there.’
‘I hadn’t shot him, that dude would have drilled you.’
‘Bullshit,’ Danny said. ‘He’d have told me to freeze, called the cops. Anyway, we should have been out the back with the money before he even showed up. Nobody would have gotten hurt. Nobody would have gone to jail.’
‘Always the man with the plan. How about this, Einstein?’ Jabbing at him with the cigarette. ‘You owe me. First I saved your ass, then I kept my mouth shut and went down alone. Twelve years the judge gave me and banged his little hammer, and you not even in the courtroom to see it. You know what I was doing while you were becoming a yuppie? Celling with a two-hundred-and-sixty-pound gangbanger named Isaiah. He knows I’m not affiliated, so he’s eyeing me to decide if I’m a guppy or a shark. How would you sleep?’
Danny held his hands up for peace. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t want it to work out that way.’ He kept his game face up, but behind it, his mind hummed. Yesterday, he’d have bet his savings account that he’d never see his old partner again. Now it seemed like Evan might have other plans, and if so, Danny needed to find a way to mollify him quickly. And then get the guy out of his life for good. ‘And I’m grateful you kept quiet.’
Evan leaned back, sighed, stabbed out the cigarette. ‘Yeah, all right.’
They sipped their beer in silence. The memory of his own jail time came to Danny’s mind. Summer camp compared with Stateville, but still plenty bad. The worst was the feeling, always, that danger rode hard on your back. Something as simple as holding a gaze too long – or not long enough – and bam, the shit storm started.
‘I came out short seven years.’ Evan seemed calmer, his voice level. ‘Okay, bad beat. But I figure when I go home, I’ll find my partner waiting with a new plan to make us money, that we’ll get back to work.
‘Only that’s not what happens. Instead, my partner, he’s nowhere to be found. I have to track him down. And when I do? He tells me he’s legit. Then he buys me a beer and tells me good luck, ’cause he’s got work tomorrow and can’t be late.’
Danny kept his face calm.
Don’t show any fear, and don’t give anything away
.
‘I say bullshit to that. From where I’m sitting, you got everything and I got nothing. You owe me.’
‘What am I supposed to do? Dig out my tools and go back to work?’
Evan shrugged. ‘Why not? The money is better as a team. And I been away too long. I need somebody who knows how to work. Someone I can trust.’
‘I’ve been away as long as you have. If you need someone in the game, I’m not your guy.’
‘I’m not talking knowing fences. I’m talking about spotting opportunities. Help me level us out.’
‘No.’ Danny spoke without any hesitation.
‘No?’
‘I’m not going back to work,’ Danny said. ‘Period. I’m not.’
‘So I should just crawl back to my hole?’
‘I don’t mean any disrespect. But my life is different now, and I won’t go back.’
‘Then,’ Evan leaned back, lighting another cigarette, ‘we have a problem.’
Careful. Be very careful
. He remembered Evan’s temper all too well, how it could seize him, a white-hot fire that burned out his sense and self-control.
‘I don’t have any problem.’ A play had been spinning in his brain since that night Evan had surprised him out with McCloskey. A little bit crazy, yeah, but still… maybe worth trying. ‘In fact, I’ve got an idea.’
‘Yeah?’
‘But listen, you’re going to have to relax and think it over. Don’t just snap on me, all right, compadre?’ He took a breath to steady himself. ‘I can’t come back. But I can help you earn.’
Evan leaned forward, his head cocked.
‘I can give you a job.’
‘You know a good score?’
‘No, I mean a
job
. A civilian job.’ As he spoke, he stared at Evan, trying to read a hint of a reaction. Hopefully he’d see it as a peace offering. Or maybe even a
‘I hadn’t shot him, that dude would have drilled you.’
‘Bullshit,’ Danny said. ‘He’d have told me to freeze, called the cops. Anyway, we should have been out the back with the money before he even showed up. Nobody would have gotten hurt. Nobody would have gone to jail.’
‘Always the man with the plan. How about this, Einstein?’ Jabbing at him with the cigarette. ‘You owe me. First I saved your ass, then I kept my mouth shut and went down alone. Twelve years the judge gave me and banged his little hammer, and you not even in the courtroom to see it. You know what I was doing while you were becoming a yuppie? Celling with a two-hundred-and-sixty-pound gangbanger named Isaiah. He knows I’m not affiliated, so he’s eyeing me to decide if I’m a guppy or a shark. How would you sleep?’
Danny held his hands up for peace. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t want it to work out that way.’ He kept his game face up, but behind it, his mind hummed. Yesterday, he’d have bet his savings account that he’d never see his old partner again. Now it seemed like Evan might have other plans, and if so, Danny needed to find a way to mollify him quickly. And then get the guy out of his life for good. ‘And I’m grateful you kept quiet.’
Evan leaned back, sighed, stabbed out the cigarette. ‘Yeah, all right.’
They sipped their beer in silence. The memory of his own jail time came to Danny’s mind. Summer camp compared with Stateville, but still plenty bad. The worst was the feeling, always, that danger rode hard on your back. Something as simple as holding a gaze too long – or not long enough – and bam, the shit storm started.
‘I came out short seven years.’ Evan seemed calmer, his voice level. ‘Okay, bad beat. But I figure when I go home, I’ll find my partner waiting with a new plan to make us money, that we’ll get back to work.
‘Only that’s not what happens. Instead, my partner, he’s nowhere to be found. I have to track him down. And when I do? He tells me he’s legit. Then he buys me a beer and tells me good luck, ’cause he’s got work tomorrow and can’t be late.’
Danny kept his face calm.
Don’t show any fear, and don’t give anything away
.
‘I say bullshit to that. From where I’m sitting, you got everything and I got nothing. You owe me.’
‘What am I supposed to do? Dig out my tools and go back to work?’
Evan shrugged. ‘Why not? The money is better as a team. And I been away too long. I need somebody who knows how to work. Someone I can trust.’
‘I’ve been away as long as you have. If you need someone in the game, I’m not your guy.’
‘I’m not talking knowing fences. I’m talking about spotting opportunities. Help me level us out.’
‘No.’ Danny spoke without any hesitation.
‘No?’
‘I’m not going back to work,’ Danny said. ‘Period. I’m not.’
‘So I should just crawl back to my hole?’
‘I don’t mean any disrespect. But my life is different now, and I won’t go back.’
‘Then,’ Evan leaned back, lighting another cigarette, ‘we have a problem.’
Careful. Be very careful
. He remembered Evan’s temper all too well, how it could seize him, a white-hot fire that burned out his sense and self-control.
‘I don’t have any problem.’ A play had been spinning in his brain since that night Evan had surprised him out with McCloskey. A little bit crazy, yeah, but still… maybe worth trying. ‘In fact, I’ve got an idea.’
‘Yeah?’
‘But listen, you’re going to have to relax and think it over. Don’t just snap on me, all right, compadre?’ He took a breath to steady himself. ‘I can’t come back. But I can help you earn.’
Evan leaned forward, his head cocked.
‘I can give you a job.’
‘You know a good score?’
‘No, I mean a
job
. A civilian job.’ As he spoke, he stared at Evan, trying to read a hint of a reaction. Hopefully he’d see it as a peace offering. Or maybe even a
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