Fat Tuesday(54)

"Not when everything's in the shitcan. Your friend dies bloody. Your marriage collapses. You're under a lot of pressure within the division.

Everybody knows you're bummed out. So, if something happens to one of the guys in Narcotics and Vice, who're they going to suspect first?" Mac's argument had merit, but Basile said, "That's a chance I'll have to take." He narrowed his eyes against the smoke rising from his cigar.

"Did Pat put you up to giving me this lecture?"

"No. But if he was here, he'd be telling you the same thing."

"He already has told me the same thing. Just today, in fact."

Burke had had his first appointment with a divorce lawyer early that morning. Barbara hadn't wasted any time in filing, and that was fine with him. It just irked him that he was out the expense of an attorney when he'd already told her she could have her football coach her divorce, and anything else she wanted.

"Pat called Barbara and got the name of my lawyer. He left a message with him for me to call," he explained to Mac "And?"

'"He tried to talk me into coming back, just like you're doing.

But you're both wasting your breath. I'm out and I'll stay out." "Okay, fine," Mac said irritably."But it's not just your reputation that needs protecting, Burke. It's also your hide."

"Ah, the warning on the back of your business card. I thought I'd walked into a detective TV show."

"Maybe I was a little melodramatic, but when you screw with Pinkie Duvall, you'd " "Who said I was screwing with Duvall?"

"A lot of people have been asking about you lately. Where are you living? What are your plans? That kind of thing. Most are just curious or genuinely interested. But one of the guys who felt me out is associated with Wayne Bardo. Connect the dots and you've got Duvall. I'm worried that they're planning to move on you, now that you're no longer protected by the department."

"Duvall had plans for me, all right, but it wasn't disposal. He found me and offered me a job."

"A job?"

Burke told Mac about the interview.

"A job," Mac repeated thoughtfully."Well, at least they aren't plotting to kill you. All the same, I don't like it. If I.A. heard that you had dealings of any kind with either Bardo or Duvall, it would look bad for you."

Burke ground out his cigar."No cause for you to worry, Mac. I've gone on record with my opinion of Duvall." He stood up."It's getting late.

I'd better shove off."

Mac also came to his feet."Where are you living now?"

"Why?"

"In case I hear something, I need to know how to reach you."

"I haven't found a permanent place yet."

"Let me know when you do."

"Sure."

"What are you going to do?"

"About what?"

"About what we've been talking about," Mac replied impatiently.

"Do you have any money? Gossip is that Barbara is cleaning you out."

"I'll manage. In fact, I was thinking about going away for a while."

"When?"

"Soon."

"For how long?"

"I don't know. Long enough to sort things out, make some decisions."

"Where are you going?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"Out of the country?"

"I haven't decided yet," he repeated testily.

If he'd told Mac that he had buried Kev's memory and was going to leave it alone, Mac would have known he was lying. So he had vowed vengeance, which had appealed to Mac's idealism and enhanced his image of Burke Basile the Legend. But this barrage of questions put Burke on guard again. Was Mac's interest as sincere and innocent as he wanted him to believe?

He glanced toward the house, where he could see Mac's young, pretty wife through the windows, moving around in the kitchen. A Playmate of the Month who could cook and clean and obviously liked the role of wife and homemaker. The kid had it all.

Which left Burke to wonder why Mac appeared so hungry all the time. He was like an alley cat, anxious and on the prowl, not like a satisfied cat who had a bowl of cream that never ran empty.

As though sensing Burke's suspicion, Mac smiled his infectious grin and slapped him on the shoulder."Whatever you decide to do, the odds are definitely in your favor. You'll come out on top. Bet you a hundred to one."

In all seriousness, Burke replied, "That's one gamble you might lose, Mac."

The temperature began to drop significantly, but Mac sat out on the patio long after Burke had thanked Toni for the dinner and departed.

Burke Basile already had an established reputation when Mac joined the police force. Basile didn't win any popularity contests because he didn't accept graft, but he was respected. He used his brain in preference to his pistol, although anybody who called him a coward was a fool. Basile liked to outsmart the drug dealers, not outshoot them.

He considered the most successful operation to be one in which nobody got hurt.

Nevertheless, Mac believed him when he'd said that if he ever uncovered the traitor in their division, he would kill him.

"Mac?" Toni approached on bare feet."Aren't you cold out here?"