"You know what? I've done my time. Not a mark on my record in seventeen years. Credit for time served, good behavior, the whole shootin' match. Now I'm out, I'm clean, and I'm gainfully employed so you can go fuck yourself. No offense."

"Prison did you some good."

"Yes, it did. See that? Rehabilitation works. I'm living proof. Went from bad to good and now I'm free as a bird."

"Not quite. You're still on parole."

"You think I don't know that? All the fuckin' rules they lay down? Tell you something, you won't catch me in violation. I'm way too smart. I'm willing to play fair because I don't intend to go back in. And I mean, ever."

"You know the problem with you, Frankie?"

"What's that, Lieutenant? I'm sure you'll spell it out in great detail."

"You may be righteous today, but back then you didn't know enough to keep your big mouth shut."

"Come on. What is this?"

"I told you. We have an unsolved homicide with circumstances similar to Cathy Lee's."

"Yeah, well, I can't help you there. I don't know jack about that. You want anything else, you can talk to my attorney."

"And who's that?"

"Haven't hired one yet, but I'll let you know. Where's this horseshit coming from, or is that classified?"

"We got somebody willing to put the ju-ju on you."

"Ju-ju, my ass. What have you got, some ex-con having lunch on my expense account? I didn't kill the chick. You're full of shit."

"That's not what our witness says. He says you bragged about it afterward."

"You're blowin' smoke and you know it. You had anything on me, you'd've showed up with a warrant instead of this hokey song-and-dance routine."

Dolan shook his head. "I don't know, Frankie. I figure you had a hard-on for the girl and when she wouldn't put out, you lost control of yourself."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Frankie made a gesture like he was whacking off.

"Why don't you own up to it? You could really help us out. Show your heart's in the right place now that you've turned over this new leaf."

Frankie smiled, shaking his head in disbelief. "You think I'd be dumb enough to sit here and confess? To what? You got nothing on me. I don't even know who the fuck you're talking about."

"I'm not here to hassle you."

"Good, because I'm trying not to lose my cool. You want a urine sample, I'll piss in a cup. You want to search the place, have at it. Whatever it is, just be quick about it. Otherwise we're done. Pull the door shut behind you on your way out." He slid the mask down over his eyes and turned his back to us.

"Well, that was unproductive," I said when the two of us were back in the car again.