“You think Javid-Lee is your friend? That he’ll do right by you? Right now he’s looking to cover his ass. So you tell me what you think is going to happen if we take you along to the twentieth precinct and hold you there for a couple of days. I can do that—you’ll be a custodial witness, so there’s no charge filed. That means you don’t get Miranda rights, so no lawyer for twenty-four hours.”
“I haven’t done anything,” she protested as she sank back into the couch.
“We might need to check that. But it doesn’t matter, because Javid-Lee is going to want to know what you said for two days before we let his lawyer in to see you. He’ll want to know pretty bad. And if you keep telling him
She was really sobbing now, staring up at Alik with more hatred than a whole KKK chapter. “Bastard. I hope your balls get cancer and it creeps up your spine!”
“Sure thing, sweetheart. On the other hand, we came down here to inform you of Perigine’s death, just like the city requires. We stayed a few minutes and left when it was obvious you weren’t giving us squat. Do you think that would play better?”
“What do you want?”
“I want to know what the fuck is going on.”
“Perigine didn’t say much. I only heard about it after the fire.”
“What fire?”
“The Blueshift Starlight Lounge. It’s one of Javid-Lee’s places.”
“Where you worked?” Salovitz asked.
“I don’t do that no more,” she said petulantly. “And I never danced there; it’s on the way down, you know? But I knew a couple of girls who wound up there.”
“When was this fire?” I asked.
“A couple of days back. The fire started in the kitchen. Supposed to be an accident, but everyone knew that was bull. Peri said Javid-Lee knew it was Rayner that ordered it along with whacking Riek. That’s when Javid told Peri to take care of the Farrons to equalize things with Rayner, you know? He can’t afford to show any weakness, not after two strikes against him. You let that go, people think you’re weak, and next thing you just vanish. He had to send a message, a loud one.”
“Wait,” Alik said. “Go back. Who the fuck is Riek?”
“He was small-time, right at the bottom of Javid-Lee’s organization. But Peri said he did a shakedown for Javid-Lee a couple of days before. Next thing we know, he’s being pulled out of the marina—same day as the Blueshift fire.”
“What did Riek do? Who was the shakedown?”
“I don’t know—just that it was one of Rayner’s people. Whatever it was, it got Rayner pissed at Riek. That ain’t exactly hard.”
“And the Farrons? Who are they?”
“The people Peri was going to take care of to get Javid-Lee back level again.”
“So Javid-Lee and Rayner are at war? How long’s this been going on?”
She shrugged. “This week. Peri’s been coming home late; he’s been like in this real filthy temper the whole time. It’s always respect with the boys. You gotta show respect. If you don’t, if you step out of line, you get sent a message. That’s how it’s always been.”
—
The Dover Street air was cold and rich with the sharp scent of the Atlantic that lurked a few hundred meters away. Alik inhaled deeply, hopeful it would be like some kind of cleansing agent. “These sons of bitches, they still live in the Middle Ages.”
Salovitz chuckled. “You lowering yourself, coming down here from DC?”
“Nah,” Alik admitted. “It’s plenty more savage there. Maybe less blood, but twice as much pain.”
“Amen to that, my friend. So what now?”
“This still isn’t making a whole load of sense,” Alik complained as they started walking back down the street. Shango splashed the NYPD report on Riek Patterson, who had been pulled out of the Caesar’s Bay Marina two days ago. He couldn’t swim. Well, Alik admitted, it would be difficult for anyone with fifty kilos of metal chain wrapped around their legs. On the same day, the district fire crew was called out to a kitchen fire in the Blueshift Starlight Lounge. “Okay,” he said, lining it up in his head. “Whatever Riek did, Rayner was psycho enough about it to order two hits in retaliation. Javid-Lee counters by sending Perigine’s crew to take out the Farrons, whoever the fuck they are. Then Perigine winds up in the Lorenzo portalhome, getting his ass blown off by Rayner’s crew, who are also running a file bust there at the same time.”
“Still think it’s coincidence?”
“I have no idea what to think.”
“Don’t tell me. You need more information?”
“You think you don’t?” Alik shot back. Then Shango splashed the weirdest file of the night. “Holy shit!”
“What?”
He shared the file. “Delphine Farron is the Lorenzos’ housekeeper.”
“Are you shitting me?” Salovitz barked.
“Access the fucking file.”
“So who do you want to talk to next?”
“Wait one.” Shango pinged Delphine Farron’s code. No reply. Her altme was off grid. “Uh oh. Get a uniform squad ’round to their address, right now.”
“Christ. I’m on it.”