I’d been duped.I pointed at Ellie.“You.”
“I get to drive your car home.Keys.”She wiggled her fingers at me.
I held them back with one demand.“Don’t wreck it.”
Tall Bob signaled for a drink as the sign’s lights went out and the bar resumed its normal din.I breathed through the fumes muddling my head.
Kat led me to a table near the restrooms, just in case.“Are you serious about that job offer?”
“I am.I need to run it past the—” Even as drunk as I was, I stopped before telling secrets.“—the board.”
“Is it really legit?”
I nodded.“Adelmo, the former owner, late owner.Shit.My brother—half, he tried to get out of… well, you know.It cost a lot of money and wasn’t very fruitful.”I blinked.“So yeah.”
There was more she needed to know.I tapped the table to get her attention.“Edward.”
“Who?”
“You’ll meet him.He’s putting up one hundred and sixty million.That will get you on your feet with it.”
“Is he a silent partner or?”
“Full.He likes his American investments.And…” I scanned my memories for anything incriminating.There wasn’t.Edward ran a tight operation.“… his buy-in allows the other investors a degree of certainty everything will be profitable.”I rested my head on a hand.“They don’t trust me.”
“Why?”
I stared at Kat.She’d not asked “who” which was wise.“Because, I’m just the messenger.Not the brains.”
“What kind of messages do you send?”
I grinned lopsidedly.“You don’t want to know.”
“Are you serious about marrying Ellie?”
My nod wobbled a bit.I tipped off balance but caught myself.“I am.”My desire to quit was the one thing Don Manca disagreed with.But it would go a long way toward appeasing Mario.“I’m getting out.”
“Out?Really?Does Ellie know?”
I shook my head.“I need air.”I walked through the back door and stood in the alley where I’d skidded to a stop.The apartments fronting the opposite side of the block had tight fences which kept the noise and the riff-raff from disturbing them.Except for the gap between two fences that Porciello sprinted through.I stared at that space for a long time.
Ellie joined me.“Are you doing okay?”
“You shouldn’t be out here.”
“I’m worried about you.”
The drinks were wearing off, thank goodness.“Remind me never to bet against your friend.”
“You’d lose.”
Confirmation aside, I had other things to think about.“How many times did Johnny visit you here?”
“Are you getting jealous again?”
“No.”Surprisingly, that was the truth.I was looking at this like I would a job.Wide open to the street on the north.A sharp turn to exit into the quieter street to the south and west.There was a sister pub next door which was directly linked to the Blarney Zone by an open beer garden, and hemming in the other side, residential buildings.Some of them had to have security cameras pointed at the alley.There was no way to murder someone here and get away with it.
“He came here maybe twice.He usually took me to the clubs downtown and near the university.”
