Even the Wicked by Lawrence Block

routine I should follow, the precautions I ought to take.”
     
     
    By the time I was done suggesting ways he could increase the odds of his staying alive, he’d made a pot of coffee and we were each working on our second cup. He talked about a current case of his, and I talked about a piece of work I’d wrapped up a month previously.
    “I want you to know I appreciate all this,” he said. “I’d tell you to send me a bill, but a man on Will’s list ought to keep his accounts current. What do I owe you? I’ll write you a check.”
    “There’s no charge.”
    “Don’t be silly,” he said. “I dragged you out of your house in the middle of the night and got two solid hours’ worth of your professional expertise. Go ahead and put a price on it.”
    “I have a vested interest in your survival,” I told him. “If you stay alive, there’s a chance you’ll throw some work my way.”
    “I’d say you can count on it, but you still ought to get paid for tonight.” He patted the pocket where he’d put the slip I gave him. “Will you get a referral fee from these guys?”
    “It depends which one you call.”
    “Only one of them’ll pay you for a referral?”
    “I do a certain amount of per diem work for Reliable,” I said, “and Wally Donn pays me a commission on anything else I happen to steer their way.”
    “Then why’d you put down the other agency as well?”
    “Because they’re good.”
    “Well, I’ll use Reliable,” he said. “That goes without saying. And I’d still like to pay you for your time tonight.”
    “There’s no need.”
    “In that case, I’ve got a better idea. I’d like to hire you.”
    “To do what?”
    “To go after Will.”
    I told him all the reasons why it didn’t make sense. Half the police force was already assigned to the case, and the cops had access to the available data and evidence along with the scientific apparatus to learn something from it. On top of that, they had the manpower to knock on every door and run down every lead and phone tip that came their way. All I could do was get in their way.
    “I know all that,” he said.
    “So?”
    “So I still want to hire you.”
    “Why? As a way of paying me for this evening?”
    He shook his head. “I want you on the case.”
    “What for?”
    “Because I think there’s a chance you’ll make a difference. The first time I hired you, you know, was on Ray Gruliow’s recommendation.”
    “Yes, I know.”
    “He said you had a good mind and caught on fast. ‘Give him the first sentence and he’s got the whole page,’ that’s what he said.”
    “He was being generous,” I said. “Sometimes I move my lips.”
    “I don’t think so. He also said good things about your character and personal integrity. And he said something else, too. He said you were dogged.”
    “It’s a nicer word than pigheaded.”
    He rolled his eyes. “You’re a hard man to compliment, aren’t you? Matt, offense is the best defense. That’s true in the courtroom and it’s true on the street. I don’t know what the hell you can do that the cops can’t, but the one thing I don’t have to worry about these days is money, and if I can throw a little of it your way I can tell myself I’m doing something to see that Will gets nailed before he nails me. Now why don’t you just say you’ll take the case so I can write you out a check?”
    “I’ll take the case.”
    “See? You’re stubborn, which may be part of the job description for what you do. But I’m persuasive, which is very definitely part of my job description.” He went over to the desk, got out his checkbook and wrote me a check, tore it out and handed it to me.
    “A retainer,” he said. “Good enough?”
    The amount was two thousand dollars. “That’s fine,” I said.
    “You have anything else you’re working?”
    “Not at the moment,” I said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’ll start doing it in the morning.”
    “And I’ll call