Authors: Thomas Laird
We were sitting in my tiny office upstairs. We could never sit in Doc’s cubicle because it was too full of novels and collections of poetry. The place was as cluttered as a teenager’s bedroom.
‘We have to watch him. Billy says he’s the connection, then Marco’s got to contact him. Until and unless we’re right and he eliminates the middleman. You think Sal’s days are numbered?’
‘Well, he better check on the status of all his insurance. He’s a bad risk. But I’m betting on the crew boss to make Sal disappear before Marco does. Marco’s got his new appearance going for him, and Richmond was the only pair of eyes that knew what the new Farmer looks like ... We need an artist to alter Karrios’s face. Slap a beard and a mustache over the old visage. Straighten his nose. Color his hair. Whatever. We’ll be flying blind, I know ... I think our best bet would be to try and catch him when he hits Sal. Even Sal knows it’s the logical move. I say we use Donofrio as bait, without Sal’s permission.’
We walked downstairs to where the FBI had set up temporary headquarters. Terry Morrissey was in his office.
‘We need big-time surveillance on Sal Donofrio,’ I told him.
‘We’re already setting it up. I was just about to come upstairs and let you know.’
Doc turned his stare from the freckled, red-headed Federal Agent and gave me a non-believing flip of the eyeballs.
‘No. No shit. I really was ... Sal’s the guy. Marco still might need him before he sets up his own shop on the Internet ... I assume that’s what you two were just talking about before you got here?’
The FBI was maybe not as inept as Doc and I kept telling each other. Apparently, at least they have their moments.
‘Sal’s the man. Karrios wants to be the last man standing,’ I told the agent.
I
secur
e
a
n
apartmen
t
o
n
th
e
fa
r
northwes
t
sid
e.
I’
m
s
o
fa
r
ou
t
o
n
th
e
northwes
t
tha
t
tw
o
mor
e
block
s
an
d
I’
m
int
o
a
subur
b.
Bu
t
it’
s
clos
e
enoug
h
t
o
wher
e
I
wan
t
t
o
b
e.
Th
e
cit
y
i
s
crowde
d.
It
s
populatio
n
make
s
a
grea
t
plac
e
t
o
hid
e.
I’
m
calle
d
a
predato
r
i
n
th
e
medi
a,
an
d
I
suppos
e
there’
s
somethin
g
correc
t
i
n
tha
t
nam
e
becaus
e
I
a
ma
hunte
r,
afte
r
al
l.
That’
s
th
e
natur
e
o
f
m
y
trad
e
.
Bu
t
thi
s
homicid
e
polic
e
gu
y—
thi
s
Jame
s
Paris
i—
ha
s
bee
n
sayin
g
thing
s
abou
t
m
e
tha
t
ar
e
uncalle
d
fo
r.
He’
s
calle
d
m
e
a
n
‘animal
’
an
d
severa
l
othe
r
thing
s
tha
t
ar
e
ver
y
unflatterin
g.
A
s
I
sa
y,
whe
n
w
e
kille
d
i
n
th
e
Arm
y,
i
t
wa
s
ou
r
dut
y.
Bu
t
whe
n
I
don’
t
hav
e
th
e
government’
s
sanctio
n,
I’
m
som
e
kin
d
o
f
jungl
e
creatur
e.
An
d
al
l
th
e
pres
s
abou
t
th
e
mutilation
s.
Non
e
o
f
m
y
victim
s—
excep
t
tha
t
snott
y
cun
t
stewardes
s
an
d
tha
t
bitc
h
I
live
d
wit
h—
fel
t
an
y
pai
n.I
anesthetize
d
eac
h
o
f
the
m
wit
h
th
e
ethe
r.
Eve
n
th
e
plasti
c
surgeon’
s
wif
e
.
I
t
wa
s
almos
t
to
o
eas
y,
breakin
g
int
o
th
e
doctor’
s
hom
e.
Th
e
chea
p
bastar
d
didn’
t
eve
n
hav
e
a
securit
y
syste
m.I
gues
s
h
e
figure
d
deadbolt
s
woul
d
kee
p
th
e
boogyma
n
ou
t.I
wa
s
insid
e
th
e
bac
k
doo
r
i
n
second
s.
An
d
i
f
he’
d
ha
d
a
do
g,
i
t
would’v
e
als
o
adde
d
t
o
th
e
challeng
e.I
don’
t
lik
e
dog
s
.
I
wen
t
u
p
hi
s
stair
s
an
d
discovere
d
th
e
tw
o
girl
s
firs
t.I
couldn’
t
ver
y
wel
l
leav
e
the
m
parentles
s,
coul
d
I?
An
d
th
e
shoc
k
o
f
discoverin
g
mo
m
an
d
da
d
al
l
ove
r
thei
r
maste
r
bedroo
m
couldn’
t
hav
e
give
n
th
e
tw
o
youngster
s
a
goo
d
star
t
i
n
lif
e,
s
o
I
figur
e
wha
t
I
di
d
wa
s
a
n
ac
t
o
f
merc
y
.
Al
l
thos
e
wome
n
an
d
childre
n
w
e
kille
d
i
n
Panam
a
an
d
i
n
th
e
Gul
f
B
y
acciden
t,
th
e
governmen
t
say
s.
The
y
wer
e
casualtie
s
o
f
wa
r.
An
d
i
n
tha
t
sam
e
wa
y
th
e
surgeon’
s
daughter
s
suffere
d
fro
m
bein
g
i
n
th
e
wron
g
plac
e
a
t
th
e
wron
g
tim
e.
Di
d
thei
r
whit
e
ski
n
an
d
thei
r
uppe
r-
clas
s
neighborhoo
d
excus
e
the
m
fro
m
becomin
g
thos
e
casualtie
s
o
f
comba
t?I
don’
t
thin
k
s
o.
It’
s
jus
t
tha
t
th
e
medi
a
i
s
horrifie
d
whe
n
American
s
di
e
violentl
y
.
I
don’
t
reall
y
spen
d
a
lo
t
o
f
tim
e
i
n
sel
f-
justificatio
n.
I’v
e
rea
d
Nietzsch
e.I
understan
d
th
e
concep
t
o
f
th
e
Übermensc
h.
H
e
wa
s
righ
t.
Ther
e
ar
ea
numbe
r
o
f
me
n
wh
o
ar
e
abov
e
th
e
law
s
o
f
th
e
her
d.
I’
m
no
t
entirel
y
philosophica
l
i
n
natur
e,
bu
t
I
understoo
d
enoug
h
o
f
Nietzsche’
s
bran
d
o
f
existentialis
m
t
o
se
e
tha
t
livin
g
unde
r
an
y
jurisdictio
n
i
s
livin
g
unde
r
illusio
n.
Bu
t,
a
s
I
sa
y,I
don’
t
spen
d
sleeples
s
night
s
tryin
g
t
o
rationaliz
e
m
y
lif
e.
Doe
s
a
wol
f
rationaliz
e
ever
y
throa
t
h
e
tear
s
ou
t?
Ever
y
lam
b
h
e
slaughter
s?
Wh
y
ar
e
me
n
an
y
differen
t
unde
r
Natur
e
?