She’s watching me like a hungry dog waiting to snatch a piece of food from my plate.

“But I could probably find a way to get that to you in cash. But—”

“Fifty,” she says suddenly, looking almost defiant. “Fifty cash, and I’ll guarantee Will stands up for Doc Cage in court.”

This kind of agreement breaks so many laws I don’t even want to think about it. “Tomorrow? He’ll testify tomorrow for fifty?”

“You get me the money and guarantee his safety, and it’s a deal.”

“Don’t ask me for a dollar more later. You do that, and I’ll tell the FBI. And it’ll blow your deal.”

She holds up both hands and grins. “Fifty’s it, baby doll. Fifty’s good.”

Five excruciating minutes later, they let Serenity and me out on the corner of Washington and Union again. Tee looks like she’s about to throw up. After the Winnebago rumbles away, she hugs herself and shivers.

“I feel like I need a bath,” she says, her voice dripping with disgust.

“That’s your KKK elite right there.”

“Did you hear her talking about what they did to Viola? All she cared about was that her fat-ass husband cheated on her to rape a black woman.”

“I thought you might lose your cool, but you stayed cold. You were like an ice statue.”

Tee’s eyes flash with fury. “Not on the inside. Man, when she said ‘nigras’ I nearly went across that table and snatched her tongue out of her head. It was worse than any time I ever heard ‘nigger.’”

“I knew it would be bad. But you insisted on going.”

“Oh, I’m glad I went. Some things you can’t learn any other way. And that was one of them. Penn . . . think about spending tax dollars to protect that trash. I say give them to Snake. Or better yet, throw them in Angola and let the black gangs eat ’em up. That’d be fair payback right there.”

“I think somebody needs a drink.”

She catches my upper arm and squeezes hard. “Boy, you read my mind.”

“I have to call Kaiser first.”

“I’m good,” she says, glancing up at my town house in the middle of the block. “I’m actually glad to be out of the house for a while. Cabin fever, you know?”

I already have my cell phone out. Speed-dialing Kaiser, I have to wait only two rings.

“Penn?” he says. “What’s up?”

“Are you alone, John?”

“Give me five seconds.”

I hear shuffling and rustling, then Kaiser says, “Go.”

“Think about Dolores St. Denis and her potential as a witness against the Double Eagles. Are you doing that?”

“Uh . . . yeah. What kind of game is this?”

“Now multiply that by ten.”

Kaiser says nothing for several seconds. Then he whispers, “You son of a bitch. You flipped an Eagle.”

“Affirmative.”

“Where are you?”