Fort Freak by George R.R. Martin

Author:George R.R. Martin [Martin, George R.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, General, American, Adventure, Police, New York (N.Y.), Authorship, Superheroes, Police - New York (N.Y.)
ISBN: 9780765325709
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2011-06-21T04:00:00+00:00

♣ ♦ ♠ ♥

The Rat Race

Part 9.

MICHAEL'S EYES GLITTERED IN the light of the votives on the altar. He looked at them like he wanted to touch them, to run his fingers through the flames in a quick, warm pass that would leave them sooty. But he didn't. He asked Father Squid, "So the Infamous Black Tongue came here, and you told him what?"

"I told him that this is a safe place," replied the priest carefully. "And I thought perhaps he'd rest here a bit. But he changed his mind---I don't know why. He's terribly afraid."

Leo snorted. "Yeah, well. He ought to be."

Father Squid shook his head slowly. "The whole city wants him. His jitters are understandable."

"Is he injured?" Leo thought to ask, knowing that would be too easy.

"I don't believe so. He was exhausted from running, but I don't think he was hurt. And he's quite young. He recovered quickly."

Michael's cell phone rang, but he didn't want to take the call in the sanctuary. He said, "Excuse me," and left through the nearest side door.

"Hey, Father," Leo said in a tone that implied a change of subject. "I wanted to ask you something. Something you said the other night. You said you knew Lizzie Wallace, the counter girl who died at the Rathole."

Father Squid turned to tend to the candles, or to stall. "I knew her, yes. Lovely woman."

"Were you a regular there, back then?"

His back still turned, his body cast in shadows from the brightness before him at the front of the church, Squid said, "I suppose."

"Do you know anything about her boyfriend?"

The priest turned, just enough to show his profile, backlit by the small flames. "I beg your pardon?"

"She had a boyfriend. Some slimeball, is all I know. Gangbanger. No one wants to give me a name on him, but that only makes me think he was actually dangerous." Leo pulled out his notepad and clicked open a pen, just in case he was about to hear something worth writing down.

"Ah," Squid said, and he faced Leo once more, leaning back on his hands against the table. "It's been a long time, but I knew of him, yes. He became rather notorious; it doesn't surprise me that no one wants to talk about him, even now."

"But you will?"

"His name was Peter, but I believe you may know of him as Warlock. He was in the Werewolves, years ago. Ran the club, eventually. I think."

Leo's pen froze, leaving a wet blue daub on the notebook's thin-lined page. "Wait a minute. Warlock?"

"Oh, yes."

"Warlock," Leo repeated under his breath, and once again the pen nub moved in a swift scribble. Behind him, the side aisle door opened and Michael came back inside, slipping his cell phone back into a pocket.

Father Squid continued. "I don't know where he is these days. I'm not sure how you'd go about finding him."

"I do." Leo quit scribbling and slapped the notepad shut. "He's in lockup on Governor's Island. Got himself convicted of manslaughter a couple years ago.

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