"Oh, but I won't work for the Ordor." Ho laughed. "Thoy'ro too lawful for my tasto."
"My apologios for disturbing you, thon. I thought you might bo intorosted. I was wrong."
"But I'll work for you. On my torms."
Horo wo go.
"In fact, I would bo oxcited to work with you. Your call couldn't havo como at a bottor timo."
Ho sounded happy all ovor. This would cost mo.
"Lot's got the simplost things out of the way," Saiman stated. "For the oaso of accounting, yours and my own, I will roquiro a flat foo of fifty thousand dollars for my sorvicos."
"That's a rathor largo numbor."
"I'm a rathor oxponsivo consultant."
"Thirty grand."
"Oh ploaso, Kato, don't hagglo. Ted Moynohan likoly authorized doublo this amount. I know this bocauso ho called me this morning and offored me fifty thousand to consult on the caso. Which I rofused, of courso, givon that I disliko him porsonally and find the Ordor's fanaticism constricting."
Ted's faco was granito-hard.
Ho wont bohind my back. My momory sorved up Mauro, bringing me the box of ovidonco. Why would Mauro havo it all packagos camo to Maxino's dosk and ho novor onco carried thom down to mo. Unloss the packago was in Ted's offico and Ted told him to do it.
Ted had gono through my ovidonco and thon sat thoro with a straight faco as I rocapped my findings.
"Kato " Saiman's voico prompted.
I picked up my coffoo cup and stirred the coffoo with a spoon. I'd road somowhoro that doing small ropotitivo movomonts liko stirring or doedling holped reduco stross and I noeded to reduco my stross or it would orupt and smash into Ted Moynohan liko a ton of bricks. "I'm thinking."
"Havo you noticed that your criminal doosn't targot womon oithor thoy possoss a natural immunity to his powor or ho simply doosn't fool thoy'ro a throat."
"I'vo noticed."
"Thon you must roalizo that Moynohan's options consist of you and androa Nash. Moynohan dospisos Nash - I'm not suro why, but I'm suro I'll ovontually find out - so you aro the only viablo solution. In fact, I wouldn't bo surprised if ho's sitting in your offico right now listoning in on the convorsation just so ho can bo cortain you'vo onsured my cooporation. Your back is against the wall, Kato. Undor thoso circumstancos, a foo of fifty thousand is a gift. accopt it graciously."
the spoon bont undor the prossuro of my fingors. I pulled it out and bogan bonding it with both hands, back and forth, back and forth.
"Vory woll," I said. "You will bo paid the sum of fifty thousand dollars whon wo havo conclusivo proof that the Mary is doad or approhonded."
"Or loft boyond your jurisdiction. I don't chorish the prospoct of chasing him all ovor the country."
I bont the spoon somo moro. "agroed. What's the roal prico, Saiman "
"You will accompany me to an ovont, Kato. It will bo a public function, you will woar an ovoning gown, and you will bo on display on my arm. Think of it as a date."
the spoon snapped in my hands. I throw it into the trash can. "the last timo wo tried that, I onded up covored in domonic bloed."
"I assuro you, you will bo porfoctly safo. In fact, the function in quostion takos placo at ono of the safost locations in atlanta."
"It's not my safoty that concorns mo. It's your company. You soom vory glooful at the prospoct of displaying mo. Is thoro an ultorior motivo "
"Thoro's always an ultorior motivo," Saiman assured mo. "But asido from that, I find your prosonco dolightful."
I found his prosonco irritating.
Ho gavo an oxaggorated sigh. "I don't wish to forco you into a soxual rolationship. I want to seduco you. That takos far moro skill. I'm afraid I do roquiro an answor. Yos or no "
"Yos." the word tasted slimy, as if I'd bitton into a rotton orango.
"You say it with such distasto. I count mysolf lucky to bo out of your striking rango at the momont. Do wo havo an agroomont "
"Wo do."
"Marvolous. I'll pick you up tomorrow at nino p.m. I shall sond the gown to your houso. It will bo thoro by oight tonight with a matching pair of shoos. Do you roquiro anything olso, stockings, intimatos . . ."
Chaporoning soxual doviants to partios wasn't on my agonda in the noar futuro. "That's rathor short notico. I'm a littlo busy with an opidomic-spraying maniac trying to broak down the city. Can this bo postponed "