Brick Page #2

out of it, if you just come back to me.

No, you're not hearing me!

I don't wanna be put away

- and protected.

- Whatever befalls you, I'll deal with.

No.

Just tell me about the trouble

with the brick, The Pin.

What? Are you gonna fix things,

like you did with Jerr?

No. Okay?

I came here to say goodbye.

Okay? For good.

Whatever you have to do

to let me go, you gotta do it.

You gotta promise me, though,

okay? You have to.

That you're not... You're not

gonna torture yourself.

Please.

That you're...

You're just gonna let me go.

Just let me go.

Do you know anything else about this?

No.

Slim pickings.

Why did you let Dode fly

when he went back to,

who's her name,

at the theater?

Kara.

It's their turf. I couldn't

hear them without being seen,

and that would only biff their play.

Best to know that it's there,

let it ride and see what comes of it.

Anyway.

Well, if this is what I think it is,

it didn't come straight from Dode,

unless he's playing out of his league.

- I can only give you my best guess.

- Yeah.

When the upper crust does shady deeds,

they do them in different

places around town.

One of them is by the pier,

another one is by the bike trails in State Park.

I mean, there's a lot of them.

And the pitch is, they've got

little symbols for each one.

So they can tell each other

the place without word

getting around.

- This might be that.

- But Dode wouldn't know it?

No, this is the upper crust.

Dode's pie-pan grease.

Call anything up?

How many places start with "A"?

Or if it's a shape,

could be just a random symbol.

Even if you figure it out,

what good would you do?

You said her business was none of yours.

So she's all right.

Forget it now, go home. Sleep.

- Brendan, you're up early.

- Couldn't sleep.

Find Emily?

You all right?

- Yeah.

- What are you here for, zero?

Forced into taking the early bus.

The others don't run by my street.

So what's the word with Em?

- She's gone.

- Can't raise her?

No, I can't.

So what now?

Now, I don't know. I guess...

I don't know.

I can't let her go, Brain.

I was set to, but I can't.

I don't think I can.

Do you think you can help her?

No.

You think you can get the straight,

maybe break some deserving teeth?

Yeah, I think I could.

Well...

Tell me to walk from this, Brain.

- Tell me to drop it.

- Walk from it. Drop it.

But you're thick, Brendan.

Yes, I am.

I need you to op.

Like on Jerr, but that was

cake to this, and unlike Jerr,

there's not much chance of coming out clean.

You okay to op for me again?

- So what first, tip the bulls?

- No.

Bulls would gum it.

They'd flash their dusty

standards at the wide-eyes,

probably find some yegg to pin,

probably even the right one.

But they'd trample the real tracks

and scare the real players

back into their holes.

If we're doing this,

I want the whole story.

No cops, not for a bit.

So what's first?

I don't know.

- Your mom still have that cell?

- In her car.

Can I borrow it for a few days?

Get me the number?

- Yeah.

- Wait for my word.

And cover for me first.

I'm gonna be a little late.

Stop it.

What did you do, Brendan?

Are you crying for him?

You're crying for Jerr?

Trueman went straight

for him. He knew the lay!

- You ratted on Jerr!

- Stop it now, Em!

What, you telling me

it isn't true? Look at me!

You ratted him out,

because you were jealous!

No, I spun on him and

I bulled the two-bit toker,

'cause I know what his world

would do to you!

I love you too much to see that!

You don't love me,

you just wanna keep me!

You're the only thing I love!

You're the only thing I love!

And this is how I do it.

I wanna keep you safe.

You can't keep me safe,

Brendan, all right?

I'm in a different world now.

And you can't keep me out

of it, and you can't beat it.

Not if I don't want you to.

Here's the cell number. Yeah.

Keep it on vibrate.

Better stop meeting me in the open, too.

I'm gonna start getting visible.

I need you on the underneath.

I'll call.

Trueman, the Ass.

VP, wants words.

- I'll bet he does.

- Keep him off me.

Stonewall him, he won't bite.

Just keep him away from me.

- I'll try. So what's first?

- Make Em's troubles mine.

Emily said four words I didn't

know. Tell me if they catch.

- Brick.

- No.

- Or bad brick.

- No.

- Tug?

- Tug.

Tug, might be a drink.

Like milk and vodka, or something.

- Poor Frisco.

- Frisco.

Frisco Farr was a sophomore last year.

Real trash.

Maybe hit a class a week.

Didn't know him then

and haven't seen him around.

- Pin.

- Pin.

The Pin?

The Pin, yeah?

The Pin's kind of a local

spook story. You know the kingpin.

- I've heard it.

- Same thing.

Supposed to be old,

like 26. Lives in town.

- Dope runner, right?

- Big time.

See, The Pin pipes it from the lowest

scraper to Brad Bramish himself.

Maybe. I mean, ask any dope rat where

the junk sprang, and they'll say

they scraped it off that,

who scored it off this,

who bought it off someone.

After four or five connections,

the list always end with The Pin.

But I bet you,

you got every rat in town together

and said show your hands

if any of them have actually seen The Pin,

and you'd get a crowd of full pockets.

You think The Pin's just

a tale to take whatever heat?

But what's first?

A show of hands.

Hello, Brendan,

are you here for the show?

No.

Well, then,

could you go then, honey?

'Cause I have this headache.

Try smoking like a chimney.

I've heard that helps.

Hey, isn't this Dode's brand?

- You don't know Dode's brand.

- I do now.

I'm gonna start shaking things up.

Give me the story,

you might miss the bite.

- The story about what?

- All right.

The story about what?

I don't want to play games

if you've got a headache.

Get me if you want to spill it,

but I can't guarantee

safe passage after tonight.

- I don't know...

- Tell The Pin

that Brad was my calling card,

and I need words.

Brad Bramish?

Tail Kara at lunch. She's got

rehearsal, but she'll blow early.

She goes home, drop her,

or else wait for my call.

Will do.

I mean, am I crazy, huh?

I mean, this is all I am trying to say here!

Okay, if you put me in the game,

Brad Bramish is gonna do

what needs to be done, baby.

Okay?

But they don't put me in!

What needs doing,

ain't gonna get done!

Huh? And then don't come crying to me.

Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo! If you don't

put me in the game!

Now, am I right?

Of course I'm right!

And don't come to me

if you don't let me play!

- Didn't.

- Shut up!

Hey!

- What are you doing here?

- Just listening.

All right, you got me.

I'm a scout for the Gophers.

Been watching your game for a month,

but that story right there, just clenched it.

You got heart, kid. How soon

can you be in Minneapolis?

Yeah?

Cold winters, but they got

a great public transit system.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

Oh, yeah?

There's a thesaurus in the

library."Yeah" is under "Y."

- Go ahead, I'll wait.

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