said. His smile revealed even, white teeth.
"Good morning," Veil replied, his voice flat.
"Miss Alexander, may we talk?"
"If you'd like." Reyna's fingernails were digging into
Veil's flesh, but her tension was not immediately apparent in her voice.
"Perhaps we could go up to your apartment?"
Reyna quickly shook her head. "There's no need. I've already told you all I know."
Nagle, still extremely agitated, abruptly pushed off the fender and poked a thick index finger through the air in Veil's direction. "You can go, Kendry!"
Veil looked at Reyna and winked. "Do you want me to go?
"Please don't go," Reyna said in a small voice. "Not while he's here."
"I'll stay," Veil announced to the huge detective.
Nagle started to come down the sidewalk but stopped when Vahanian wheeled around and vigorously shook his head. Nagle hesitated, then turned and went back to his previous position.
Vahanian turned back to Reyna. "Will you tell me where you've been?"
"I've been walking all night. When I heard the news about Toby, I got upset and couldn't sleep."
"Strange I didn't see you in Central Park."
"Why is it strange? By the time I heard the news, he was already gone from Central Park—at least, that was the report."
"Miss Alexander, I'm going to ask you the most important question up front. Are you now hiding, or did you ever hide, the African somewhere?"
"That's a ridiculous question."
"The man's a total stranger to this culture and environment. I don't understand how he could have remained free and survived this long without help."
"God is helping him."
Vahanian grimaced. "The idol? Don't tell me you believe—"
"God, Lieutenant, not the Nal-toon."
"Then God is going to be in trouble with the Criminal Justice System of the State of New York."
"In which case it's the State of New York that's in trouble."
"I find it unlikely that God would help a killer who's a fugitive from justice."
"Toby has killed twice—both times in self-defense. He and his people have been terribly wronged. I don't believe he's guilty in the eyes of Our Lord."
Veil gave Reyna's hand a reassuring squeeze, then released it and casually strolled down the sidewalk toward the police car. Nagle saw him coming, and the detective's doughy face creased in a puzzled frown— although the raisin eyes remained as dull as stone. Veil stepped into the street, walked around the car, and leaned on the trunk across from Nagle.
"It's a pain in the ass having to drag Vahanian around with you everywhere, isn't it?" Veil asked in a low voice.
Nagle's mouth was slightly open. He shook his head, blinked slowly. "What did you say?"
"Do you believe in mental telepathy?"
"Kendry, what the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm trying to read your mind. What I pick up is that you're thinking that it's a pain in the ass to have to drag Vahanian around. If you were alone, you'd just drag that girl into the car and beat whatever information you want out of her."
Suddenly the tiny eyes came alive, seemed to grow larger as they glittered like polished agates. The muscles in Carl Nagle's jaw contracted so quickly that his teeth came together with an audible click. He started to walk around the car, a movement that caught Vahanian's eye and caused the other detective to glance up sharply.
"Kendry, I'm warning you—!"
"No, I'm warning you," Veil said in the same low, even tone as he turned his head, smiled, and nodded at Vahanian. "If you come any closer, I'll do more than make you toss your cookies; I'll kill you. At my trial I'll bring up the fact that you killed Vito Ricci. I'll also mention the matter of you being on the Mafia payroll for years, acting as an enforcer. You're a rapist and sadist, Nagle, and my guess is that your victims will come forward in a flood once you're dead. Then, of course, I'll get off on self-defense, since your partner and the woman can see that you're about to attack me. Do I have your attention, Carl?"
Veil waited for a response, but
"Good morning," Veil replied, his voice flat.
"Miss Alexander, may we talk?"
"If you'd like." Reyna's fingernails were digging into
Veil's flesh, but her tension was not immediately apparent in her voice.
"Perhaps we could go up to your apartment?"
Reyna quickly shook her head. "There's no need. I've already told you all I know."
Nagle, still extremely agitated, abruptly pushed off the fender and poked a thick index finger through the air in Veil's direction. "You can go, Kendry!"
Veil looked at Reyna and winked. "Do you want me to go?
"Please don't go," Reyna said in a small voice. "Not while he's here."
"I'll stay," Veil announced to the huge detective.
Nagle started to come down the sidewalk but stopped when Vahanian wheeled around and vigorously shook his head. Nagle hesitated, then turned and went back to his previous position.
Vahanian turned back to Reyna. "Will you tell me where you've been?"
"I've been walking all night. When I heard the news about Toby, I got upset and couldn't sleep."
"Strange I didn't see you in Central Park."
"Why is it strange? By the time I heard the news, he was already gone from Central Park—at least, that was the report."
"Miss Alexander, I'm going to ask you the most important question up front. Are you now hiding, or did you ever hide, the African somewhere?"
"That's a ridiculous question."
"The man's a total stranger to this culture and environment. I don't understand how he could have remained free and survived this long without help."
"God is helping him."
Vahanian grimaced. "The idol? Don't tell me you believe—"
"God, Lieutenant, not the Nal-toon."
"Then God is going to be in trouble with the Criminal Justice System of the State of New York."
"In which case it's the State of New York that's in trouble."
"I find it unlikely that God would help a killer who's a fugitive from justice."
"Toby has killed twice—both times in self-defense. He and his people have been terribly wronged. I don't believe he's guilty in the eyes of Our Lord."
Veil gave Reyna's hand a reassuring squeeze, then released it and casually strolled down the sidewalk toward the police car. Nagle saw him coming, and the detective's doughy face creased in a puzzled frown— although the raisin eyes remained as dull as stone. Veil stepped into the street, walked around the car, and leaned on the trunk across from Nagle.
"It's a pain in the ass having to drag Vahanian around with you everywhere, isn't it?" Veil asked in a low voice.
Nagle's mouth was slightly open. He shook his head, blinked slowly. "What did you say?"
"Do you believe in mental telepathy?"
"Kendry, what the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm trying to read your mind. What I pick up is that you're thinking that it's a pain in the ass to have to drag Vahanian around. If you were alone, you'd just drag that girl into the car and beat whatever information you want out of her."
Suddenly the tiny eyes came alive, seemed to grow larger as they glittered like polished agates. The muscles in Carl Nagle's jaw contracted so quickly that his teeth came together with an audible click. He started to walk around the car, a movement that caught Vahanian's eye and caused the other detective to glance up sharply.
"Kendry, I'm warning you—!"
"No, I'm warning you," Veil said in the same low, even tone as he turned his head, smiled, and nodded at Vahanian. "If you come any closer, I'll do more than make you toss your cookies; I'll kill you. At my trial I'll bring up the fact that you killed Vito Ricci. I'll also mention the matter of you being on the Mafia payroll for years, acting as an enforcer. You're a rapist and sadist, Nagle, and my guess is that your victims will come forward in a flood once you're dead. Then, of course, I'll get off on self-defense, since your partner and the woman can see that you're about to attack me. Do I have your attention, Carl?"
Veil waited for a response, but
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