Low Pressure
Page 123
“My book set all this into motion.” When he was about to counter that, she placed her fingertips against his lips. “Don’t bother. You know it. I know it. First you, now Gall, were nearly killed because of it. I don’t want anyone else to be hurt, Dent. I feel guilty enough already.”
He released her and turned away.
“You think I’m wrong?” she asked.
“No, dammit, I think you’re right. I just hate having to do that guy a favor.”
“I understand why you feel that way.”
“Thanks for that. What’s the ‘but’?”
“But he owned up to the injustices he did.”
“Some of them. He didn’t play his ace.”
“He might have, if—”
“What?”
“If you hadn’t badgered him. I think he withheld it out of stubbornness. He didn’t—”
“He didn’t want to lose a pissing contest with me.”
She just looked at him.
He conceded with a sigh. “Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have hit him, but we’d given him plenty of chances to confess his sins before the cigarettes and booze launch him to the Pearly Gates.”
“The cigarettes, the booze, or the pistol.”
“He did seem to have a love affair going with that thing. Couldn’t keep his hands off it.” He thought about it for a moment longer, then said grudgingly, “You’d better call Haymaker. Tell him to call Moody and—Why not?” he asked when she shook her head.
“We can use Ray Strickland’s attack on Gall as a bargaining chip. Out of the goodness of our hearts—”
She ignored his snort.
“—we’ll tell him what happened last night and warn him to beware of Strickland. In exchange, he’ll tell us whatever it is he’s holding back.”
“And you think he’ll go for that.” Clearly, he was doubtful.
“It’s worth a try. We need to know what he knows, Dent.”
“Okay, okay. Call the son of a bitch. Lay out your terms.”
“I can’t call him. I don’t know his number. Haymaker used his phone to call him, and took it back as soon as I’d finished talking to Moody.”
“Get his number from Haymaker.”
“Talking to Moody on the phone won’t be as persuasive as being face-to-face with him. We have to go back to his place.”
“No. We don’t.”
“We do. You know we do.”
“Bellamy, if he blows his brains out today or tomorrow, or if he waits too long to do it and Strickland gets to him first, I really don’t care.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Believe it.”