A Walk Among the Tombstones Page #6

So wait, they quit your ass

after you took on three

bangers by yourself?

They gave me a commendation.

I quit my own ass.

I never met anybody that tight before.

Tight?

Brave.

I wasn't brave.

I was just drunk.

Don't feel sorry for me.

I don't.

Now, please.

Watson?

Watson?

You don't know how lucky you are.

Scudder.

Hello?

Kenny?

Anybody home?

And where've you been?

- Been trying to call you.

- Where's Kenny?

Whitestone.

With a friend who says he's having

the same kind of problem as Kenny had.

The wife?

Worse.

I don't got that kind of money.

You're the detective?

Matt Scudder.

Hello. Dani, why don't you go

outside and keep an eye out.

That's a good boy.

Now I post guards.

The horse is stolen,

so I lock the barn. For what?

What can they take from me now?

She's 14 years old.

Fourteen.

This is Anna, the nurse.

They took her last night

and call us in the morning

and tell us not to call the police.

I remember Kenny calling the other day,

so I put two and two together.

Mr. Landau, listen,

you have to know that...

I'm sorry, what's your daughter's name?

Ludmilla. But she calls herself Lucia.

You have to know that

the men who took Lucia

have already killed at least two

women, including Kenny's wife.

As things stand, they haven't

got the slightest intention

of releasing your daughter alive.

In fact, there's a strong possibility

that she's already dead.

- No...

- The police know about these two.

They know who they are,

they know what they're doing.

No, no, no police.

You have to help me.

Kenny said you would. I'll pay.

I'll do whatever you ask.

Please.

Hello?

Okay, you know what happens next?

Yes, I'm trying. I'm working on it.

Well, work harder, Yuri.

We want our money.

I just need some time, please.

I'll give you whatever you want,

but please, the one thing I want

- is to talk to my daughter. I just...

- She can't talk right now.

You gotta let me talk to her.

Just let me...

If she's dead, you get nothing.

And who the f*** are you?

I'm the best chance you've got

if you wanna get your money.

But the girl's gotta be

alive and all in one piece

for any kind of deal to happen.

Are you listening, motherf***er?

F*** this sh*t.

I can't believe you

talked to him like that.

He knows what he's doing.

The important thing right

now is to keep Lucia alive.

That means these guys have to know

that they can't get a nickel out of you

until we first know that she's okay.

- But if you make them mad...

- They're already mad.

But you'll give them

an excuse to kill her.

They don't need an excuse.

They're gonna kill her anyway.

What they need is a

reason to keep her alive.

How much cash have you got?

I got damn little right now, but...

Do these bastards want cocaine?

Because I got 15 kilos

10 minutes from here.

I don't know.

Maybe I could get my hands on a

few hundred in counterfeit, but...

I can't guarantee the quality,

and I'd have to return it.

I got at least five hundred in cash.

Time comes, I'll go get it.

Is there another line I can use?

There's a phone in my daughter's room.

Culpepper Investigations.

Daunte speaking.

Where the hell are you?

I'm in my office, man. What's up?

Why'd you leave the hospital?

I didn't want some

Social Services person

to come haul my ass

away to a foster home.

I need you to do me a favor and get

me something out of my apartment.

What's going on?

There's a box up in my closet.

I want you to get it for me.

The kid at the front

desk will let you up.

Apartment 11G. Key's above the door.

A guy named Peter will meet

you out front. Give it to him.

And then go back to whatever

it is you're doing.

Hello?

I understand we have a

new player in the game.

I don't believe we've been introduced.

I'm a friend of Mr. Landau's.

My name is not important.

I'm assuming that Mr. Landau's not

dumb enough to speak to the police.

He hasn't.

Then who are you?

One likes to know who's

on the other side.

We're on the same side.

We both want this to happen.

Good. Then all you got to

do is follow instructions.

No. It's not that simple.

Of course it is. We tell you

what to do and you do it.

If you ever want to see the girl again.

You have to convince me

she's alive in the first place.

You have my word on that.

That's funny.

What, it's not good enough?

Let's just say you lost

a lot of credibility

when you returned Mrs. Kristo

in poor condition.

There were special circumstances

regarding Mrs. Kristo.

Her husband tried to haggle.

He sliced the price, and we in turn...

Well, you can finish that thought

for yourself, can't you?

We're not going to argue the price.

You'll pay the million?

For the girl alive and well.

I assure you she's both.

Your assurance means sh*t to me.

Put her on the phone,

let her father talk to her.

I'm afraid I won't be able to

put her on the phone right now.

Please deposit 25 cents...

Out of quarters? Give me

your number, I'll call you back.

Yeah?

I'm afraid the girl cannot come to

the phone. That's out of the question.

How else can we reassure

you of her wellbeing?

Wait.

Tell me something your

daughter would know.

The dog's name.

They could know that.

They've been following her.

They know your schedule.

They've probably seen her walking the dog.

Heard her call him by name.

Think of something else.

Yes. We had a dog before this one.

A little black-and-white one.

He got hit by a car.

The dog's name. And the name

of the dog before this one.

Have her describe both of them.

Then call me back.

The 16 years we were married,

I don't remember her even having a cold.

Then one day she wakes up and

says she can't smell anything.

You were a policeman?

Yeah, I was.

You dealt with situations like this?

No, not like this.

Still, your gut must be

telling you something?

What is it telling you now?

Is she alive?

Yeah?

I'd still like to know how

you figure in all this.

Tell me the dog's name.

Oh, well, let's see,

what are the old standbys?

Fido? Towser? King?

Rover, that's always a popular choice.

Hey, I know what it is. How about Bingo?

What about Spot?

"Run, Spot, run!" It's not a

bad name for a Rottweiler.

The dog's name is Watson.

Watson.

And the other dog? The one before?

She couldn't tell me what

breed the other dog was.

She was young when it died.

They had it put to sleep, she said.

It's a silly term for it,

don't you think?

I mean, you're gonna kill something

you ought to have the courage

to say that's what you're doing.

- You're not talking. You still there?

- I'm here.

I gather it was a mongrel.

So many of us are.

Now the name's a bit of a problem.

I may not have it right.

It's a Russian word.

How's your Russian, my friend?

Tell me.

I may be saying this wrong. Balalaika.

Balalaika.

The name of a musical instrument,

or so she tells me.

What do you say, pal?

Does it strike a chord?

You got two hours to get

the money together.

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