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Eddie

I watched the hitman take the gym bag from under the table, get up and leave the Back Room speakeasy. I waited for a full minute, making sure he’d gone. The hostess, Anne, stuck her head through the door, said, ‘He left.’

I got up out of the booth, turned and knelt down. Knocked on the wood panel beneath the seat that I had occupied. The panel slid open and a gym bag appeared. I slid it out, then I reached in and pulled Little Sacks out of the hidden panel behind the seat. While Mr. Christmas and I had talked, Little Sacks had slid the panel back, taken the gym bag with the cash and replaced it with the identical bag I’d bought that afternoon, which Denise had filled with exactly eleven pounds of copy paper, with a little message for Mr. Christmas printed on the pages.

God bless corrupt mayors. Jimmy Walker had sat in this booth for many hours when he ran the city. And everyone sat down opposite him with a bag at their feet. When they got up, the bag wasn’t there. Jimmy may have been crooked, but he wasn’t dumb. Even in a hidden area inside an illegal speakeasy in the 1920s, there could be a cop at the next table. This way, even if a cop was standing right next to Jimmy, no one would be able to see money changing hands.

I put the gym bag on the table just as Bugs came into the room.

I opened it, stared inside at the cash and then counted it.

A quarter of a million dollars.

‘That going to be enough for New York’s finest?’ asked Bugs.

I nodded, took fifty grand from the bag and gave it to Bugs.

‘I’m putting my life in your hands – you understand that?’ I asked.

‘You gave me my life back when you stopped me going to jail. I owe you,’ he said. We talked for almost an hour, going over everything in detail.

‘You know what to do?’

He nodded.

‘Good enough. You can split the fifty Gs with your guys. Thanks, Little Sacks.’

He patted me on the back, said, ‘We got you, Eddie. Don’t worry.’

I watched them leave, prayed that I had made the right decision.

I took out my phone, called Al Parish.

He picked up, said, ‘Well, my associates dressed as you suggested and they got what you wanted. You owe them three hundred and fifty dollars for dinner.’

‘Put it on my expenses.’

‘I still don’t know what all of that was in aid of? How does it help us win this case? Castro is mightily pissed off that you stood him up.’

‘Good. I want him pissed off. But that wasn’t the whole reason.’

‘Then what? Why did my associates spend two hours in a diner just to get a few pictures of the DA?’ he asked.

‘You know, best advice I ever heard was from Harry. He told me when I was in court never ask the witness a question if you don’t know the answer. Nine times out of ten, he’s right.’

‘But I don’t know what all of that was about? How does it help our case?’

‘Al, for your sake, I think it’s best if you don’t know.’

I had another call coming in. I said I would see Al tomorrow in court.

Incoming call was from Lake.

‘I’ve lost Ruby. She was on the street, caught a bus, then went into a commercial-vehicle hire yard. A half dozen vehicles have left and I couldn’t see inside the cab of half of them. I think she’s hired a van or a pick-up. Either way, she’s in the wind . . .’

We’d lost Ellis earlier.

Text message from Bloch.

I’VE LOST brETT BALE. CAME OUT OF HIS HOUSE AND JUMPED ONTO THE BACK OF A COURIER BIKE. I FOLLOWED HIM TOWARD LONG ISLAND, AND HE LOST ME.

‘Did you see that text message from Bloch?’ I asked.

‘Jesus, everyone is making moves tonight,’ said Lake. ‘What’ll we do?’

‘Get to the Jacksons’ house. It’s a hunch. Nothing else. Just get there asap. I’m on my way . . .’

I called Bloch.

‘Get back to West 74 th Street. Bale was leading you away from the street. It’s all going down tonight.’