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I walked over。 Lee saw me ing and did a quick draw； shooting me with finger pistols； his thumbs the hammers。 It was a routine he pulled when he was jacked up on Benzedrine。
〃You were supposed to meet me。 Remember？〃
Arclight glow gave Lee's raw nerved face a blue…white cast。 〃I said this was priority。 Remember that？〃
Looking off in the distance； I saw other vacant lots illuminated。 〃It's priority for the Bureau； maybe。 Just like Junior Nash is priority for us。〃
Lee shook his head。 〃Partner； this is big。 Horrall and Thad Green were down here a couple of hours ago。 Jack Tierney's been detached to Homicide to run the investigation； with Russ Millard backstopping。 You want my opinion？〃
〃Shoot。〃
〃It's a showcase。 A nice white girl gets snuffed； the Department goes all out to get the killer to show the voters that passing the bond issue got them a bulldog police force。〃
〃Maybe she wasn't such a nice girl。 Maybe that old lady that Nash killed was somebody's loving granny。 Maybe you're taking this thing too personal； and maybe we let the Bureau handle it and get back to our job before Junior kills somebody else。〃
Lee balled his fists。 〃You got any other maybes？〃
I stepped forward。 〃Maybe you're afraid of Bobby De Witt getting out。 Maybe you're too proud to ask me for help to scare him away from the woman we both care for。 Maybe we let the Bureau chalk up that dead girl for Laurie Blanchard。〃
Lee uncoiled his fists and turned away： I watched him rock on his heels； hoping he'd be fighting mad or wisecracking or anything but hurt when I finally saw his face。 I made fists； then shouted： 〃Talk to me； goddamnit！ We're partners！ We killed four fucking men together； now you pull this shit on me！〃
Lee turned around。 He flashed his patented demon grin； but it came off nervous and sad； used up。 His voice was raspy； stretched thin。
〃I used to watchdog Laurie when she played。 I was a scrapper； and all the other kids were afraid of me。 I had a lot of girlfriends…you know； kiddie romance stuff。 The girls used to tease me about Laurie； go on about how much time I spent with her； like she was my real sweetheart。
〃See； I doted on her。 She was pretty and she was a trouper。
〃Dad used to talk about getting Laurie ballet lessons and piano lessons and singing lessons。 I was gonna work goon squad at Firestone Tire like him； and Laurie was gonna be an artiste。 It was just talk； but I was a kid； and it was real to me。
〃Anyway； right around the time she disappeared； Dad was talking up this lesson stuff a lot； and it made me mad at Laurie。 I started ditching her when she went to play after school。 There was this wild girl who'd moved into the neighborhood。 She was a roundheels； and she used to get tanked on bathtub and put out for all the boys。 I was dicking her when Laurie got snatched； when I should have been protecting my sister。〃
I reached for my partner's arm to tell him I understood； Lee pushed my hand away。 〃Don't tell me you understand； because I'll tell you what makes it bad。 Laurie got snuffed。 Some degenerate strangled her or chopped her up。 And when she died； I was thinking ugly things about her。 About how I hated her because Dad thought she was a princess and I was a thug。 I pictured my own sister cut up like that stiff this morning； and I laughed about it while I was with that floozy； screwing her and drinking her father's booze。〃
Lee took a deep breath and pointed to the ground a few yards away。 A separate； inside perimeter had been staked； the two halves of the body marked in quicklime。 I stared at the outline of the spread legs； Lee said； 〃I'm gonna get him。 With you or without you； I'm gonna get him。〃
I dredged up a ghost of a smile。 〃See you at the Hall tomorrow。〃
〃With you or without you。〃
I said； 〃I heard you；〃 and walked back to my car。 Hitting the ignition； I saw another empty lot a block to the north light up。
CHAPTER EIGHT
The first thing I saw when I walked into the squadroom the next morning was Harry Sears reading the Herald headline： 〃Hunt Werewolf's Den in Torture Slaying！！！〃； the second thing I saw was a chain of five men… two derelicts； two squarejohn types and one in county jail demins； manacled to a bench。 Harry put his paper down； stammering； 〃C…c…confessors。 S…s…said they s…sliced the girl。〃 I nodded； hearing screams ing from the interrogation room。
A moment later； Bill Koenig led a doubled…over fat man out the door； announcing to the bullpen at large； 〃He didn't do it。〃 A couple of officers clapped satirically at their desks； a half dozen looked away； disgusted。
Koenig shoved the fat man out to the corridor。 I asked Harry； 〃Where's Lee？〃
Harry pointed to Ellis Loew's office。 〃W…with Loew。 R…r…reporters； too。〃
I walked over and peered through the crack in the doorway。 Ellis Loew was standing in back of his desk； playing to a score of newshounds。 Lee was seated at the DA's side； dressed in his only suit。 He looked tired…but nowhere near as edgy as he did last night。
Loew was sternly enunciating； 〃。 。 。 and the heinous nature of the killing deems it imperative that we make every effort to catch this fiend as soon as possible。 A number of specially trained officers； including Mr。 Fire and his partner Mr。 Ice； have been detached from their regular duties to aid in the investigation； and with men like them on the job； I think we can expect positive results soon。 Moreover 。 。 。〃
I couldn't hear for the pounding of blood in my head。 I started to nudge the door open； Lee saw me； bowed to Loew and exited the office。 He dogged me back to the Warrants cubicle； I wheeled around。 〃You got us detached； right？〃
Lee put restraining hands on my chest。 〃Let's take this slow and easy； okay？ First off； I gave Ellis a memo。 It said we got verified dope Nash blew our jurisdiction。〃
〃Are you flicking crazy！〃
〃Sssh。 Listen； it was just to grease the skids。 The APB on Nash still stands； the fuck pad is being staked out； every southside cop is out to cancel the bastard's ticket。 I'm gonna stay at the pad tonight myself。 I've got binoculars； and I figure between them and the arclights I'll be able to catch the plates on the cars that cruise down Norton。 Maybe the killer's gonna drive by to gloat。 I'll get all the license numbers； and check them against the DMV and R&I。〃
I sighed。 〃Jesus； Lee。〃
〃Partner； all I want is a week on the girl。 Nash is covered； and if he doesn't get collared by then； we go back to him as our priority warrantee。〃
〃He's too dangerous to let go。 You know that。〃
〃Partner； he's covered。 Now don't tell me you don't want to build on your shine killings。 Don't tell me you don't know that the dead girl is a better piece of pie than Junior Nash。〃
I saw more Fire and Ice headlines。 〃One week； Lee。 No more。〃
Lee winked。 〃Copacetic。〃
Captain Jack's voice came over the inter： 〃Gentlemen； everybody to the muster room。 Now。〃
I grabbed my notebook and walked through the bullpen。 The ranks of the confessors had swollen； the new ones cuffed to radiators and heating pipes。 Bill Koenig was slapping an old guy demanding to talk to Mayor Bowro