not a sound came from within. He opened the screen door and let it slam shut behind him.

“Well, well, well,” said Jigsaw. “I knew if I stayed in one place long enough, et cetera, et cetera.”

He was sitting at the kitchen table, tipping a bottle into a tumbler. Off to the side were two cops, one fat, one thin. They were standing shoulder to shoulder with stupid grins on their faces. The thin one looked drunk. The fat one was eating sliced peaches out of a jar.

“If it ishn’t young McCloshkey,” said the thin one.

“Spitting image, isn’t he?”

“Na. His da was better lookin’.”

McCloskey could feel his blood beginning to boil. “Where’s Lesperance?”

Jigsaw gave the two cops a look and they each took a single step in opposite directions. Behind them in a chair was Lesperance, or what was left of him. With his beaten and bloodied head thrown back, McCloskey figured he had to be either dead or very nearly so. The two cops then took up strategic positions in the room, one back at the screen door and the other at the way to the front of the house.

“Have a seat,” said Jigsaw and McCloskey parked himself. “I saw you at the track. You should have stopped by and said hello.”

“I got a good look at the Lieutenant.”

“So you did.”

“And you’re trying to tell me he’s still running things? He couldn’t run a hot dog stand.”

Jigsaw pushed the tumbler of whisky towards McCloskey. McCloskey ignored it.

“Suit yourself.” Jigsaw downed the whisky and then refilled the tumbler. “Where’s your friend, Killer? You two make a cute couple.”

“Let’s get to the point.”

“All right, this is it: Jack McCloskey’s brother and their old man were spoiling his bootlegging career and making his bosses very angry, and so he came home and dealt with it. He iced them both and as compensation he helped himself to their working capital and liquor stash.”

Jigsaw took a sip from his glass before he continued.

“Then there’s Jack’s sister-in-law, a real hottie and awful lonely these days. Jack’s always been sweet on her but that pesky brother of his kept getting in the way. Now Jack can move right in.”

Jigsaw filled the tumbler again and once more pushed it towards McCloskey. McCloskey took it this time and poured the amber liquid down his throat. It was homemade. It burned.

“And here’s the topper: the shootout at the Elliott. Jack then assessed the situation in the Border Cities and felt things were in a state of flux. An opportunity for a power play comes up at the Elliott where he takes out a couple of pretenders, retires a few of cops, and sends a Yankee home with the message that Killer McCloskey is back in town.

“The way I see it, you got three choices: spend the rest of your life behind bars, on the run, or dead. And no matter what you choose out of that hand, your sweetheart and her do-good brother are left, shall we say, vulnerable.”

McCloskey pushed the tumbler back towards Jigsaw. Jigsaw refilled it and McCloskey drained it.

“As bad as it looks, Killer, there are steps you can take.”

“Like what?”

“For starters you can off the Lieutenant.”

McCloskey blinked. “What?”

“He hasn’t got it anymore. He let the good life dull his edge. I shared my concerns with the boss. The incident at the track was the last straw. That pathetic display will cost him his life.”

“Why don’t you do it?”

“Two reasons. First: the Lieutenant still has allies and we don’t want to start a war. We’re trying to stay the course in the day-to-day. Second: I’ve consulted with local law enforcement and, not to put too fine a point on it, they prefer it this way. You’ve got to admit there’s a certain symmetry to you offing the man that pushed the button on your father and brother.”

Jigsaw sat back and delivered his summation. “It’s your life or Green’s.”

“You’re singing a different tune than you were this morning.”

“It’s all about survival.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“There’s nothing to think about. I’ve got a bead on your girlfriend, Killer, so you better not disappoint me.”

The room fell silent except for the sound of the flies buzzing around Lesperance.

“What is it you want me to do?”

“Be at the pool hall at midnight. Green will be there, alone. I told him there were some things he and I needed to discuss.”

“Only it won’t be you — it’ll be me.”

“I shouldn’t have to tell you he’ll be expecting the worst. He’s been a bit jittery lately.”

“I’ll bet. And what’ll you be doing?”

“I got other more pressing matters. I’ll meet you at the British-American shortly after midnight. You can deliver me the good news and we can say our goodbyes.”

“Was that the boss at the table at Kenilworth?”

“Yep.”

“He looks like he knows his way around the playground.”

“Ex-British Army. Blue blood. Very connected. His type knows how to get things done. If anyone can bring an end to the coal strike and get things back on track, it’s him.”

Jigsaw stood up. “Now scram. We gotta perform a burial at sea.”

“He’s the one that gave the order, isn’t he?”

Jigsaw grinned. “His clean-up crew is rolling across the Border Cities right now. It was one of his boys that hired those three goons to take care of you, your father, and your brother. They were supposed to wait until you got home but somebody jumped the gun. When the Lieutenant found out you were still alive he bought you some time. Now he’s out of time.”

This was a lot for McCloskey to think about. He got up and made for the screen door. The thin cop stepped aside.

“Take care o’ yourshelf, Jack.”

McCloskey hauled off and belted him one, right on the chops. It felt good. The cop staggered backed and bounced off the wall, coughing up blood and broken teeth.

“Take care of yourself, pig.”

Jigsaw let out a laugh that brought the temperature in the room down several degrees. “You got off lucky, copper. Killer just tickled your jaw.”

The turkey vulture was picking through the rubble of the cabin. McCloskey climbed into his car.

The steering wheel was too hot to touch and the seat was too hot to lean back on. For a moment he considered returning to the house with his revolver and doing what really needed to be done. Instead he started the engine and took it in reverse all the way up the path.