“Know what else I’m good at? Know why Sebastian Gault, the Seven Kings, and Hugo Vox all knew about me? I can find things. I may be out of the game, but my connections are still out there. I used to be wired in everywhere. You have your cronies—Lilith and her Arklight witches, friends in the industry, that lot—but my connections are likely off your radar. Or maybe below your radar. Look, I know that you’re hunting Kuga. I know that Kuga took over most of Ohan’s black market network after Lilith cut his throat. That’s fine. But I’ll bet Kuga allowed or encouraged a lot of the key players in Ohan’s network to come over to his team. Why? Because that’s the smart way to run a business like that. I have connections on the dark web left over from my time with Gault and Vox. Just because I stepped away from that life doesn’t mean I can’t work the game if I really wanted to.”

“And you would step back into that world for Joe Ledger?”

“No, weren’t you listening?” said Toys, shaking his head slowly. “It’s not for Ledger. I told you, this is for Junie Flynn.”

Church pursed his lips again. “Do you think this is your path to redemption, Mr. Chismer?”

“No,” Toys said flatly. “We both know that I’m past any chance of redemption. So, this isn’t about me. Not sure why you can’t see that. This is all about Junie. She’s worth a hundred of Ledger. She’s better and cleaner than either of us.”

“I won’t argue that,” said Church.

“I want you to put me into play. Put me back in the game and let me help her by doing what I can for the man she—beyond all common effing sense—loves.”

“There is every chance many of your old contacts will never believe you’ve changed sides.”

“So what? Seriously, Church, there is no honor among thieves. It’s all about business, about money. I can make deals that will make people money, and that will erase all past sins.”

“You might find that some people are less forgiving. There are likely old allies of the Seven Kings who might want to nail your hide to the wall.”

Toys gave him a smile that was very much like one of the more poisonous jungle snakes. “Let them try.”

Church was silent for a long time. The aria that had been playing ended, and another began. A moody violin piece, an adagio in E-flat major.

“If you do this,” he said at length, “there may be no turning back. You escaped this war once. You may not be able to do so again.”

“I know the risks. Put me in play.”