“My source won’t say.”

“Won’t say? Or won’t say for free?”

“For free, yeah.”

“How much does he want this time? Your source?”

Steve looked at the sidewalk. “Twenty.”

“Just a week’s pay this time, huh?”

Steve cocked his head. “You know, if you don’t want to find her, Coughlin, that’s fine.”

Danny shrugged. “I got other things on my mind right now, Steve. You understand.”

Steve nodded several times.

“Big man,” he said and walked up the street.

The next morning, upon hearing word of the BSC’s unanimous decision to join the American Federation of Labor, Edwin Upton Curtis issued an emergency order canceling all vacations for division commanders, captains, lieutenants, and sergeants.

He summoned Superintendent Crowley to his office and let him stand at attention before his desk for half a minute before he turned from his window to look at him.

“I’m told they elected officers to the new union last night.”

Crowley nodded. “As I understand it, yes, sir.”

“I’ll need their names.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll get those immediately.”

“And the men who distributed the sign-up sheets in each of the precincts.”

“Sir?”

Curtis raised his eyebrows, always an effective tool when he’d been Mayor Curtis in the long-ago. “The men, as I understand it, were given sign-up sheets last week to see how many would be interested in accepting an AFL charter. Correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I want the names of the men who brought those sign-up sheets into the station houses.”

“That may take a little longer, sir.”

“Then it takes longer. Dismissed.”

Crowley snap-turned on his heel and headed for the door.

“Superintendent Crowley.”

“Yes, sir.” Crowley turned back to him.

“You have no sympathies in this area, I trust.”

Crowley’s eyes fixed on a spot a few feet above Edwin Upton Curtis’s head. “None, sir.”

“Look me in the eyes if you please, sir.”

Crowley met his eyes.

“How many abstentions?”

“Sir?”

“In last night’s vote, man.”

“I believe none, sir.”

Curtis nodded. “How many ‘nay’ votes?”

“I believe none, sir.”

Edwin Upton Curtis felt a constricting in his chest, the old angina perhaps, and a great sadness filled him. It never had to come to this. Never. He’d been a friend to these men. He’d offered them a fair raise. He’d appointed committees to study their grievances. But they wanted more. They always wanted more. Children at a birthday party, unimpressed with their gifts.

None. Not a single nay vote.

Spare the rod, spoil the child.

Bolsheviks.

“That’ll be all, Superintendent.”

Nora rolled off Danny in a heap, let loose a loud groan, and pressed her forehead into the pillow, as if she were trying to burrow through it.

Danny ran his palm down her back. “Good, uh?”

She growled a laugh into the pillow and then turned her chin to face him. “Can I say fuck in your presence?”

“I think you just did.”

“You’re not offended?”

“Offended? Let me smoke a cigarette and I’m ready to go again. Look at you. God.”