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"What?" Manore hi human about Zapata’s voice It was free of emotion, calm and ruthless, the way sharks would talk if they could "This is Tres Navarre, the PI He thinks he’s funny"
"Eh, Johnny," Ralph said "We’re overdue for a chat You sure you want your mother here for that?"
Zapata’s eyes drifted fro to read the score He didn’t seenacio," he said, "this is the second time you failed me"
The henchman’s face turned the same color as his peroxide crew cut "Me?"
"You didn’t do the job last night," Zapata said "The wrong man died Now you’ve led these people here"
"Wasn’t my fault!"
"Take Ma outside," Zapata told him calmly "When you come back, you choose what to lose"
Ignacio’s face beaded with sweat "Johnny, man, please"
"You want me to let Miss White shoot you? That’d be quicker Now take Ma and go"
Ignacio sed He tried to take the old woruonna watch the store?"
"I’ll watch the store, Ma"
"They gonna steal St Peter"
"No, Ma They ain’t gonna steal St Peter Go on"
Before Ignacio could leave, Madeleine dug her free hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a Smith & Wesson She said, "I’ll hold this for you"
Reluctantly, the nervous thug escorted Ma me like she expected me to filch her plaster apostles
ZAPATA PEELED THE FOIL OFF A beef taco "Well?"
The situation didn’t need any uns, but before I could try the diplomatic approach, Ralph pointed his 38 at Zapata’s head
"You set me up," Ralph told hi here She wants to knohether you’ve really got a lead on Frankie’sHow about I count to five?"
Zapata smiled "That would’ve been a scary threat, Ralph, back in the old days" He took a bite of flour tortilla, glanced at Madeleine "You understand who you’re working with, right? Ralph Arguello? He’s old news Gone soft"
"Five," Ralph said
"Hey, Shoes," Madeleine said, "if I were you, I’d talk"
Zapata wiped his s about your fa ruhtly "You’ve tried to kill my father a dozen times You’ve murdered his men"
"Just business" Zapata took another bite of his taco "But here’s the thing, Miss White I was bullshitting Arguello I don’t know nothing about your brother’s death If I did, I’d tell you Bad o Cost ain"
"Three"
Zapata kept his eyes on Madeleine "Arguello called me I knew he had to be desperate to do that I’ve been wanting to take over his properties for years So I told hiuello up so I could kill him"
He spread his hands, as if his intentions were couello" Zapata tapped his chest "You’re a fucking disgrace"
"One"
"You knohy you can’t? You ot the perfect network set up for fronting drugs, guns, , you naht I offer you a fair price over and over and you don’t take it You’re standing in the way of profit, Arguello You need to be removed"
I put my hand on Ralph’s wrist just as he shot A plaster Jesus exploded on the shelf behind Zapata
Zapata shook his head "Pathetic"
I kept rip on Ralph’s wrist His arm was like a steel cable
"Zapata," I said, "you said yourself you want Ralph’s pawnshops Ralph started those businesses with Frankie White Maybe Frankie was standing in your way, too"
He studied eous to insult h to do it yourself," I agreed "You could’ve hired Titus Roe"
His face reddened "Titus Roe? Who the fuck would hire him? Who’d pay anybody to whack a loser like Frankie? I mean, Jesus, unless you were a wo?" Madeleine’s eyes had a dangerous gleam
Zapata ain Think about it Your brother getting killed was dauing with Ignacio She said she was sure she’d heard a shot, whichwhoever he needed to kill It was closing tiet back to her shop
I felt like I was standing in a hborhood to rubble I wanted to get out before that old lady came back in