you deserve respect.”
Gulliver shook his head at the big man.
“What is it, Bug—I mean, Dowd?” Tony asked. “Didn’t I just say a man deserves respect on his own turf ?”
“People deserve respect period, Tony. All people. They shouldn’t have to earn it or be on their own turf to get it.”
“That ain’t how my world operates.”
Gulliver nodded. “I know.” He handed Tony his coffee.
“Good stuff, Dowd. Thanks.”
Gulliver sipped his coffee and waited for Tony to get to the point. Gulliver was in no rush. He had finished his most recent case a few days ago and had nothing to do. That was the worst thing for Gulliver these days. When he was busy he could focus on the job at hand. It didn’t matter whether it was finding a runaway kid or a runaway dog. The important thing was keeping himself busy. Keeping his mind busy. When he wasn’t busy, all he could think about was how much he missed Mia.
Tony looked around the office. His eyes landed on the couch, on the blankets and pillows. It was obvious it had been slept on. “You and that girlfriend of yours split up or something?” he said.
Gulliver got a sick look on his face, like he’d been kicked in the stomach. That was answer enough for Tony. He was a tough guy but not a stupid one.
“That’s too bad, Dowd. She was pretty, and she seemed to really love you.” Tony shook his head and smiled.
“What?” Gulliver asked.
“Not for nothing, Dowd, but how do you do it? No disrespect or nothing—you got a nice face and all, but the rest of you ain’t much to look at.”
“That’s not disrespecting me. It’s telling the truth. I’m short and disfigured. But I’m not blind. I see who looks back at me from the mirror.”
“And still you land women like that Mia and Nina. Nina was smoking hot. How do you do it?”
Gulliver thought of many answers to that question. One even made him laugh. But what he said was, “You know how women love wounded animals and strays? It’s like that. Women love wounded men too. It appeals to their mothering natures. And you don’t even have to look at me twice to see I got all kinds of wounds. Inside and out.”
Tony lifted his coffee cup to salute Gulliver. “You ain’t gonna hear no argument from me on that.”
Gulliver lifted his cup too. He smiled.
He let some time pass, then said, “Okay, Tony. This has been nice. We’ve spoken to each other for a few minutes without throwing a punch or pulling our weapons. We haven’t insulted each other too bad, and we’ve shared a cup of coffee. Now how about telling me why you’re here.”
Tony’s face flushed. His mouth opened and closed a few times. The words seemed not to want to come out. He just couldn’t seem to say what he wanted to say. Gulliver helped him.
“Come on, Tony. You came this far. It must be pretty important for you to swallow your pride and come see me this way. Just say it.”
“It’s the boss,” Tony said. His voice was strained.
“Joey Vespucci?”
Tony nodded.
“What about him?” Gulliver asked.
Again Tony hesitated.
“Tony, come on already. Don’t make this like pulling teeth. Just say it.”
“The boss needs your help.”
“Fuck him!” Gulliver said.
“You owe him. He helped you before. I know he did. For what Nina did to him, she should’ve gotten whacked. You know it and I know it, but he let her walk away because he likes you. He respects you. And I know he helped you with that thing last year. You know, when your cop buddy got killed on the boardwalk in Coney Island.”
Gulliver clenched his fists. “I owe him nothing.”
“I think you do.”
“Did he send you?”
Tony shook his head. “No way. He’s got too much pride for that. He’d probably kill me with his own hands if he knew I was here asking for your help.”
“Sorry, Tony. If it was for you, I might help. But Joey…nope. Not after what he did to me.”
Tony looked panicked. “But it ain’t really about the
Gulliver shook his head at the big man.
“What is it, Bug—I mean, Dowd?” Tony asked. “Didn’t I just say a man deserves respect on his own turf ?”
“People deserve respect period, Tony. All people. They shouldn’t have to earn it or be on their own turf to get it.”
“That ain’t how my world operates.”
Gulliver nodded. “I know.” He handed Tony his coffee.
“Good stuff, Dowd. Thanks.”
Gulliver sipped his coffee and waited for Tony to get to the point. Gulliver was in no rush. He had finished his most recent case a few days ago and had nothing to do. That was the worst thing for Gulliver these days. When he was busy he could focus on the job at hand. It didn’t matter whether it was finding a runaway kid or a runaway dog. The important thing was keeping himself busy. Keeping his mind busy. When he wasn’t busy, all he could think about was how much he missed Mia.
Tony looked around the office. His eyes landed on the couch, on the blankets and pillows. It was obvious it had been slept on. “You and that girlfriend of yours split up or something?” he said.
Gulliver got a sick look on his face, like he’d been kicked in the stomach. That was answer enough for Tony. He was a tough guy but not a stupid one.
“That’s too bad, Dowd. She was pretty, and she seemed to really love you.” Tony shook his head and smiled.
“What?” Gulliver asked.
“Not for nothing, Dowd, but how do you do it? No disrespect or nothing—you got a nice face and all, but the rest of you ain’t much to look at.”
“That’s not disrespecting me. It’s telling the truth. I’m short and disfigured. But I’m not blind. I see who looks back at me from the mirror.”
“And still you land women like that Mia and Nina. Nina was smoking hot. How do you do it?”
Gulliver thought of many answers to that question. One even made him laugh. But what he said was, “You know how women love wounded animals and strays? It’s like that. Women love wounded men too. It appeals to their mothering natures. And you don’t even have to look at me twice to see I got all kinds of wounds. Inside and out.”
Tony lifted his coffee cup to salute Gulliver. “You ain’t gonna hear no argument from me on that.”
Gulliver lifted his cup too. He smiled.
He let some time pass, then said, “Okay, Tony. This has been nice. We’ve spoken to each other for a few minutes without throwing a punch or pulling our weapons. We haven’t insulted each other too bad, and we’ve shared a cup of coffee. Now how about telling me why you’re here.”
Tony’s face flushed. His mouth opened and closed a few times. The words seemed not to want to come out. He just couldn’t seem to say what he wanted to say. Gulliver helped him.
“Come on, Tony. You came this far. It must be pretty important for you to swallow your pride and come see me this way. Just say it.”
“It’s the boss,” Tony said. His voice was strained.
“Joey Vespucci?”
Tony nodded.
“What about him?” Gulliver asked.
Again Tony hesitated.
“Tony, come on already. Don’t make this like pulling teeth. Just say it.”
“The boss needs your help.”
“Fuck him!” Gulliver said.
“You owe him. He helped you before. I know he did. For what Nina did to him, she should’ve gotten whacked. You know it and I know it, but he let her walk away because he likes you. He respects you. And I know he helped you with that thing last year. You know, when your cop buddy got killed on the boardwalk in Coney Island.”
Gulliver clenched his fists. “I owe him nothing.”
“I think you do.”
“Did he send you?”
Tony shook his head. “No way. He’s got too much pride for that. He’d probably kill me with his own hands if he knew I was here asking for your help.”
“Sorry, Tony. If it was for you, I might help. But Joey…nope. Not after what he did to me.”
Tony looked panicked. “But it ain’t really about the
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