Playmates by Robert B. Parker Read Free Book Online Page B

this time."
    He glanced over his shoulder at the closed door and then back at me, pausing a moment to figure out if he was being kidded. Then he grinned.
    "Hey, pal, I never blame a man for hustling." He took the cigarette out of his mouth oddly, with the palm facing away and the back of his hand closest to his face. He held the cigarette between his first two fingers, keeping the lighted end cupped slightly toward his palm.
    "I'll make it quick," he said.
    "Thank you," I said.
    "We got a problem, you and me. Not the kind of problem can't be worked out. Couple of successful guys, a little good will, you scratch my back I scratch yours, everything is jake with a little effort."
    I waited. He made himself even more comfortable in my client chair.
    "My name is Bobby Deegan," he said. I nodded.
    "I'm in business in Brooklyn," Deegan said. "And I got some business interests up here."
    I waited some more. He smoked some of his cigarette.
    "Business been going good," he said, "and I'm showing a nice profit, but the interests up here are, ah ... coming into conflict with your interests."
    I leaned back on my spring chair and folded my hands across my stomach like Scattergood Baines and smiled.
    Deegan smiled back at me. "Dwayrie Woodcock," he said.
    "Dwayne Woodcock," I said. We smiled happily at each other.
    Outside in the corridor, through the closed door, I heard the sharp tap of high-heeled shoes walk past my door. Deegan heard it too.
    "Balls," I said.
    "Sorry," Deegan said.
    "Always tomorrow," I said.
    "With luck," Bobby Deegan said.
    He let his gaze rest on me hard, steady, the hardcase stare. I waited.
    After enough time Deegan laughed. "Big yard stare ain't going to do it, huh?"
    "Been inside?" I said.
    Bobby shrugged. It was a yes shrug. "So what are we going to do about Dwayne?" he said.
    "I was thinking of teaching him to read," I said.
    "He can't read?" Deegan said.
    "No," I said.
    Deegan shook his head and made a silent whistle. "Any other plans?"
    I was getting tired of people asking me what I was going to do about Dwayne Woodcock.
    "I don't know," I said. I'd read somewhere that if you were patient and didn't get mad and let people talk eventually they'd say something. I was skeptical, but I was experimenting.
    Deegan looked around for an ashtray, saw one on the top of my file cabinet, stood, walked over, and stubbed out the cigarette.
    "Don't smoke yourself, huh?" he said.
    "Quit in 1963," I said.
    "Good for you," Deegan said. "I been trying for a couple of years."
    I didn't say anything.
    "You're not helping," Deegan said.
    "No," I said. "I'm not."
    "Okay," he said. "It can go a couple of ways. One way is we give you a nice fee for deciding that Wayne isn't shaving anything but his face. The college likes that, Dwayne likes that, Coach likes that, we like it. Nobody doesn't like it." Deegan gave me a big grin.
    "And the other way?"
    "We put you in the ground," Deegan said. His voice was pleasant.
    "Eek," I said.
    "Sure, sure," Deegan said. "I know you're tough. We talked to a couple guys we know up here. But think about it. What's worth dying for here? You take Dwayne down, you ruin a kid's life that ain't got many options. And you probably get killed in the deal. Who gets hurt if you walk around it? You get some bread for your trouble. Dwayne gets to be a big star in the NBA instead of a small time hoodlum in Bed-Sty. And who gets hurt? Team wins that should win, fans are happy. You think the college wants you to find out that there's points being shaved? Dwayne's a good kid, pal. Why fuck him up?"
    "How much you willing to give me?" I said.
    Deegan glanced around my office again. "Two bills," he said.
    I shook my head.
    "How much you want?" Deegan said.
    "Two hundred thirty-eight billion," I said.
    Deegan was silent for a moment, then he grinned slowly. "Well, like the old joke, we've established what you are, now we're just haggling over price."
    "Be a long haggle," I said.
    Deegan nodded. "Option two's looking