The Last Dance by Ed McBain

drug busts hither and yon, provided the money went into what was euphemistically called “the War Chest.” But a big drug intercept on the docks downtown had slowed traffic in the precinct these past two months, and Carella wondered now if there was that much contingency cash lying around. He further wondered if the lieutenant would turn over that kind of money to a stoolie. Danny’s information would have to be pure gold to justify such an outlay.
    â€œTell him I know who did it and I know where he is,” he said. “If that ain’t worth five grand, I’m in the wrong business.”
    â€œHow’d you get this?” Carella asked.
    â€œFellow I know.”
    â€œHow’d
he
get it?”
    â€œStraight from the horse’s mouth.”
    â€œGive me something I can run with.”
    â€œSure,” Danny said. “Your man was in a poker game.”
    â€œYou talking about Robert Keating?” Carella said, surprised.
    â€œNo. Who’s Robert Keating?”
    â€œThen who do you mean?”
    â€œThe guy you’re looking for,” Danny said. “He was in a poker game this past Saturday night.”
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œWho’s Robert Keating?” Danny asked again.
    â€œNobody,” Carella said. “What about this game?”
    â€œYour man was betting big.”
    â€œHow big?”
    â€œThousand-dollar pots. Came in with a five-grand stake, worked it up to twenty before the night was through. Big winner.”
    â€œIs he a gambler?”
    â€œNo, he’s a hit man who just
likes
to gamble.”
    â€œHe from this city?”
    â€œHouston, Texas. And heading back there.”
    â€œWhen?”
    â€œSometime this Wednesday. You want him, you better move fast. Funny about Houston, ain’t it?”
    Carella did not think there was anything funny about Houston.
    â€œIt must drive foreigners crazy,” Danny said. “The way words are spelled the same, but pronounced different. In English, I mean.”
    â€œHow does this
guy
spell his name?” Carella asked, fishing.
    â€œHo ho,” Danny said. “There’s a street in New York, you know, it’s spelled exactly the same as the city in Texas, but it’s pronounced
House
-ton Street. Instead, we say
Youse
-ton, Texas, after
Sam
Youse-ton, is the way he pronounced his name. Which is peculiar, don’t you think?”
    â€œHow does this hit man pronounce his name?”
    â€œHo, ho,
ho,”
Danny said, and shook his finger.
    â€œWho hired him?” Carella said. “Can you tell me that?”
    â€œI don’t know who hired him.”
    â€œWhy was the old man killed?”
    â€œSomebody wanted what he had and he wouldn’t turn it over. So they took him out of the picture.”
    â€œThey?”
    â€œWhoever.”
    â€œMore than one person?”
    â€œI don’t know that for sure.”
    â€œYou said ‘they.’”
    â€œJust an expression. All I know is the only way to get what they wanted was to have him dusted.”
    â€œThe old man didn’t have a pot to piss in, Danny.”
    â€œI’m telling you what I heard.”
    â€œFrom who?”
    â€œMy friend. Who got it straight from the hitter.”
    â€œHe told your friend he
killed
somebody?”
    â€œOf course not.”
    â€œI didn’t think so.”
    â€œBut he told him enough.”
    â€œLike what?”
    â€œDrunk talk. Suppose this, suppose that.”
    â€œSuppose
what
, Danny?”
    â€œOkay,
suppose
there’s this old fart got something somebody else wants real bad and he won’t part with it? And
suppose
this something is worth a lotta money? And
suppose
…”
    â€œThis is our man talking?”
    â€œThis is him.
Suppose
somebody’s willing to pay a person five large to get rid of the old man and make it look like an accident? And
suppose
…”
    â€œDid he use that word?