“And he ratted?”

“No way, man. Artie was a stand-up kid.” Sal thumped his chest. “He was tough in here.” He tapped his head. “A little thick up here, maybe—a real capa-tosta, if you know what I’m saying—but he’d never rat. Dragovic couldn’t know that, of course, so he took him out.”

That was the word on the street: Dragovic arranged the hit and made sure to be very visible at the 21 Club when it went down. But Jack was curious as to how much more Sal knew.

“You don’t know it was Dragovic.”

“Hey, I heard from people who saw it go down. The car was aimed right at Artie. When Artie tried to dodge outta the way, the car swerved to hit him. No accident.”

“OK. No accident. But as you yourself said, he was in with a rough bunch. Maybe—”

“It was the Serb. Guy was there told me. Won’t say nothin’ officially, if you know what I’m sayin’, but he tells me he recognized one of the Serb’s guys at the wheel. So it was Dragovic. I know it, and worse, Roseanne knows it, and every time I see her she looks at me and her eyes say, What’re you gonna do about my boy? I’m her little brother, but I’m sorta the man of the family, so I feel I gotta do something. In the old days if you knew someone in the families you could maybe get something done, but those days are gone. So I gotta find someone or do it myself. But this Serb’s crazy. I try something and he connects it to me, I’m dead, probably along with my wife and kids to boot.”

“You could just let it go.”

Sal looked at him. “What kinda guy would I be then?”

“Alive.”

“Yeah. Alive and havin’ to see Roseanne’s eyes lookin’ at me every Christmas and Easter and birthday and First Communion, sayin’, When, Sal? When you gonna do somethin’?” He sighed heavily. “Bein’ the man of the family can really suck, if you know what I’m sayin’.”

Jack said nothing. Nothing to say to that.

“So anyways,” Sal said, rubbing a hand over his face, “I’m talkin’ to Eddy one day, sayin’ what am I gonna do, and Eddy says I should call you.” He spread his hands and looked at Jack. “And here we are.”

Jack remembered Eddy. He’d fixed a problem for him a few years ago. Obviously Eddy remembered Jack.

“Let me float a concept by you, Sal.”

“Float away.”

“A life for a life balances the scales, sure, but lots of times it can leave you unsatisfied. You’re redressing an act that has caused a lot of heartbreak and pain to you and the people you know and love. But when you kill the other guy, it’s all over for him. Done. He’s gone where he’s beyond pain and suffering, but you’re still living with the fallout from what he did.”

“At least I know he paid for what he did.”