NO Quarter (40 page)

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Authors: Robert Asprin

BOOK: NO Quarter

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“So,” I said as I raised my glass, “everything looks clear and kosher. Don’t you think?”

Everyone nodded.

“I can’t see where we missed a stitch,” the Bear said.

“Like clockwork,” Padre put in.

I agreed. It had almost blown up in our faces, but we turned it back into a successful operation.

Eventually, the camaraderie turned to yawns and owl-eyes. We’d put away a few rounds. It was late. Alex had worked tonight. So had Padre, and so had Bone. We started making our goodbyes, reluctant to do so, drawing it out. Everyone got a warrior’s handshake from the Bear, including Alex, though she gave him a friendly peck on the cheek as well. Naturally, the two of them had hit it off.

We started shuffling toward the door. The Bear was going to run Bone and Alex to their apartment in his Impala. I was going to walk. It had rained hard a little before midnight, and even though the streets would be steamy, they would still smell better than they normally did. For a little while, anyway.

Bone and I lingered together a moment.

“Did you notice that ‘For Rent’ sign on that apartment house on Dumaine Street?” Bone asked. “So long to meth-man Lester and his junkie crew.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Nice little bonus.”

Shifting gears, he said, “I really do hate my job, you know.”

“Believe me, I’ve never doubted you did.”

“What we did, Maestro—for Sunshine, what we did to avenge her—it was good. In a lot of ways. I felt, for the first time in my whole life, that what I was doing meant something worthwhile. I love Alex, but that’s a
state
, not an
action
. Doing what we did, the hunt, it was the best.”

I eyed him levelly, but he wasn’t talking about the thrill of the kill. Not at all.

I nodded. “You can make money committing crimes, Bone. Or you can make money preventing them or catching the culprits, provided of course you’ve got a badge or a PI license. But
...
I’m afraid nobody pays a vigilante a salary.”

I said it gently, but he wasn’t stupid and it wasn’t news to him. He just chuckled and lit a smoke. We did a warrior shake ourselves, eyes locking briefly for a second of pure understanding. Then my friend picked up Alex’s knapsack, put an arm around her shoulders, and walked out with the Bear as Padre unlocked the door and shutters. “Later days, Maestro!” Bone threw back at me, and then they were gone.

“You definitely haven’t lost your chops, Maestro,” Padre said as I stepped out onto St. Peter, automatically scanning the street and deeming it all clear.

“Thanks, Padre. See you at pool tomorrow night.”

“We’re playing the Fink Ployds at home. Vulture’s on that team, so sharpen up your stick.”

“I’ll start whittling when I get home,” I said, and I headed off.

Bone was, of course, completely right. It had felt good. It had
been
good. The hunt had been a worthwhile undertaking, worth the risks. I had something now that I’d been without for
...
I didn’t really know how long. But feeling alive and lively and like I had a purpose on this planet, that was a fine feeling. I savored it, even as the hunt started its slow fade into the past.

At home, I reached for the saber I kept mounted on the wall, then stopped my hand and left the sword hanging there. I’d had a drink or two tonight. Probably should leave the live steel alone. I shrugged and started getting ready for bed.

Then I noticed the answering machine and hit the button.

“Just thought you’d like to know, Maestro. The case on that Moonwalk knifing is still
officially
open. There’re some happy detectives on the force lately, though.”

The message clicked to an end.

That “officially” meant the evidence against the Juggernaut just wasn’t firm enough to hold legal water. The rest of the message meant the Sun tarot card had done the trick.

I sat down slowly in my chair in the front room, staring at my phone, wondering just how in the
hell
Sneaky Pete had gotten my number.