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habits die
hard. But it was nice meeting you. Maybe we'll bump into each other again.'
    'I
didn't mind your questions at all.'
    'Well,
that's good. I'll see you around.'
    I
started towards the elevator and stopped to give her a friendly wave. She seemed
somewhat startled by it, but gave me a wave back and her soft hazel eyes held
steady as they met mine.
    I
found Manny alone when I got to his room. His eyes were partially open but he
seemed to be sleeping. It would've been so easy to grab a pillow and end it
right there. I wondered briefly whether at this stage they'd bother with an
autopsy. But I knew they would. Phil would hear that I was in the hospital
asking about Manny and he would demand one. And even if nobody mentioned
anything about me being there, Phil would still suspect that I was involved and
demand the autopsy anyway.
    I
could see Manny was on oxygen and there were intravenous tubes stuck in his
arms. One of the tubes was connected to a morphine drip. As I was studying it,
I heard Manny stir.
    'Who's
there?' he asked.
    I
pulled up a chair and sat down next to him. 'How you doing, Manny, it's been a
long time.'
    He
stared at me and blinked several times before he recognized me. "They let
you out already? Too bad,' he noted without much enthusiasm.
    'A
damn shame,' I said, agreeing with him. 'You're looking better these days. You
finally find a diet that works? Good for you.'
    'What
you talking about? I got cancer. I'm dying. They give me a month, two months
tops.'
    'I
heard about your condition, Manny. I'm sorry.' I moved closer to him and
lowered my voice. 'And I was sorry to hear that you reneged on our agreement
and took every dime Elaine had.'
    He
flashed me a nasty smile and it was the first time I recognized him as the
Manny of old. I had seen that smile dozens of times before after he had screwed
someone. The smile all but said what are you going to do
about it, cocksucker?
    'Joe,'
he said, still showing that smile, 'you were on the books for over a hundred
large. I took less than twenty out of her. You're lucky I didn't make her work
her ass off for the rest of your balance. Besides, you made me make that deal
under duress.'
    He
turned from me, his smile fading. 'What do you want?' he asked.
    'I
just wanted to see an old friend.'
    'You're
full of crap.'
    'Okay,
I want to know why you're lying here every goddam day listening to Phil Coakley
read you the Bible.’
    'How's
that your business?'
    'It's
my business when Phil's bragging to me that he's going to convert you to Christ
and have you confess all so he can put me away.'
    That
comment should have enraged Manny, at least it would've enraged the old Manny.
This one just stared at me blankly, his shriveled face sagging into his pillow.
    'Well,
Manny, you see why it's my business?'
    His
eyes wavered and he looked away from me. 'He gives me comfort,' he said at
last.
    I
just gawked at him, incredulous. 'What the hell are you saying? That you've
found religion? That you're going to confess all your sins so you can go to
heaven? You realize how ridiculous that sounds? Damn it; Manny, is that what
you're saying?'
    'I'm
not saying nothing. I'm not going to rat anyone. But even if I did, what
difference would it make? It can't be used in court. It's hearsay.'
    'You're
a lawyer now? I got news for you, Manny, a deathbed confession is an exception
to the hearsay rule. Any confession you make can be used in court regardless of
how dead and buried you are. I don't know what crap Phil is filling you up
with, but he's bullshitting you.'
    'I'm
not going to rat,' he said, but he couldn't look me in the eye. I knew he was
lying. His mouth screwed up as if he were about to start bawling. 'I'm a dying
man, Joe. What do you want from me?'
    'I
want you to keep your mouth shut. If you talk, it's not just me. You'll end up
putting a lot of people away, including your own son. I guarantee you Junior
would go away for a long time.'
    He
gave me a look right then that told me he'd