“Yes. Me and Jimmy were in the same class. Judd and Mason were in the class after us.”

“Go on.”

“Mason always complained about living inside a state government salary and started looking for private gigs. He wasn’t picky, so he found them. And then he started getting more work than he could handle himself, so he’d parcel them out to the rest of us on league nights. Eventually we stopped bowling and just got together to get gigs from Mason.”

“So this Mason character was the ringleader.”

“‘Ringleader’ is a little grand for what he did, but sure.”

“But Katie Albert blames you.”

“I asked Jimmy to join the bowling team. That was back when it was just bowling.”

Langdon smiled at this. “No bowling team anymore.”

“No. I stopped taking certain gigs and Katie told Jimmy to stop taking them. Judd left dispatching and went to law school. I get most of my private gigs now by referral from other clients. That’s why I work with so many rich people now. I’m reliable and confidential.”

“What about Mason Schilling?”

“I’m pretty sure he’s still not too picky.”

“Could Jimmy still have been getting gigs from him?”

“I don’t know. Mason and I don’t talk much anymore.”

“Falling out?”

“We just run in different circles.”

“And yours don’t involve hammers.”

“Something like that.”

Langdon glanced over to the owner of the restaurant, who was giving us pained expressions. “I’d like to talk with this Mason character.”

“You won’t get anything out of him.”

“I’m persuasive.”

“He’ll lawyer up the instant he sees you coming. I guarantee it.”

“I can make his life difficult if he doesn’t talk. It’s hard to work the shady side of the street if a cop is shining a spotlight on you.”

“Mason has been doing this a long time. He can probably wait you out.”

“Fine. Then you talk to him. Ask him if he’s been giving any work to Jimmy Albert. He’ll talk to you. You’re an old pal.”

“I don’t want to get any more involved.”

“Look, Valdez, you’ve got a woman who is planning to run you over the next time she catches you on the street. I’d say you’re involved enough. And besides we don’t have anything else to go on.”

“You told Katie you had people working with the Agency.”

“And they’ve got nothing. Neither do the officers who canvassed the building. Forensics has nothing from the living room, either. I knew all that before we talked to her.”

“You lied to her.”