“Forget it, Steve.” He paused for effect. “Just pour yourself a drink and forget all about it.” He regretted the remark at once. Kevin pushed him toward the door.

Downstairs, Gerrity was waiting, his wilted shirt collar curled up like a potato chip. “I’m sorry, Devlin. You can see the position we’re in.”

“Yeah, one step up in the food chain. Don’t worry about it.”

Kevin said, “The car’s around the corner. You don’t mind the short walk wearing those things, do you?”

“Whatever you say. You’re getting pretty tight with Norberto Torres. You saw your opportunity and you took it. You don’t give a fuck about the facts or other people’s lives. You’re in the middle of wrecking mine, and what haunts you is that you don’t understand it, you haven’t a clue. You’re just another careerist punk not old enough or mature enough to understand what can happen between two people and how precious it is.”

Kevin smiled. “What are you trying to do, geezer, piss me off? You want me to hit you upside the head? Give you a cause to claim brutality?”

“Why don’t you shut up?” Gerrity asked. “You, too, Devlin.”

The car was a black Plymouth plainwrap. Kevin opened the back door and motioned Devlin in. Gerrity got behind the wheel—a break. Devlin wanted to push the situation a little further. He had to get Kevin angry enough to keep his eyes front. It was going to take time, but not much—a few minutes. Gerrity turned the car south on Park.

“Kevin, I think this stunt is going to cost you John Lord for life. It’s a hell of a price to pay to ingratiate yourself with Hamilton and Torres.”

Kevin was staring straight ahead. Devlin reached for the .25. “Well, you’re a lovely couple,” he said as Groucho Marx, “but now it’s time to play You Bet Your Life.” He rammed the barrel of the little pistol into the back of Kevin’s neck. “How do you like it, small balls? Do anything funny with the car, or Gerrity makes a play, the gun goes off and your life disappears faster than a fart in a hurricane. Gerrity, ease the car over to the right-hand curb and get out. Leave your gun. Very carefully, please. I will kill him.”

“You’re crazy,” Gerrity said. “You’ll regret this the rest of your life.”

“Do as he says!” Kevin screamed. The tension in his neck told it all. “Do it, you stupid son of a bitch!”

Gerrity was reaching with his fingertips into his shoulder holster. “How stupid are you? You searched him. You wanted the collar? You got it.” He turned slowly and dropped the gun on the rear floor. “Okay?”

“Yeah. Get out and head up the side street. Stay where I can see you.”