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The Night Gardener

Pelecanos George P. (EN)

Cook leaned his arm on the lip of the driver's-side window and put the binoculars to his eyes. He lowered them and stared at the Buick in the lot. He knew that Holiday had not told the truth about Ramone's progress. Ramone had broken through on the Johnson case, most likely. Now Holiday was pursuing Grady Du

Cook turned off his walkie and cell. He didn't want to talk to Holiday or anyone else. He'd had his fill of technology for one day. He ignitioned the Marquis and drove out of the lot.

Out on Central Avenue, Holiday kept four cars back from Du

He accelerated, even as Du

'Your right rear tire's about to go flat,' said Holiday. 'Just lettin you know.'

At the green, Du

He did not pull it. Instead, he stood and spread his feet. He was thin and taller than Holiday by a couple of inches. His blond hair was cropped short, and his eyes were a very light blue.

'Hey,' said Holiday, his open wallet in hand. 'No worries. I just want to show you my ID.'

'Why?'

'Let me explain-'

'This tire's fine,' said Du

'Name's Dan Holiday.' He flashed Du

'What do you want?'

'Oglethorpe Street, Northeast. The community garden. I was there after midnight, the early hours of Wednesday. I saw you with someone in the back of your patrol car.'

'You must know that a boy's body was found in that garden later that morning.'

'What'd you do, follow me here?'

'That's right. I followed you.'

'And I you.'

'What is this, a shakedown? Because I'll go to my superiors and tell them I was there before I give you a fuckin cent. I've got nothing to hide.'

'I don't want money.'

'Then what's your malfunction?'

'A kid was killed. I'm looking for answers.'

'What are you, one of those jagoffs, listens to the sca

'Did you know about the boy when you were there that night?'

'Why didn't you come forward when he was found?'

'What for?'

"Cause you're police.'

'I just told you; I wasn't aware of it at the time. So I had no information to contribute to the case.'

'If you saw me parked there,' said Holiday, 'and you read me as drunk, why didn't you stop and roust me?'

'I was busy.'

'What were you doing on a dead-end street with a passenger in your vehicle?'

'Who are you?'

'A concerned citizen.'

'Go fuck yourself.'

'What were you doing on that street?'

'Bustin my load into some whore's mouth. You happy?'

'You're no cop,' said Holiday with naked disgust.

'Anything else?' said Du

'Do you know a Reginald Wilson?'

Holiday looked into Du

'Who?'

'The gas-and-go you just came from. Do you know the man working behind the counter?'

'Listen, asshole. I have no idea what you're talking about. I pulled into a station at random and bought some gas.'

'What did the clerk look like?'

'Some kind of sand nigger, I guess. Who else works in those places? I didn't even notice him.'

Holiday believed him. He felt his energy drain out.

'You're go

'So?'

'I'll see you around.'

Holiday didn't respond.

Holiday kept his hands at his side.

'I didn't think so,' said Du

It was over. He needed to tell the old man.

CHAPTER 36

Michael Tate made his way through the woods. Dusk was settling, and the trees and branches had lost their color and now were slate outlines against a gray sky. The forest was not dense, and he could see the house from his path. He walked with care and patience and made little sound.

He had a gun, a cheap Taurus nine that Nesto had sold him, holstered at his back. He didn't know what he was going to do when he got behind the house. But he did know that he wasn't going to shoot a girl.

In Raymond Benjamin's mind, Michael Tate was in his debt. Benjamin sent Tate's mother money every month. He had given Tate a job, even though Tate was not needed and did little more than apply tire shine and wheel cleaner to newly purchased cars. Benjamin believed that Tate owed him and that now it was time for Tate to go all in and commit the ultimate rite of passage, the taking of a life via a gun.

But in Tate's mind, he owed Benjamin nothing. Because Tate's older brother, Dink, had refused to testify at Benjamin's trial, Dink would be incarcerated for the next twenty years and come out a middle-aged man with zero prospects. The money sent monthly to their mother, a couple hundred dollars, didn't pay her grocery bills. No matter the amount, it could never compensate her for the loss of her son. Now Benjamin was about to bring Michael full into the life, as he had done with Dink long ago.