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Ashland or Knudsen. Who does that leave? Who else is a friend of Johnny? I’m not working for the Horsemen; they do their own prowling. I’m not with the parole board; they’ve already given up looking. Does that narrow the field down enough for you?” Vito loosened his grip on the plant. He grinned at Frank. I didn’t much care for Vito’s grin. It looked like a smiling death’s head.
    â€œYou working for Muriel Falkirk, Mr. Cooperman?” Frank said.
    â€œI’m not saying yes.” Vito tugged at the leaf of the rubber plant again, so I added, reluctantly, “And I’m not saying no.” That was enough for Vito; he dropped the leaf altogether and came back across the room.
    â€œThat’s the right answer, Mr. Cooperman. I think we understand one another. Vito and me will be going now. Come on, Vito. Let the man finish what he started in peace.” Vito placed the leaf he had torn off on the coffee table.
    â€œSorry,” he said with an awkward shrug. They backed to the front door, and in another moment I was alone with my mother’s plants again. The hind end of a blue Mustang was disappearing around the curve and pulling on to the highway.

EIGHT
    On my shaky way back to town, I could see that it was beginning to get dark. And with the dying of the sun, the winter took another night-time grip on the city. The manhole covers were steaming in the middle of St. Andrew Street. The stores had their display signs lit. In another half hour the streetlights would blink on.
    After parking the car, I crossed the busy one-way stream of traffic and went into the United. If I’d been a drinking man, this would have been the time for a straight belt of whiskey. As it was, I settled for a vanilla shake. After what I’d just been through, I needed to break the routine. The girl made it thick and set the aluminum container down with my glass. The straw stood up unaided in the centre of the froth.
    I could hear my phone ringing while I was still climbing the stairs. I didn’t hurry because those are the calls that stop as you rush across the room. I got the door open and it was still crying out when I plucked it off the cradle. It was Muriel. She sounded agitated, not the girl I’d talked to a few hours ago.
    â€œBenny, what are you doing?”
    â€œMy best.” What else could I say? “What’s on your mind?’
    â€œNothing special,” she said in a way that made me think she meant the opposite. “I’d like to see you.”
    â€œAny time. That’s what you’re paying me for, remember?”
    â€œI’d like to see you soon, but not at your office and not at my place. Both places may be watched. Help me think, Benny.” She sounded like she was trying to fit me into a tight schedule.
    â€œHow about the back row of the Capitol Theatre?”
    â€œBenny, you’re sweet. Think harder.”
    â€œWhat about the library? That’s quiet. I want to tell you about a run-in I had with a pair of tough customers who drive that blue Mustang I was asking you about.”
    â€œThe Public Library, you say?” She sounded a little abstracted from the here and now, like she was trying to talk with a manicurist working on both arms and a new hair-dresser doing strange things to her hair.
    â€œSure, I think that’s the best bet. I can think of at least two hoodlums who won’t follow you in there. It’s about a quarter to six now …” I was translating from my Japanese watch which read 5:42 in ruby digits. “Can you make it by six, or a little after? I’ll wait for you in the Special Collections section. It’s in a room of its own on the second floor. You got that, Muriel? Now can you tell me anything about what’s happened?”
    â€œI’ll tell you everything in a few minutes. Until then, Benny, Lord love you.” It was a fine and unexpected thing to hear her say. It passed