Cogan's Trade

“Where is this guy?” Mitch said.

“Quincy,” Cogan said. “Wollaston, actually.”

“I don’t know where the fuck that is,” Mitch said.

“I can show you,” Cogan said.

“But he knows you,” Mitch said. “Great. Look, this other guy, the one you’re doing?”

“Yeah,” Cogan said.

“Do him,” Mitch said, “and the way I get it, that’s go

“Got to,” Cogan said.

“Go

“I think,” Cogan said.

“Okay, then,” Mitch said. “So, we got to give him a chance to relax then, haven’t we? And you got to get me somebody that can drive a car without ru

“I was go

“Good,” Mitch said, “forty-five Military Police. I never use nothing else.”

“Okay,” Cogan said.

“If you’re the guy that’s starting it,” Mitch said, “it’s a great thing. One of them. And a guy that can do things. How long’s that go

“Day or so,” Cogan said.

“And a car,” Mitch said.

“Still a day or so,” Cogan said.

“And where he’s go

“Same thing,” Cogan said.

“You know something?” Mitch said. “I don’t think you can do it that fast.”

“I can,” Cogan said.

“Well,” Mitch said, “then I think you’re not go

“Always glad to meet a guy, you can learn something from,” Cogan said.

“I been at this a long time,” Mitch said. “I messed up some things, but never one of these. Now, that leaves me tonight and tomorrow night. Who’s go

“I can’t promise nothing special,” Cogan said.

“Don’t like fuckin’, is that it?” Mitch said.

“Never paid for it, anyway,” Cogan said.

“Well, company’s what I want,” Mitch said. “You get me some company for tonight. I’ll take it from there. Fourteen-o-nine. I’m in the tower, all right?”

“That,” Cogan said, “I’ll do the best I can for you. That’s something you’re go

“HE’S NOT WALKING RIGHT,” Gill said. He wore a dark blue tanker jacket and sat opposite Cogan in the Hayes Bickford across the street from the Lobster Tail.

“Of course he’s not walking right,” Cogan said. “He’s hurt. He’s all beat to shit.”

“It takes him a long time to do something,” Gill said. “I seen him, he was getting out of his car. It takes him a long time.”

“He’s all taped up,” Cogan said.

“He’s sure slow,” Gill said.

“He don’t feel good,” Cogan said. “You wouldn’t feel good, either.”

“What’re we go

“You’re go

“I’m go

“Five hundred,” Cogan said, “same as always, five hundred. You don’t fuck anything up.”

“I ever fuck anything up with you?” Ke

“Ke

“Olds,” Gill said. “Last year’s Four-four-two. Nice car.”

“Don’t get attached to it,” Cogan said. “You got everything in it, I gave you?”

“Sure,” Gill said.

“The way I gave it to you and all,” Cogan said.

“Yeah,” Gill said.

“Okay,” Cogan said, “all you gotta do is, you got to drive.”

“Who is this guy?” Gill said.

“Don’t matter,” Cogan said.

“No,” Gill said, “I mean, really. Who is this guy? This the guy Steve and Barry beat up?”

“Ke

“I didn’t mean nothing.” Gill said. “I was just wondering. I was, there was this guy, really got beat up, he was ru

“Who told you about the guy with the card game, Ke

“Jack,” Gill said, “like I said, I was just wondering. I didn’t mean nothing. What’d he do with the card game?”

“He had a couple guys come in and knock it over,” Cogan said.

“Oh,” Gill said. “See, well, I couldn’t understand it. Steve and Barry.”

“You figured I should’ve asked you,” Cogan said.

“I could’ve used the money, Jack,” Gill said.

“You can always use the money,” Cogan said. “Thing of it is, and I didn’t ask them, incidentally, you got that?”

“Sure,” Gill said.

“The thing needed two guys,” Cogan said. “That’s why you didn’t get called.”

“I could’ve got another guy,” Gill said. “I could’ve got the guy I had with me o

“Uh huh,” Cogan said, “well, okay, Ke

“He would’ve been all right,” Ke

“Okay, Ke

“Okay,” Ke

“That’s your weak spot, Ke

“Does he know?” Gill said.

“Nah,” Cogan said, “he oughta, but he probably doesn’t. I don’t think so, no.”

Wearing a gray and red tattersall coat, Mark Trattman, his hands in his pockets, emerged from the Lobster Tail alone. The attendant in the snorkel coat started walking down the street.

“Son of a bitch,” Cogan said. “Didn’t score tonight for a change.”

“He was drinking his drink through them little plastic things you’re supposed to steer them with,” Gill said. “Those little green and white things.”

“Yeah,” Cogan said. He set his coffee cup down. “Where’s the fuckin’ car?”

“Around the side,” Gill said. “I thought you said—”

“Never mind what you thought I said,” Cogan said. “Move your big dumb ass. The guy’s going home.”

“I don’t get it,” Gill said.

“Neither’s he, tonight,” Cogan said. “Never again, either. Come on, for Christ sake, we’re go

The yellow 4-4-2 trailed Trattman’s tan Coupe de Ville through eight consecutive green lights on Commonwealth Avenue, westbound. Cogan rode in the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat. He kept his hands down, out of sight.

“Jesus,” Gill said, “he’s pretty good at this. He hits them all, just’s they turn.”

“He knows the speed,” Cogan said. “They’re set for nineteen or twenty miles an hour, I think it is. Something like that. He does it all the time, for Christ sake. He oughta.”

“Jack,” Gill said, “what if, what if he hasn’t gotta stop?”

“We’ll take him home and put him to fuckin’ bed then,” Cogan said. “Just keep after him, Ke

On the long hill at the synagogue, the Cadillac swung into the right lane and the brake lights came on as it approached the intersection of Chestnut Hill Avenue. The traffic light was red. A streetcar moved west toward Lake Street beyond the intersection.

“Middle lane, Ke

The 4-4-2 approached the Cadillac quickly off the left rear.

“Right up even,” Cogan said, “nice and smooth.”