In the car, Macy took the wheel, Corey and Lattimore sat in the back. Lattimore was sitting sideways, displaying the gun and holding it aimed at Corey’s chest. They sat at opposite sides of the seat, and Corey was slumped forward with his hands loose in his lap. The car moved slowly along the narrow street.

Nothing you can do, Corey told himself. You had a chance to do something and you let it slide past. I mean you coulda got rid of the badge and the card and the police pistol before you climbed outta the taxi. But you didn’t figure on a frisk, and it’s a cinch you didn’t figure it was Grogan’s people. Grogan said the deal was just him and yourself and the way he said it you were sure he meant it. And the weird thing is, you still believe that he meant it. Or maybe that’s just confusion in your head. Maybe if you’d straighten out your thinking you could add this up and see it for what it is.

The car made a left hand turn. Corey looked up and he frowned slightly. He knew it ought to be a right-hand turn if they were going to Grogan’s. Some moments later the car made another turn and he told himself it didn’t look as though they were going to Grogan’s.

He said, “Where you takin’ me?”

They didn’t reply.

“At least you can tell me.” He put a whine into his voice.

“Tell him,” Macy said, and looked over his shoulder at Lattimore. “Go on, tell him.”

Lattimore spoke softly to Corey. “It’s the windup.”

“What?”

“You’re done,” Lattimore said. “We seen that badge and we seen that card and the card reads Night Squad. That’s all we hadda see.”

“But it ain’t like you think,” Corey said. “If you’ll take me to Grogan—”

“We can’t do that,” Lattimore cut in. “Not on this particular deal. On this particular deal we ain’t workin’ for Grogan.”

Corey waited a long moment. And then, very quietly, “You’re with the other outfit?”

“That’s right.”

“Then take me to the boss man.”

“That wouldn’t help you none,” Lattimore said. “And besides, he’s got a nasty disposition. Likes to hear screams. At least from us you’ll get it fast.”