Blues in the Night by Dick Lochte Read Free Book Online

my mind. I even asked her to marry . . . Hell, I tried everything short of kidnapping her ass.’
    â€˜Why stop there?’
    â€˜It’s too much like rape, which is sick. Oh, I get it. That was a joke.’
    â€˜Not much of one, I guess,’ Mace said.
    â€˜Anyway, I gave it my best shot, but she was no longer interested. Once I finally calmed down and accepted defeat, I went back to being my usual cynical rat-bastard self. I mean, nobody with an ounce of smarts believes in coincidence where money is concerned.’
    â€˜You figure she helped the deal go south,’ Mace said. ‘Only you don’t have any proof. Is there anything particular that you hope we catch her doing?’
    â€˜Remember Tiny Daniels?’ Lacotta said.
    â€˜Hard to forget anything that big that wasn’t floating in some parade. He still angling for your job?’
    â€˜Not any more. He’s been on his own for a while.’
    â€˜And here I thought I was special, getting out with my head still attached.’
    â€˜Even more amazing, the fat fuck was cutting all these deals on the side while he was still working for us. With the Russkies. The Colombians. The Chinese. For all I know, the terrorist crowd. No morality whatsoever. Sal nearly had a fucking coronary when he found out. But he just let Tiny stroll.’
    â€˜Sal Montdrago suddenly get religion? Mace asked.
    â€˜The Mighty M gets religion about the time the Holy Ghost gets his own talk show. What happens, Tiny says he has some heavy insurance in place that can bring down the corporation and make Uncle Sal do the Gotti. Maybe it’s a bluff, but it’s keepin’ the fat man alive and wheezing in his own little six-mill tear-down out by Point Dume.’
    â€˜And how does this relate to Angela Lowell?’
    Lacotta squirmed again on the rough bench. ‘I get word Angie’s keeping company with Tiny. So you see my position?’
    â€˜Starting to.’
    â€˜Did she have anything to do with the deal fuck-up? Has Tiny taken over the project? I got to know the answers before my uncle gets back in town and starts asking me the questions. That’s why I need you, Mace. Somebody I can trust.’
    â€˜What’s the project?’
    Lacotta frowned. ‘You’re better off not knowing.’
    â€˜How much does Wylie know?’
    â€˜Bupkis. He doesn’t even think about what he doesn’t know, ’cause he’s my man. He reports to me. We got a rigid line of communications at Mount Olympus now. Very streamlined. Very smooth.’
    â€˜It doesn’t sound that way,’ Mace said. Feeling suddenly restless, he rose from the bench. Reluctantly, Lacotta followed. ‘Suppose Angela Lowell is cozying up to the fat man, what happens then?’
    â€˜Whadyamean?’
    â€˜Is it the last we see of Angela?’
    â€˜No way,’ Lacotta said. ‘This is just an information thing. Once I know what’s what, I’ll know how to get my tit out of the wringer.’
    That didn’t make sense to Mace. There was more to the story. He was about to press for it when a tall black man in a long black coat, apparently one of the homeless army, staggered toward them.
    â€˜You gen’mens got a dollah you kin spare?’ he asked.
    Lacotta gave the man a hard, get-the-fuck-away glare.
    Mace put his hand in his pocket and Lacotta said ‘Don’t do that.’
    Mace got out his wallet and removed a dollar. He handed it to the black man who accepted it with a grin. ‘Thank you, suh.’
    He held the bill out to Lacotta. ‘Heah. This fo’ you.’
    â€˜I don’t want your friggin’ money,’ Lacotta said.
    â€˜It’s fo’ you. A dolla’ to blow me.’
    â€˜What?’ Lacotta couldn’t believe his ears.
    â€˜Man say you a dollah blow job. Heah’s the dollah.’ He tucked the bill into Lacotta’s coat pocket, crushing the white