“Understand?”

Silence. The moments ticked away. Finally, Chris raised his hands up in the air, a double-action automatic in his left hand; probably a Walther TPH.

Decker released him. “We’re doing business.” He backed away and sat back down. “Let’s not get personal.”

Donatti shook himself off, then rested the gun on Decker’s forehead. “Some men might consider that a compliment.”

“I don’t.” Decker was trying hard not to flinch. “We need to respect each other’s privacy.”

Donatti held the gun on him for another minute—a very long time for a loaded barrel to be pressed to your brain, but Decker took comfort in knowing that a Walther has reliable safety features.

Eventually, Chris lowered the piece. He cleared his throat and downed some scotch. Then he began to pace like an animal—flushed and red, his breathing rapid and punctuated. Decker felt his heart pounding against his chest, but he attempted to mask his fury by clutching his hands and keeping his expression flat. The both of them: two adrenalized bulls. The office stank like a gym.

Finally, Donatti placed the semiautomatic down on the tabletop and spoke in a guttural voice. “Don’t do that again. After my father and Joey, I have no more tolerance for abuse.”

Decker held out his hands. “You behave, so will I.”

“Fuck only knows why I took that shit from you.”

“Because I’m not only Terry’s father figure, I’m yours as well. Sit down, Chris. It’s over. We’ll call it a draw.”

Chris tapped his foot, then sat back down. “Okay. You did your dance; I did mine. You should still thank me for sparing your nuts.”

“Thank you.” It took Decker a few moments to catch his breath. “I’d like to see her. Shayndie.”

“You think I’m holding her against her will?”

That’s exactly what he’d been thinking. He didn’t trust Donatti, but he was all Decker had. “No, I believe you. But I’d still like to see her.”

Donatti looked at him.

“No setup, Donatti. Just something to ease my worried head. Just you, the girl, and me. You have my word on that, too.”

“You want to ask her questions.”

“She’s a material witness to a murder. I could use a little help.”

Donatti said, “If you upset her, she’ll bolt. That won’t do either one of us any good.”

“Can we just play it by ear?”

“As long as I direct.”

“Whatever you want, big guy.”

Donatti ran his hands across the top of his shorn blond locks. “I suppose I could set it up.” He thought for a long time. Then he took out a piece of paper, wrote something down, and gave it to Decker. “Meet me there tomorrow night, around eleven, eleven-thirty. If I don’t show, I’m not jerking you around. It means I couldn’t risk it. Cops are all over the place now. It’s hard to move without a cruiser on your ass.”

Decker looked at the address. “Where the hell is this?”

“You’re a detective. Figure it out! And don’t even think of putting a tail on me. The girl is safe right now. But if you make her a liability, I’ll do what I need to do.” Donatti scratched his head. “Want a piece?”