Pike waited, thinking there would be more, but there wasn’t. After a few moments, Azzara realized Pike wasn’t going to say anything, so he explained to fill the silence.

“This nickel-and-dime stuff is bullshit. It draws heat, pisses off the CRASH units, and for what? So an idiot like Mendoza can bag a free sandwich or shake down some dude for twenty bucks? Is it worth twenty dollars, that kind of trouble, me sitting here with you? Please.”

“Trece will leave Mr. Smith’s shop alone. No more vandalism. No trouble.”

Azzara shifted, irritated he had to deal with small-time stuff like this.

“It’s done. This nonsense with the paint? What are they, in the sixth grade? Look, I don’t know if it was Gomer or whoever—this is the first I’ve heard of it—but I’ll find out, and this will stop. I don’t want these vatos out doing things like this. I mean, this is the lesson right here—me and you, right here right now, wasting our time. This is absurd.”

Pike said, “Thank you.”

Azzara checked the time, sighed, then studied Pike for a moment. Pike wondered why he hadn’t left. They were finished. Miguel Azzara could leave.

Then Azzara leaned forward and lowered his voice.

“The Father told me you’re a dangerous man. I said, Art, what are you, crazy? Is this guy trying to front me off?”

Pike shook his head.

“I’m not fronting you.”

Azzara raised his palm.

“Art covered that. He specifically said you told him this wasn’t a threat, and you told him to make sure I understood. I’m cool with that. These matters of respect are important.”

Pike knew more was coming, and waited it out.

“He says to me, listen, I just think you should know, and then he tells me some things. I don’t know if he’s making these things up, but he tells me these crazy things about you, and I don’t know if he wants me to be scared or what, so I tell him to stop.”

Azzara made a big show of holding up both palms this time, reliving his conversation with Art.

“I say, what are you saying here, Art, this man will go to war with me? I don’t give what he wants, he’ll come for me, me and my homes, all of the Trece?”

Pike waited for it to pass.

“And Art, he says no, no, no, nothing like that, he just felt obligated because he was putting us together, so this wasn’t coming from you. The Father wanted me to know who I was getting involved with. Can you imagine that guy?”

Azzara paused for a response, but Pike didn’t respond.

“You don’t say much.”

“What do you want me to say?”