Cogan's Trade

“Kind of rough on him,” the driver said.

“Not actually,” Cogan said. “Actually, I think it’s the best thing for him. He’s go

“I suppose he really should talk to Mitch’s people,” the driver said.

“Albert,” Cogan said, “how’re they go

“Ah,” Albert said. “I can tell him, I suppose.”

“If you want,” Cogan said. “Let him make up his own mind.”

“Okay,” the driver said, “do it. Now, that leaves us with Amato.”

“I come up with something, I think,” Cogan said. “I think I can set him up myself.”

“I thought you couldn’t,” the driver said. “I thought he knew you.”

“He does,” Cogan said. “He also knows the kid, one of the kids he used on the job. And that kid, I bet, is go

“Will he do it?” the driver said.

“I was waiting for you,” Cogan said, “I started thinking. Yeah, I think I know a way.”

“Will he be all right?” the driver said.

“Oh,” Cogan said, “you can’t tell.”

“Well, it’s serious, isn’t it?” the driver said. “It’s a serious question.”

Cogan stared at the driver. “For a while,” he said. “Not long, but a while. Talk to the man.”

FRANKIE SAT at the first bar downstairs in the Carnaby Street, late in the afternoon. He leaned back on the bentwood stool and watched the waitresses chatting, idle until customers came.

Cogan hung the pilled suede coat on a peg and sat down next to Frankie. He ordered a beer.

“Heineken?” the bartender said.

“Yeah,” Cogan said.

“Bottle or draft?” the bartender said.

“I don’t give a shit,” Cogan said. “Draft.”

“They always do that,” Frankie said.

“It’s a pain in the ass,” Cogan said. “I wouldn’t’ve come in here, I thought I was go

The bartender put a frosted mug in front of Cogan.

“I would,” Frankie said. “This guy, I du

“I know,” Cogan said.

Frankie looked at him. “I never seen you before in here,” he said. “I don’t know you.”

“Didn’t say you did,” Cogan said. “Very few guys know me. I’m just a guy, is all. I never been in here before in my life.”

“How’d you happen to come in today?” Frankie said.

“Looking for you,” Cogan said. “I was looking for you and a guy told me, he said you told him you come in here a lot, ’round this time of day, see if you can get up nerve enough, talk to a girl. So I came in. Simple, huh?”

“Who’s the guy?” Frankie said.

“Just a guy,” Cogan said, “guy, a friend of yours, actually. Knows a little about you, told me where to look you up. Well, he didn’t tell me himself. He told a guy, and the guy was up here and he told me. Because I asked the guy, this friend of yours.”

“Who’s this friend?” Frankie said.

“China,” Cogan said.

“Never heard of nobody by that name,” Frankie said. He finished his beer and started to straighten up.

Cogan put his right hand on Frankie’s right arm. “China’ll be surprised to hear that,” he said, “very surprised. Here’s a guy, concerned about you, your friends’re concerned about you, you know that, Frankie? They’re worried. Guys like China. China was really, he, well, he insisted I hadda go and talk to you, is what he did. I wasn’t sure I oughta bother you, you know? Got yourself a place and everything? ‘Sounds like he’s doing all right to me,’ is what I said. ‘No reason I should go around and bother him.’ You have got a place, haven’t you, Frankie?”

“Yeah,” Frankie said.

“Somewhere south of New Hampshire, I bet,” Cogan said.

“Right o

“Norwood, to be exact,” Cogan said. “Why’d you do that, alla them trucks?”

“I du

“Now whyn’t you relax a little, Frankie, okay?”

Cogan said. “You know how it is when a guy, when China wants a guy to do something, you got to do it, is all, China’s all down there, locked up and everything, he’s gotta depend on his friends, do the right things for guys he’s worried about. I’d be embarrassed in front of China, I hadda tell him, he ever found out, a guy he wanted me to talk to, I didn’t talk to him. You know how China is.”

Frankie leaned back again.

“Have another beer,” Cogan said. “Look at the girls. Jesus, I du

“Yeah,” Frankie said.

“Lemme give you some advice, all right?” Cogan said.

Frankie did not answer.

“I had one of them things myself,” Cogan said, “they first come out. You got the hood scoops, right?”

Frankie did not answer.

“Ah, come on,” Cogan said, “you got the green Geetoh with the scoops. Don’t fuck around with me, right?”

Frankie nodded.

“You’re go

“Now lemme tell you what you got to do,” Cogan said. “You got to pack them scoops. Mine just had the one, the split one in the middle. But, well, you got the two, I bet you’re still go

Frankie nodded.

“You see what I mean,” Cogan said.

“Uh,” Frankie said, “uh, no. No, I don’t.”

“Your friends,” Cogan said. “Your friends’re worried about you. See? I even heard, you’re carrying.”

“Fuck, no,” Frankie said.

“Well,” Cogan said, “now, that’s good. Because, you wa

“Six weeks,” Frankie said.

“Right,” Cogan said. “O

“Yeah,” Frankie said.

“Well, there you are,” Cogan said, “and that’s why it’s such a good thing, you’re not carrying. You know how those guys are. They’re go

“Nope,” Frankie said.

“And of course,” Cogan said, “they’re not go

“Just havin’ a beer and watchin’ the girls,” Frankie said.

“Sure,” Cogan said. “Nothing wrong with that. But, they pick you up, even though you didn’t pull a job, you’re carrying, they’re go

“I know that,” Frankie said.

“Well,” Cogan said, “that’s good. That shows, your friends that’re worried about you, shows them you must’ve grown up some since you went in.”

Frankie looked at Cogan. “Grown up some?” he said. “A dog’d get born and live and die in the time I was in.”

“Well,” Cogan said, “yeah, you’re right. But, maybe even since you got out. Maybe you grown up some since then.”

“Well,” Frankie said, “I finally got laid.”

“That’s good,” Cogan said. “How was it?”

“Not so good,” Frankie said. “Matter of fact, it was kind of shitty. I naturally got some broad that’s been fuckin’ since they found out how to do it, and I naturally shot my mouth off all over the place and I got through and she told me I’m a lousy lay. I’m go