Fat Tuesday(15)

Pat looked at Burke."You call it. This is your show."

"Like hell it is," he grumbled. Then, to Hahn, he said, "We'll lock you up for a couple of hours."

"Oh, Jesus. I hate that stinking place."

"Sorry, Ray, but we can't let you be blown or we're really screwed." Pinkie stood up and snapped shut his briefcase.

"You're leaving?" Sachel exclaimed in disbelief."You can't leave.

What am I supposed to do?"

"You're supposed to spend the night in jail."

"Jail? Jail? When can you get me out of here?"

"I'll start working on a bail hearing first thing in the morning.

I'm afraid you're in for the night."

"Well that's just great. Fuckin' great."

"A little cell time will be good for you, Sachel. It might make you think about how stupid you've been."

Sachel stopped his grousing and looked sharply at Pinkie."What do you mean?"

"I mean you're a fool to get arrested for selling to a customer in the club." Pinkie had kept his temper under control as long as the policemen were in the room, but now that they'd granted him a moment alone with his client, he felt free to vent his rage.

"This guy is no stranger to me," Sachel said in his defense."He's a regular. I sell to him all the time. I didn't see any harm " "Shut up," Pinkie snapped."Since when did you become a user?"

"Me? I'm not. Never have been."

"But your girlfriend is."

"Girlfriend? What the hell you talking about, Pinkie? I gotta wife.

A kid. I don't have a girlfriend."

Pinkie hated for someone to lie to him. He hated it even worse when the lie was so blatantly transparent as to imply that he was too stupid to see through it."The acrobatic dancer. Frizzy red hair. Skinny ass.

Small tits, but nipples the size of saucers. Come on, Sachel, you know the one."

Sachel swallowed hard. Sweat popped out on his forehead and his skin turned a sickly shade of pale that clashed with his bright jacket.

"You've been banging her for three months," Pinkie said softly, almost sympathetically."She's swapping you sex for dope. My dope. You're supplying it to her for free. And that's stealing, Sachel.

"Furthermore, because it's free, she's doing so much of it that about half the time she's too stoned to perform. As you know, she's the club's most popular dancer. Men drink for hours while waiting for her act.

They pay well to stay and see her famous back-bend finale, but they go home early if she cancels." Pinkie stepped close enough for Sachel to smell his minty mouthwash."Your hard-ons are costing me money, Sachel."

Sweat rings had formed around the sleeves of Sachel's yellow coat.

"I wouldn't do anything against you, Pinkie. You know that." "Do I?"

He shook his silver head."I've heard rumors, Sachel.

Upsetting talk about you and your ambitions."

Sachel tried to smile, but his rubbery lips didn't quite cooperate.

"You can't believe gossip."

"Oh, I believe it. After tonight, I do."

"Wh ... whadaya mean?"

"Why would a smart narc like Burke Basile arrest you over a couple of ounces? He was careless once, but he's too damn clever to screw around with a cheap, smarmy hustler like you unless he wants something from you."

"Like what?"

"Information. Evidence."

"I'd tell them to go f*ck themselves."

Ignoring Sachel's self-righteous indignation, Pinkie continued: "They'll let you spend a night or two in jail with the worst of the worst, let you see how really bad incarceration is, and then, when your defenses are down, they'll offer you a deal. My guess is it'll be a dismissal of all the charges against you in exchange for information about your operation."

"I'd never take a deal."

Pinkie smiled."No, I don't believe you would."

Sachel relaxed."Hell no. I'd never betray a friend."

"I'm confident you won't." Pinkie's voice was deceptively silky.

"Because I'm sure you'd rather do some jail time than have anything bad happen to your boy."

Sachel's bravado collapsed."My boy? Oh God, Pinkie. No. I " Pinkie laid a hand on Sachel's shoulder to calm him and to stop his sputtering."I look forward to seeing that kid play for the Tigers, and so do a lot of other people." He gently massaged Sachel's rigid deltoid.

"Wouldn't it be a shame if he was seriously injured in a freak accident, if his promising career in football was abruptly ended before it even got started?"

Sachel began to cry.

"Wouldn't you hate to see your son fall victim to a tragic accident, Sachel?"

Sobbing like a baby, Sachel nodded.

Would you like some eggs?" v Jv "No thanks, Pinkie." Bardo glanced over at Roman."But I'll take a cup of coffee."

After returning home from the police station, Pinkie realized he was ravenous. He'd awakened the butler and asked him to prepare a breakfast. Rather than being disgruntled, Roman was happy to oblige. Having been saved from death row instilled a lot of loyalty.