“Yes, sir. Captain—sixteen again.”

Richardson returned to his office, and when he was on the line, Leland put down his receiver and went into the office and closed the door. In a minute Richardson said goodbye, hung up, and looked at Leland.

“He’s scared, Joe. This is between you and me, but he’s evading his responsibilities. If we fail, this will get tied to our tails, and he’ll help them tie it. It’s a hell of a thing, when you think of commissioners who would be here right now, taking charge. So you handle the press. Have you figured out why?”

“He spelled it out for me.”

“Jesus. He’s not backing you up, he’s hiding behind you. Maybe the Mayor put him up to it. Now there is a man full of confidence. But we’re supposed to go out and do or die, eh? What makes me so sick is that they’re willing to engineer a man as young as you are into a position where he’ll draw the most fire. How old are you—thirty?”

“I’ll be thirty this year.”

“What do they know about you? Maybe they even resent you for having become somebody without having indebted yourself to them. Frankly, I wouldn’t want to be you for anything. You know that. They don’t figure that you’re a man with troubles of your own, but a dumb kid they can feed to that—madman. A housing project. Why, we may come up looking like we’re against it because we don’t want to get squashed. The Commissioner is kidding himself if he thinks Davis won’t try to hit you. He’ll try to make you look young, clumsy, impetuous, and even crooked. Somehow he’ll do it. Before he’s done with you people will be checking your pants to see if you’re wearing diapers.”

Leland scratched the back of his hand. “I’ve got a wife and little girl. I’m not going home to them with my ass dragging because of a guy like Davis. My wife is bright, but that isn’t saying she isn’t going to be hurt and ashamed if I don’t hit back. And you know there’s no explaining things to little girls. If I don’t slay my enemies, her heart will be broken. But for more than that, I reserve the right to defend myself.”

“’Atta boy,” Richardson said, and stood up. He looked around, as if sniffing the air, and then, with a little frown, stared straight out, as if, as his men sometimes believed, he was looking into the future.