He was being careful. At ninety-sixth street he told Sonny to turn left, and then on Columbus he said to turn right. The sky was medium purple; all the streetlights were on. “Stay in the left-hand lane. It’s between Eighty-seventh and Eighty-sixth, or Eighty-sixth and Eighty-fifth. I’ve already caught myself getting the numbers backward, but I’ll recognize the building.”

“Whose apartment is it?”

“My girlfriend’s girlfriend. Won’t she be surprised to see me?”

“You hittin’ on her?”

“No, I meant the nose. Actually I’m just hoping somebody’s there.” More than you know. Devlin wanted to keep him entertained. “Yeah, I hit on her once. Some women are like that. They have to know what their girlfriend is getting. This one was very slick. I didn’t tip to her at all until she saw her shot and took it.” Eighty-eighth Street. He had to start looking for people on the sidewalk. “You ever have one like that?”

“I like a little one,” Sonny said. “The little ones are the best, especially the first time you get ’em alone. Just wave it at ’em. They can’t take their eyes off it. They’re all so full of shit. They never want anybody to know what they’re doin’ in private.”

Eighty-seventh Street. “Start taking it easy,” Devlin said. Columbus was crowded with pedestrians. He powered the window down.

“What did you do that for?”

“I can see better. Wait a few years, Sonny. All kinds of weird shit starts happening to you.” If you live that long. Devlin wanted to get caught at the light, wanted the Lincoln to be first in line. He still didn’t see any plainclothes cops. “Take your time. Wait. No, that isn’t it.”

The light turned yellow. “Are you shittin’ me?”

“No, the building on the next block looks just like this one here. Calm down.” The light turned red. Sonny had another twenty feet to roll. “Nobody wants this finished more than I do.” Devlin was scratching his ear when they reached the building line, jerking his thumb back behind him.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Immediately Sonny’s eyes were drawn to what was going on outside.

“Behind us!” Devlin yelled. “The black Olds!” As he went for Sonny, he saw John Lord toss his topcoat aside, revealing a sawed-off shotgun. People started screaming. Sonny was going for his gun. With both hands, Devlin pushed the gun against the driver’s door. John was yelling something. Sonny’s gun fired. Outside, an explosion, an ear-ringing boom that left Devlin all but deafened. Sonny was trying to get his left hand around to push on Devlin’s nose. Through the cotton in his ears Devlin heard more screaming. Another boom, this one a few feet farther away than the first.