Free Noble Intentions: Season Four by L.T. Ryan

ash on it, but damn if the guy's mug wasn't smashed beyond recognition. What gave him away
    was the cloak-and-dagger tattoo on Milano's forearm.
    "Some hunters driving around on trails nearby spotted the smoke. Led them to the blaze a few minutes after it got started. They had a couple coolers full
    of ice and water. Used that and some blankets to get the fire under control. The fire department was only three miles down the road. They took the rest.
    Didn't matter to your guys, though. They were already dead. Pretty good job on the one. Waiting to hear what the fat guy died from."
    "Endrizzi."
    "Yeah, Endrizzi. I met him once. Who's the other guy?"
    "Milano."
    "You fucking kidding me?"
    "No, why?"
    "Our kids play soccer together. His wife and mine even get together for bridge or some shit every once in a while."
    Charles looked up from the picture.
    "Don't look at me like that," Harris said. "Milano and I had no other dealings outside of what you authorized."
    Charles said nothing. He stared off, past a group of kids walking past them thirty yards off. All of them wore red shirts with a black logo of some kind
    over the right side of the chest.
    "What is it?" Harris said. "This ain't the first time you've lost some good soldiers. Something you're not telling me?"
    Charles squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Just a lot to take in, Harris. No matter how many times it happens, you don't get used to it." He paused, then
    added, "These hunters, they say anything else? Like they saw someone fleeing the scene, or anything that would've indicated a car or truck had been there?
    Footprints?"
    "It was dark. And I doubt they were concerned about such things at the time."
    For a few minutes they sat in silence. The warm breeze blew the sweat around on Charles's forehead, never cooling it. A wave of diesel fumes reminded him
    he was still in the heart of the center of the universe.
    "What was they doing up there, anyway?" Harris asked.
    "Going up to the reservation to play blackjack or some shit."
    "Huh."
    "Huh, what?"
    "Well, why not AC?"
    "Endrizzi's got, or had, a girl down there he's been trying to avoid. Knocked her up and wouldn't admit to it. She ain't got the balls to come up here and
    have him served with a paternity suit. He feared she was gonna track him down if he showed up in Atlantic City and kill him or something. I dunno."
    "So, you think it's worth looking into this woman?"
    Charles reached back and grabbed the base of his neck. "As a suspect? Why would she follow them five hours upstate? How would she even know?"
    Harris shrugged. "Just searching, man. You wouldn't be holding anything back from me now, would you?"
    "This questioning?" Charles extended his arm like he was about to deliver a backhanded blow to the detective. "I just lost two guys and you-"
    "Keep it down." Harris pressed down against the air between them with both hands. "Already bad enough I'm meeting you out here in broad daylight."
    Charles rotated his wrist back and forth a couple times, then glanced down at his watch. He had nothing planned, but the detective's questioning left him
    itching to go. "I got someplace to be in an hour, Harris. Need to wash up and stuff first. This meeting is over."
    "I can walk with you."
    Charles looked around. "Nah. Don't think that's a good idea. We've been seen together long enough now. Anymore and people are gonna think we've got
    something going on."
    Harris remained seated after Charles rose and started toward the fountain. "Don't turn your phone off, got it? I might need to reach you for a little more
    information."
    Charles stopped, turned, said, "Why don't you leave the investigation, if there's gonna be one, up to me? You five-oh types get all worked up about a
    couple of dead gangsters when you should be celebrating two more of my kind are off the street. Just forget about it, all right?"
    Harris rebutted, but Charles didn't hear the man's words. He'd noticed for the first time the Fed hanging around just past