Stegman stopped in the parking lot, which was almost empty. "The Bay's polluted," he said. "There's no swimming here. Kids come here at night and neck, that's all." He shifted in the seat, facing Parker, and said, "Now what's this about Sidney? He wouldn't dare run off with the dough."
"He didn't." Parker took the envelope out of his pocket and dropped it on top of the dashboard. "I took it away from him."
Stegman's hand reached toward the radio switch. "What the hell is this? What are you up to?"
"Touch that switch and I'll break your arm."
Stegman's hand stopped.
Parker nodded. "I'm looking for Mal Resnick," he said. "You're going to tell me where he is."
"No. Even if I knew, the answer would still be no."
"You'll tell me. I want to tell him he doesn't have to pay her off any more."
"Why not?"
"She's dead. So is your fat pansy. You can be dead, too, if you want."
Stegman licked his lips. He turned his head and nodded at the small stone buildings out at the end of the pier. "There's people there," he said. "All I got to do is holler."
"You'd never get it out. Take a deep breath and you're dead. Open your mouth wide and you're dead."
Stegman looked back at him. "I don't see no gun," he said. "I don't see no weapon."
Parker held up his hands. "You see two of them," he said. "They're all I need."
"You're out of your mind. It's broad daylight. We're in the front seat of a car. People see us scuffling -- "
"There wouldn't be any scuffle, Stegman. I'd touch you once, and you'd be dead. Look at me. You know this isn't a bluff."
Stegman met his eye, and Parker waited. Stegman blinked, and looked down at the radio. Parker said, "You don't have that long. He won't be calling for ten minutes. You'll be dead in five if you don't tell me where Mal is."
"I don't know where he is. That's the truth. I believe you -- you're crazy enough to try it -- but that's still the truth. I don't know where he is."
"You got that dough from him."
"There's a checking account in the bank near my office. On Rockaway Parkway. There's a hundred bucks in it to keep it alive. Every month Mal deposits eleven hundred. Then I write a check and take it out. I keep the hundred for myself and send the grand to the girl. A different messenger every month, the way he wanted it."
Parker gnawed on his cheek.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Steigman paró en el parking que estaba casi vacío. “La bahía está contaminada. Ya nadie viene a nadar aquí. Sólo vienen los jovenzuelos a besuquearse por la noche. Nadie más.” Se acomodó en su asiento y se encaró con Parker y dijo, “Ahora, ¿Qué pasa con Sydney? Él nunca se atrevería a huir con la pasta.”
“No lo ha hecho.” Parker sacó el sobre del bolsillo y lo arrojó al salpicadero. “Se lo quité a él.”
Stegman alargó la mano hacia el radiotransmisor. “¿Qué coño es ésto? ¿De qué vas?”
“Toca la radio y te rompo el brazo.”
Stegman detuvo su mano.
Parker asintió. “Estoy buscando a Mal Resnick,” dijo. “Vas a decirme donde está.”
“No. Aunque lo supiera, la respuesta sería ‘no’.”
“Me lo vas a decir. Tengo que decirle que ya no tiene que enviarle dinero a ella nunca más.”
“¿Por qué no?”
“Está muerta. Y también ese mariquita gordo tuyo y tu también puedes morir, si quieres.”
Stegman se mojó los labios. Giró la cabeza e hizo un gesto con la cabeza hacia los pequeños edificios de piedra del final del paseo. “Hay gente allí,” dijo. “Solo tengo que gritar.”
“No llegarías a hacerlo. Haz una inspiración profunda y eres hombre muerto. Abre la boca más de la cuenta y te mato.”
Stegman miró tras de si. “No veo ninguna pistola,” dijo. “No veo ningún arma.”
Parker levantó sus manos. “Aquí tienes un par,” dijo. “Es todo lo que necesito.”
“Estás loco. A plena luz del día. Estamos en los asientos delanteros. La gente nos vería pelear…”
“Aquí no habrá ninguna pelea, Stegman. Te golpearé una sola vez y estarás muerto. Mírame. Sabes que esto no es un farol.”
Stegman le miró a los ojos y Parker esperó. Stegman parpadeó y bajó la mirada hacia el radiotransmisor. Parker dijo, “No ha pasado bastante tiempo. No llamará hasta pasados 10 minutos. Y tu estarás muerto en cinco minutos si no me dices donde está Mal.”
“No sé donde está. Es la verdad. Te creo...eres lo bastante loco como para intentarlo…pero es la pura verdad. No sé donde está.”
“Tu recibes la pasta de él.”
“Tengo una cuenta corriente en el banco cercano a mi oficina. En la Avenida Rockaway. Siempre tiene un saldo de unos cien pavos. Mal deposita mil cien cada mes. Entonces, yo extiendo un cheque y saco el dinero. Me quedo con cien y envío el resto a la chica. Un mensajero diferente cada mes, como él quería.”
Parker se mordisqueó los labios.
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