Ragetti switched off his headlights and the darkness returned. Then he walked over to Dean Tremell and shook his hand.
“Can you hear what they’re saying?” Rhodes whispered.
“No.”
“I don’t see Cava. Where is he?”
“Paradise,” she said.
The two men were walking around the limo. When they reached the trunk, the lid popped up and Lena could see a duffel bag inside. Tremell unzipped it and pulled the bag open. Then Ragetti moved closer and examined the contents. In spite of the distance, in spite of the murk, Lena knew that Ragetti was counting his money. And from the size of the duffel bag, there was a lot to count. But in the end, it didn’t really matter. Nothing did as Lena felt someone press a pistol against the back of her head and the world stopped.
“Breath too hard and you’re both dead.”
It was Klinger’s voice. Soft and low and rising out of the darkness behind them. He must have spotted them early, circling his way back to the Cock-a-doodle-do, crossing Prairie Avenue, and following them into the vacant lot.
“Drop your guns,” he said. “Slow and easy.”
Klinger pushed Lena’s head into the concrete. She met Rhodes’s eyes. When she heard his Glock hit the ground, she dropped her.45. Then Klinger picked them up and jammed them underneath his belt. He raised his gun and took a step back.
“Turn around,” he said.
Lena gave him a hard look. His cheek was still bruised from the beating Rhodes had given him the other night. And he had a crazy glint in his eye-a vicious glow about his face that she had never seen before. Lena realized that his mask was finally off. He was out in the open and all amped up.
“Let’s go,” he said. “Down the hill like Jack and Jill.”
He flicked his gun to the left, clenching his teeth and ushering them toward the limo. Ragetti stopped counting his money. Dobbs pushed Bloom away, switched on a flashlight, and drew his gun. Justin Tremell kept his eyes on his father. And the old man just stood there in the mist with his hands in his pockets.
Lena took it in, then turned to Tremell and sized the man up. It was too fucking late to be scared.
“Buying something?” she asked.
“You might say that, yes.”
“Is it really worth it?”
“With what’s at stake, Detective, I’d call it a bargain.”
She glanced at Dobbs with the girl, then Ragetti with the cash. Two bruisers who couldn’t make the grade.
“These guys are bottom feeders,” she said to Tremell. “How much are you paying them?”
Dobbs laughed. “The cunt’s got a mouth on her, huh.”
“Shut up,” Rhodes said.
Tremell raised his hand for silence and seemed amused. “One million dollars.”
“Tax free?” Lena asked.
He thought it over and grinned. “I guess that’s up to them. They’re freelance.”
Lena looked at Jennifer Bloom, then turned back. “When did you know?”
“When did I know what?” Tremell asked.
“That you killed the wrong one. That you murdered her friend.”
“But I’m a businessman, Detective. I haven’t killed anyone.”
Lena’s eyes flicked across the way and found Justin Tremell in the gloom. He was still staring at his father. From the look on his grizzled face, he didn’t want to be here. She thought about what Cava had told her on the phone. The kid had been used as bait and didn’t know about the murder. But that was more than a week ago and now he did. Now he seemed repulsed by his father’s shadow and wanted out.
Lena turned back to the old man and rephrased the question.
“When did you know who she was?”
“Early,” Tremell said.
“How early?”
“The night you met the reporter at that cafe. Sunday, wasn’t it? Ramira spent the afternoon on the phone. He figured it out. My friends were listening. I’m surprised that he didn’t say anything to you.”
She thought it over. Thought about Denny Ramira, what he knew and the reasons he may have had for not telling her. And she finally understood why they had wired up her house even though she spent so little time there. It was all about who talked to whom. It was all about covering the odds. Everybody’s house had been wired.
Tremell cleared his throat. “I enjoyed our lunch, Detective. You’re an attractive woman. I only wish that you had the brains to go with it. I believe they call it the total package. I wish that you could have seen the situation for what it truly was. I wish that you would’ve agreed to work with us. Believe me, I take no pleasure in what’s about to happen.”
“But you’re wrong, Tremell. I see it exactly the way it is. You kill people, and you’re in it for the money. Little kids or anyone else who gets in your way. You’re no better than any other drug dealer.”
Tremell’s smile faded into a grimace. When he looked past her at Klinger and spoke, his voice shook.
“It’s getting late,” he said. “And we need to finish our business, Ken. Take them up the hill and earn your bonus.” Then he turned to Bloom. “Get in the limo, Jennifer. I’d like to have a word with you.”
Lena felt Klinger jab his gun into her side, and they started walking. Not toward the vacant lot, but underneath the overpass toward the Cock-a-doodle-do. She could see his Caprice on the hilltop. It looked like he wanted to earn his bonus in the parking lot. Like the last thing she would see before she hit the void was that stupid neon rooster glowing in the fog.
She glanced over at Rhodes. Klinger was playing it smart and keeping his distance. They didn’t have a move. Rhodes shrugged his shoulders and shot Klinger a look.
“You’re gonna get an award for this,” he said.
“Shut up, Rhodes. Just keep walking.”
“They’re gonna give you a medal, Klinger. Put your picture in the paper. The caption’s gonna read KEN KLINGER, THE DUMBEST FUCK THERE EVER WAS.”
“You’re making this easy, Rhodes. You’re making it fun. Keep moving.”
Lena didn’t think taunting Klinger would work. He was still keeping his distance and running too hot to make a mistake.
“I don’t get it,” she said to him. “When Dobbs and Ragetti went down, you were still over at Internal Affairs. You made the case against them, Klinger.”
“So what?”
“You ended their careers. You don’t think they want payback?”
He hesitated, but only briefly. “Money changes things,” he said. “It always has.”
“But who’s gonna take the fall for all this? Someone’s got to be held accountable. With Cava gone, you’re the weak link, Klinger. You’re the only one left.”
“Keep your mouths shut. Both of you.”
They had reached the top of the hill. Lena could feel time running out. The dark building across the lot was shimmering in and out of the grim clouds. The neon rooster on the roof, winking at her and waving good-bye.
“This is it,” Klinger said. “Get down on your fucking knees.”
“You sure we’re facing east,” Rhodes said.
“No, you piece of shit. You’re heading south. Now get down on your fucking knees and smile at that fucking chicken over there.”
Lena took a deep breath and lowered herself to the ground. It felt like all the blood had already drained out of her head. Everything was spinning. Everything blurry and slowed down. She glanced over at Rhodes and tried to focus on his face. He was looking back at her. She could see the sweat blistering on his forehead. His nostrils flared. His eyes big and bright and full of life. She could remember what he said in the car. How he tried to make her feel better. Maybe they’d get a drink later. Maybe they’d kick back and relax. He knew a good bar down this way.