Crime Always Pays (27 page)

Everyone passed through the square at least once every night, the nurse'd said. The girl concerned for Ray, the guy out of bed too early, glad she'd met friends of his who might persuade him to take it easy, maybe come back in for a check-up. Telling them how the girl Melody had gone off alone, abandoning Ray in the bed, unconscious. This leaving Sleeps and Rossi to decide, once Rossi'd been patched up again, whether Mel had pulled a scam on Ray, or if Ray'd just worked a diversion, faking a black-out to let Mel get away first, then follow on, hook up with her later. Maybe, this being Rossi's conviction, with Karen behind it all, pulling strings.  

'Business,' Rossi was saying, 'it's all about what they call identifying a niche, yeah? So I'm saying, Johnny looks after the coke end, maybe even your pills, gets the punters up and buzzed. Then we come in, take care of the chillin'.'

'The chillin'.'

'Perxactly. That way there's no conflict of interest. We kick a ten vig upstairs to Johnny, everyone gets well.'

'And where're we getting the smoke?' Sleeps said. 

'First thing,' Rossi said, 'is we impress Johnny. Deliver this baby,' he patted the parcel, 'all ship-shape and brisket fashion. Then, we're on the in, we put together a proposal.'

'And go to work for Johnny.'

'For him? Fuck no. We come in equal partners, what they call pawning our resources.'

'What about FARCO?' Sleeps said. 'I thought you were going legit.'

'This 
is
 FARCO, Sleeps. You see what I'm saying? Johnny's helping us out, we're helping him … I mean,' he said, 'FARCO was never going to be, like, a hundred per cent legit. You knew that, right?'

'I was kind of hoping,' Sleeps said, 'it might be mostly legit. Or partly.'

          'We could do it that way,' Rossi said, sipping on his Sling. 'Like, we could wander around the village a little more until we find a magic door into another fuckin universe, where guys like me and you, came up in a home, had to hustle a little once in a while for cigarette money, we don't get the bum's rush every time we stand still. Y'know? A place where they say, hey, here's a guy needs a break, let's not break his balls this once, see how he works out. 'Stead of saying lookit this guy,' nodding now at a group of well-fed teens, all perfectly gelled hair and swagger, braying so loud they drowned out the Russian sopranos once in a while, 'this guy's who's had it sweet all his life, school and shit, guy's got money falling out of his hole, so let's give him more money, see if he can't wedge 
that
 up his hole and stop all the other money falling out. You see what I'm saying.' 

'Except we got no resources to, um, pawn with Johnny.'

'The fuck're you talking about? We got ten grand coming from Johnny we hand over the snow. Then, we nail Karen, nab the loot, we're coming in with,' he shrugged, 'shit, whatever's fuckin left. But a hundred gees clear, minimum, or I'm selling Karen's kidneys. Plus,' he said, tapping the table with a dirty forefinger, 'the Uzi. I'm going nowhere without the cannon.'

'You think Karen's still here?'

'The nurse seen her go off on a bike with this other guy, the ponytail guy. So I'm guessing, yeah, she's around, no one rents a bike then brings it back and fucks off. And once we find Ray, we find Karen. So,' he said, drinking off the last of his Sling, 'tomorrow morning, bright and early, we're back at the ESY for when Ray comes around to see if his passport wasn't filed in the wrong place and shit, like the cute little nursey said.'

'You seriously think he'd give Karen up? I mean, the guy's been looking out for her all along, man. Why would he stop now?'

'He's got one arm, we got four. Do the math.'

'I told you already, Rossi, I don't do muscle. I'm a pacifist.'

Rossi crossed his eyes in frustration. 'Okay,' he said, 'so you're a spacifist. How's Ray s'posed to know that?'

'Mainly,' Sleeps said, 'because we didn't muscle him the last time, when we had the chance. And whatever happened to honour among thieves?'

Rossi pointed at his freshly bandaged ear. 'The man broke a parlay, he's gone rogue.' He stood, shot his cuffs, picked up the parcel. 'You ready?'

Sleeps nodded. 'Just one suggestion,' he said.

'What's that?'

'How about we just ask for directions?'

Doyle

'So this guy,' Doyle said, 'you won't tell me his name, wants you to snatch some guy.'

          'About the height of it, yeah.'

          'He notice you've a busted arm?'

          'I'd imagine he was too polite to say.'

          'I thought you'd retired.'

          'I did,' Ray said. 'I am.'

          'And you told him this.'

          'Yep.'

          'But he's still asking. I mean, this guy you've only met once, he's persistent.'

          'I've met him twice. But yeah, he's offering top wedge.'

They were down on the beach opposite Doyle's place, the Katina, sprawled on loungers under an umbrella facing the port across the bay. The night still warm, stars sparkling, tiny waves nibbling the sand. Doyle thinking how it was all just one willing guy off perfectly romantic.

'He tell you why he wants this guy snatched?' she said.

          'I didn't ask.'

          'But you're thinking of doing it.'

          Ray lit two cigarettes, passed one over. 'He said he liked Anna,' he said.

          'Anna's a dote.'

          'He likes her for a guard dog.'

          'She'd do a damn fine job.'

          'Except the only way Anna's doing guard dog for anyone else,' Ray said, 'is if Karen's out of the picture.'

          'So you think it was a threat.'

          'Maybe.'

          'So it mightn't be a threat.'

          'It's a threat,' Ray said.

          Doyle starting to see it. 'You're not so worried about the threat,' she said, 'as who's making it. I mean, if it's this guy or Karen who's behind it, wanting you to think she's in trouble. Again.'

          'Karen can be tricky,' Ray said. 'Y'know,' he said, 'one thing I like about you, a man can assume a lot straight off, just get to the point.'

          'I thought you and Karen split,' Doyle said, wondering if Ray, with the compliments, telling her earlier how starlight was good for her eyes, she should think about becoming an astronaut, was working up to making a pass.

          'We did,' he said. 'We are.'

          'So how come you're still involved?'

          Ray shrugged. 'If you're in, you're in.'

Doyle thought about that, then swung her legs off her lounger and crossed to Ray's, hunkered down and took his face in her hands and kissed him, long and luscious.

Ray, pressing his lips together, tasting her strawberry balm, watched her go back to her lounger. 'What was that for?' he said.

          'Why's it have to be for something?'

          'It generally is.'

          'I'm on holiday. On a beach, with the moon up. A guy just sitting there.'

          'A waste,' Ray said, 'not to smooch him.'

          'You know what's a waste? You running around after Karen, she's trying to screw you.'

          'You're not trying to screw me?'

          'It's my 
job
 to screw you.'

          'I thought you were on holiday.'

          'The way you're retired, thinking of snatching someone.'

          'I never said I was thinking of doing it. I'm just wondering why the guy wants it done.'

          'Or why Karen wants it done.'

          Ray made to sip some beer then decided against it, pressed his lips together again, snaked the tip of his tongue into the corner of his mouth.

          'Try this,' Doyle said. 'I mean, as a theory. Say Karen has this guy screwing you over. What do you owe her?'

          'If it's her that's behind it.'

          'That's the theory. If it's her, what d'you owe her?'

          'Nothing.'

          'Okay. So why not play along?'

          'What's that achieve?'

          'We let Karen tie herself in knots. Then we add a little pink bow, hand her up.'

          Ray grinned. 'You're serious.'

          'It's self-defence, Ray. If she's screwing you.'

          'We don't know she is. And even if she is, no.'

          'No?'

          'No.'

          'What would it take,' Doyle said, 'for you to hand her up?'

          'Karen has plenty to worry about right now. And the one thing she doesn't have to worry about is me ratting her out. So let's just leave it that way.'

          'You're thinking I want Karen for my score. Bring her home, hand her up, close the case. But if I do that, you're going down with her.'

          'The thought had occurred.'

          'What if I'm asking you to make a gesture?'

          'A gesture.'

          'For me.'

          'I owe you,' Ray said, 'about as much as I owe Karen.'

          'You left me in the middle of a forest handcuffed to Frank. While you ran off with the loot and Karen.'

          'Point taken. But you're asking too much.'

          'A gesture's too much?'

          'Depends on the gesture. You're asking me to Judas Karen.'

          'Only because you're thinking she's doing the same to you.'

          'Even if she was, two wrongs don't make a right.'

          Doyle asked for another cigarette. Ray lit two from the butt of the old, handed one over. 'Noble's one thing, Ray. Blind stupidity's another.'

          Ray mulled that one over, then said, 'You never had anyone wouldn't rat you out like that?'

          'Other than family?'

          'Family's family. Family don't count.'

          'Then no, I've never had anyone wouldn't rat me out like that.'

          Ray got up and went over to her lounger and sat down straddling it. Doyle pulled her knees up to her chest. Ray scooched up the lounger, put his beer down on the sand, leaned in with her knees against his chest. This time the kiss went on a little longer, a lot deeper.

          'If I sent Karen over,' Ray said, tasting strawberry, 'then you'd always know I could do the same to you sometime.' Then ducked in again for another lingering smooch. Doyle felt that one in her toes. She pushed him back, got him upright again.

          'What're you guaranteeing me here?' she said.

          'There's no guarantees, Doyle. You get down into it, all the way down, down past the atoms into the quantum level? Everything, and I mean the whole damn universe, is based on probability and uncertainty.'

          'A girl needs a bit more than lectures on quantum physics, Ray.'

          'You'll laugh every day.'

          'I'd settle for a pension plan.'

          Ray sat back and reached for his beer, took a sip. Eyes on hers, he said, 'This gesture you're talking about. You have any joy yet with my name?'

          'Nope.'

          'What'd you try?'

          Doyle went through the list: Raymond, Raphael, Rainier, Reynaldo, Raymundo, Rumpelstiltskin …

          Ray said, 'You didn't try Israel?'

          '
Is
rael?'

          'It's Biblical,' he said.

Rossi

'Seriously, yeah. He's sitting in front of me right now.' The English guy, Roger, behind the desk on the phone to Johnny Priest. 'Yeah, Rossi Callaghan. Says he's half-Sicilian, half-Dirty Harry.'

          Rossi winking at Sleeps. Roger saying, 'Why would I kid you about this? He's here, the other side of the desk. Looking for some ten grand he's owed.'

          Rossi a little disappointed with the poky office over the Blue Orange, just enough room for a battered desk, a filing cabinet, an empty water-cooler. A mouse-trap in the corner by the skirting-board. Rossi'd been expecting something plusher for Johnny's Greek island hub.

          Roger, a peroxide surfer-type wearing a t-shirt that read 
Everything Rhymes With Orange
, said, 'I don't know. Ask him yourself.' Then handed Rossi the phone.