something without even trying. How can you risk that?â
âIâm not risking anything.â
Drexler grabbed his coat and his cane. âI canât stay here any longer.â He pointed the silver top of the cane at Nasser. âYou come with me. We have matters to discuss.â
Nasser glanced at Trejador. Both were his superiors, but the Spaniard had seniority. Trejador gave a go-ahead shrug.
Moments later Nasser found himself in the hotel hallway with a very agitated Drexler.
âCome!â he said, grabbing his arm and tugging him toward the elevators. âI want her followed!â
âWhere?â
âWherever she goes.â He jabbed the elevatorâs DOWN button repeatedly. âI want to learn who she is and who she knowsâeverything about her!â
âSheâs justââ
âWhat? Just a prostitute? You donât know that. She may have a second line of businessâlike blackmail. Or worse. Did you ever hear of Mata Hari? We canât risk this.â
When the doors parted he fairly pushed Nasser into the car ahead of him and stabbed the LOBBY button. The car made an uninterrupted descent, and as the doors opened he propelled Nasser into the lobby.
âHurry! Sheâs probably waiting for a cab out front. Donât let her get away.â
Nasser rushed through the lobby and emerged onto the sidewalk just as a bellman closed a taxi door behind Danaë. Nasser ran to the line of waiting cabs and jumped into the rear of the first.
âYou have to wait your turn, mister.â
âA hundred dollars if you follow that cab to wherever itâs going!â
The taxi lurched into motion and caught up to Danaëâs in no time.
Â
THURSDAY
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1
âOkay, you two guys listen and listen good,â Tony said. âBecause hereâs how itâs gonna go.â
Vinny had better things to do but Tony the Cannon had called the meeting for eleven this morning and wasnât taking no for an answer. Since Tony, sick though he was, hadnât stepped down as crew boss, Vinny obeyed. He showed up at Tonyâs appliance store on Liberty Avenue in Ozone Park a couple minutes early. He was surprised to find Tommy already there. Tommy glared. Vinny stared.
âNow I know things ainât good between you two,â Tony went on, looking small and frail behind his desk, âbut that ainât gonna interfere with business. And speaking of business,â he said, focusing his hard dark eyes on Tommy, âyouâve been fucking off.â
Tommy spread his hands. âThe business just ainât out there, Tony.â
âBull shit ! Donât try to gimme that. You just ainât been lookinâ. Just this morning I got a call from an old customer about someone who wants a loan. So you know what? Youâre gonna go meet him at the taxi depot, and youâre gonna check him out.â
âSure, Tony.â
âNameâs Mahmoud or something like that.â
âMahmoud?â Tommy made a face. âWeâre loaning to ragheads?â
âWeâre loaning to guys who can pay back. If this guy can pay back, you make the fucking loan.â
âAwright. Gotcha.â
âAnd Vinnyâs going with you.â
Shit.
âAy, Tonyââ Vinny began but Tony karate chopped the air.
âYouâre both gonna spend some time together and iron out this beef you got with each other. But Iâm setting some ground rules. First off, Vinnyâs junkyard stays his and his alone.â
âButââ
Another karate chop. âVinny bought it. He let you in by the goodness of his heart as a favor to me. You left the business on your own. You donât go back unless he wants to take you back.â He looked at Vinny. âYou want him back?â
âNo way.â
âThen thatâs settled. But hereâs what you will do: Youâll help Tommy get the loan business