Cormack leaned forward and pulled the tape off of Buddy’s face in one clean tug. Buddy let out a shout of pain as it took hair and skin off his face. “OK,” Cormack said. “What do you have to tell us?”

For a long moment, Buddy said nothing. His head was down, his hair hanging in his face. Then, at last, he picked his head up and looked directly into Cormack’s eyes. “I can’t tell you anything about Soh’s organization,” he said.

Cormack frowned. “Can’t, or won’t?”

“Can’t,” Buddy said. “I can’t tell you because I don’t know anything. I have no idea what’s going on.”

Cicero’s fist slammed into Buddy’s face from behind, and Buddy’s head fell over to the side, almost taking him off the chair. He managed to straighten himself.

“You see, the problem with that story,” Cormack said, “is that your friend Nate already ratted you out.”

Cavanaugh looked confused. “Ratted me out how?”

“He said you called Soh as the two of you were leaving the Mariner. He said he heard you tell him, ‘He’s still there.’ So you see why it’s a problem now when you tell me you don’t know anything?”

“I didn’t call Soh,” Cavanaugh said. “Where’s Nate?”

“Don’t worry,” Cicero said. “You’ll be seeing him very soon.”

Even through the bruises and blood, Cormack could see Buddy Cavanaugh’s face whiten. “It didn’t take much to figure it out,” Cormack said. “You and Nate knew I was there at the Mariner because I told you to meet me. Cookie knew I was there, but he’s above suspicion. And besides, he’s dead. No one else knew I was there. And then you made the phone call when you left. Two and two always makes four, you get it?”

“I swear to God, I didn’t call Soh,” Buddy pleaded. Cormack had been impressed with the kid’s composure, but now it was beginning to crack. It was understandable, given the situation.

“No?” Cicero said. “The boys told us that when they were tying you up, you continued to tell them to tell Cormack you were sorry. Why’s that, if you haven’t done anything wrong?”

“When they first jumped me, I thought they were pissed because I skipped my shift,” Cavanaugh explained.

“You’ve been here, what, three years?” Cormack asked. “More than a hundred men have missed shifts in the last three years. In all that time, you ever seen any one of them take a beating for it? It doesn’t hold up. Why’d you keep telling them to give me your apology after the beating started?”

Buddy looked at the floor.

“You see what I’m sayin’?”

“I thought you were pissed about something else.” He didn’t raise his head.

Cormack looked Cicero. “Did they take his phone?”