“So you want me to nail Manny for you? Is that it?”
“Not just Manny,” Grant said.
Mancuso’s eyes narrowed. “What are you getting at?”
“We want the guy who gave the order.”
Mancuso was shaking his head now. “Forget about it,” be said.
“We want Ippolito.”
The name startled Mancuso. “Where did you…” Then he stopped. “I don’t know anybody by that name,” he said.
“Vinnie, your lawyer is going to be here soon, and when he arrives it’s going to be a lot harder to make deal. After all, who’s he working for? You’re not paying his bill.”
Mancuso was sweating now. “Look, I…” He took a deep breath. “I don’t want to take the fall for this.”
“Then don’t take the fall,” Grant said soothingly. “Talk to me.”
Mancuso sweated some more but said nothing.
“You know Manny well,” Grant said. “You think he’s going to take the fall for you and Ippolito?”
“Manny’s a standup guy,” Mancuso muttered. “He don’t give nobody up.”
“You really believe that, Vinnie? You really believe that Manny will take the needle for you and Ippolito?” He shook his head sadly. “I don’t think so.”
Mancuso thought about that for a moment, then he looked at Grant and started to speak. Then, at that moment, a man carrying a briefcase walked into the room.
“My name is Larry Klein,” he said. “I represent Vincent Mancuso; what’s going on here?”
“We were just having a chat,” Grant said.
“My client has nothing to say at the moment,” Klein said. “Have you been attempting to interrogate him?”
“Mr. Mancuso knows his rights,” Grant said. “He’s signed a statement to that effect.”
“Well, he’s not saying anything further,” the lawyer said, “and I want him removed to a secure room where I can talk with him without having somebody on the other side of a mirror.”
“Whatever you say, counselor,” Grant said. He turned to the other cop. “Take Mr. Klein and Mr. Mancuso down to Room Three, and leave them alone,” he said.
The cop left with Mancuso and his lawyer. Grant turned toward the mirror and gave a big shrug. A moment later he arrived in Stone’s room.
“Shit,” Stone said. “Another three minutes and he would have caved.”
“Win some, lose some,” Grant said.
“What about Manny? Did you pick him up?”
Grant shook his head. “I’ve got somebody on it, but unless we pick him up before Mancuso’s lawyer can make a phone call, our chances of getting him anytime soon are poor.”
“How long can you hold Mancuso?”
“He’ll have dinner at home tonight. I can’t charge him with your murder.”
“I guess not.”
“His lawyer is going to wonder why, after Mancuso tells him about our conversation.”