Among Thieves

“Yeah, he is. You got a problem?”

Fi

“My mom smoked crack when she was pregnant with me,” Sally said. Everyone at the table looked at her, unsure what to say. “Of course, it’s not like I’m a poster child for reproduction.” She stood up. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“Back around down the hall to the left,” Lissa said.

Once she was gone, Kozlowski asked, “We go

“Not today,” Fi

“We gotta talk about it at some point,” Kozlowski said. “We need to find a place for her to live.”

“I’m not putting her in the system,” Fi

“She’s not a puppy,” Kozlowski said. “You can’t just keep her for a little while and then take her back to the pound when she shits on the rugs.”

“That’s not what I’m doing.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to help.”

“Trying to help?” Kozlowski looked at Lissa. “You believe this?”

She looked down at her belly. “Yeah, I do. Let’s leave it for another day.”

“You too?” Kozlowski shook his head.

“Another day,” she repeated.

“Fine,” Kozlowski said. “What about the other thing that no one wants to talk about? We go

“Works for me,” Lissa said. “ Devon ’s dead. Kilbranish is dead. Half of Bulger’s old crew is dead. Doesn’t seem like anything good’s go

“Something good could come from it for Sally,” Kozlowski said. “Reward’s five million. We find the paintings, and that’s a lot of good.”

“You’re not go

“How do you know? Devon had them two weeks ago. Maybe he moved them.”

“I don’t see how Devon could have moved them,” Fi

“He could have moved them before he went in,” Kozlowski said. “Then he led us to the self-storage knowing they weren’t there.”

“But why?” Fi

“Because they were worth half a billion dollars,” Kozlowski said. “Maybe he still wanted them for himself. Maybe he still wanted them for the girl.”

Fi

“What other possibilities are there?”

“We know what other possibilities there are. Devon said Bulger told him there was one other person who knew where the paintings were.”

“Porter?” Kozlowski offered.

“No,” Fi

“Who, then?”

“Hewitt.”

“No,” Kozlowski said. “I know him; he’s not behind this.”

“Come on, Koz,” Fi

“I don’t buy it.” Kozlowski wasn’t budging. “There were plenty of others who would have had just as much motive, just as much opportunity.”

“How many of those others were involved in this investigation? How many of them were there when Devon was killed? How many of them shot Kilbranish?”

“Fuck you, you’re wrong.”

“How can you say that?”

“Enough!” Lissa interjected. Her voice was loud enough that the bartender turned and looked at them. She lowered the volume. “Who cares?” she demanded. “These are just paintings we’re talking about. Who the fuck cares where they are now?”

“They’re not just paintings,” Fi

“Yes, they are,” she said. “They’re just paintings. They’re expensive paintings. They’re nice paintings. But they’re just fucking paintings. And they’re paintings that have gotten people killed. Whoever has them now will kill whoever they have to to keep them, and I’m not letting either of you be next on the list. It isn’t our problem anymore. Do you two understand me?”

The two men looked at the table, not answering.

“I’m serious about this,” she said. “I want both of you to just fucking drop it. We have a law firm to run, we have a little girl to deal with, and we have a baby on the way. This ends now.”

Kozlowski looked at her and took her hand. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll drop it.”

She looked at Fi

He didn’t look up at her, but he nodded. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll leave it alone.”

“Do I have your word?”

“Yeah,” he said. “You have my word.”

Chapter Forty-Two

Lissa and Kozlowski got married a month later. The ceremony, such as it was, took place in City Hall, that great monument to Brutalism in the center of nine acres of cold brick and cement. Fi

It was just the four of them. Fi

That was okay with Fi

When the questions had been read and the answers given, the woman said, “That’s it. If you got fifty dollars, you’re married.”

Kozlowski and Lissa looked at each other. Fi

The assistant clerk shrugged. “I guess. Long as you got the fifty dollars.”

Fi

The woman took the money and stamped two forms in triplicate. “You want the receipt?” she asked Fi

He shook his head.

“Now?” Kozlowski asked.

“Yeah, now,” the woman replied.

Fi

The assistant clerk left before the kiss was over. “Congratulations,” Fi

“Thanks,” Lissa replied. They took the escalator up from the basement. The building’s interior made its facade look cozy. When they got to the main floor Lissa said, “Shit.” Looking at Sally, she corrected herself. “Shoot. I left the marriage license on the counter.” She looked at Fi

“Sure,” Fi

“I’ll be here.”

On the escalator down, Lissa said, “She seems to be doing okay.”

Fi