though."
"Yeah?" Danny chuckled at the idea of Nora changing, Nora so stubborn she'd die of thirst if you ordered her to drink. "How's that going to happen?"
Connor turned his head, the smile in his eyes. "You didn't hear?" "I work eighty hours a week. Apparently I missed some gossip." "I'm going to marry her."
Danny's mouth went dry. He cleared his throat. "You asked her?" "Not yet. I've talked to Dad about it, though."
"Talked to Dad, but not to her."
Connor shrugged and gave him another wide grin. "What's the shock, brother? She's beautiful, we go to shows and the flickers together, she learned to cook from Ma. We have a great time. She'll make a great wife."
"Con'--" Danny started, but his younger brother held up a hand. "Dan, Dan, I know something . . . happened between you two. I'm not blind. The whole family knows."
This was news to Danny. Above him, Joe scrambled around the tree like a squirrel. The air had cooled, and dusk settled softly against the neighboring row houses.
"Hey, Dan? That's why I'm telling you this. I want to know if you're comfortable with it."
Danny leaned against the rail. "What do you think 'happened' between me and Nora?"
"Well, I don't know."
Danny nodded, thinking: She'll never marry him.
"What if she says no?"
"Why would she say that?" Connor tossed his hands up at the absurdity of it.
"You never know with these Bolshies."
Connor laughed. "Like I said, that'll change quick. Why wouldn't she say yes? We spend all our free time together. We--"
"The flickers, like you said. Someone to watch a show with. It's not the same."
"Same as what?"
"Love."
Connor narrowed his eyes. "That is love." He shook his head at Danny. "Why do you always complicate things, Dan? A man meets a woman, they share common understandings, common heritage. They marry, raise a family, instill those understandings in them. That's civilization. That's love."
Danny shrugged. Connor's anger was building with his confusion, always a dangerous combination, particularly if Connor was in a bar. Danny might have been the son who'd boxed, but Connor was the true brawler in the family.
Connor was ten months younger than Danny. This made them "Irish twins," but beyond the bloodline, they'd never had much in common. They'd graduated from high school the same day, Danny by the skin of his teeth, Connor a year early and with honors. Danny had joined the police straightaway, while Connor had accepted a full scholarship to Boston Catholic College in the South End. After two years doubling up on his classes there, he'd graduated summa cum laude and entered Suffolk Law School. There'd never been any question where he'd work once he passed the bar. He'd had a slot waiting for him in the DA's offi ce since he'd worked there as an office boy in his late teens. Now, with four years on the job, he was starting to get bigger cases, larger prosecutions.
"How's work?" Danny said.
Connor lit a fresh cigarette. "There's some very bad people out there."
"Tell me about it."
"I'm not talking about Gusties and garden-variety plug-uglies, brother. I'm talking about radicals, bombers."
Danny cocked his head and pointed at the shrapnel scar on his own neck.
Connor chuckled. "Right, right. Look who I'm talking to. I guess I just never knew how . . . how . . . fucking evil these people are. We've got a guy now, we'll be deporting him when we win, and he actually threatened to blow up the Senate."
"Just talk?" Danny asked.
Connor gave that an irritated head shake. "No such thing. I went to a hanging a week ago?"
Danny said, "You went to a . . . ?"
Connor nodded. "Part of the job sometimes. Silas wants the people of the Commonwealth to know we represent them all the way to the end."
"Doesn't seem to go with your nice suit. What's that color-- yellow?"
Connor swiped at his head. "They call it cream."
"Oh. Cream."
"It wasn't fun, actually." Connor looked out into the yard. "The hanging." He gave Danny a thin smile. "Around the offi
"Yeah?" Danny chuckled at the idea of Nora changing, Nora so stubborn she'd die of thirst if you ordered her to drink. "How's that going to happen?"
Connor turned his head, the smile in his eyes. "You didn't hear?" "I work eighty hours a week. Apparently I missed some gossip." "I'm going to marry her."
Danny's mouth went dry. He cleared his throat. "You asked her?" "Not yet. I've talked to Dad about it, though."
"Talked to Dad, but not to her."
Connor shrugged and gave him another wide grin. "What's the shock, brother? She's beautiful, we go to shows and the flickers together, she learned to cook from Ma. We have a great time. She'll make a great wife."
"Con'--" Danny started, but his younger brother held up a hand. "Dan, Dan, I know something . . . happened between you two. I'm not blind. The whole family knows."
This was news to Danny. Above him, Joe scrambled around the tree like a squirrel. The air had cooled, and dusk settled softly against the neighboring row houses.
"Hey, Dan? That's why I'm telling you this. I want to know if you're comfortable with it."
Danny leaned against the rail. "What do you think 'happened' between me and Nora?"
"Well, I don't know."
Danny nodded, thinking: She'll never marry him.
"What if she says no?"
"Why would she say that?" Connor tossed his hands up at the absurdity of it.
"You never know with these Bolshies."
Connor laughed. "Like I said, that'll change quick. Why wouldn't she say yes? We spend all our free time together. We--"
"The flickers, like you said. Someone to watch a show with. It's not the same."
"Same as what?"
"Love."
Connor narrowed his eyes. "That is love." He shook his head at Danny. "Why do you always complicate things, Dan? A man meets a woman, they share common understandings, common heritage. They marry, raise a family, instill those understandings in them. That's civilization. That's love."
Danny shrugged. Connor's anger was building with his confusion, always a dangerous combination, particularly if Connor was in a bar. Danny might have been the son who'd boxed, but Connor was the true brawler in the family.
Connor was ten months younger than Danny. This made them "Irish twins," but beyond the bloodline, they'd never had much in common. They'd graduated from high school the same day, Danny by the skin of his teeth, Connor a year early and with honors. Danny had joined the police straightaway, while Connor had accepted a full scholarship to Boston Catholic College in the South End. After two years doubling up on his classes there, he'd graduated summa cum laude and entered Suffolk Law School. There'd never been any question where he'd work once he passed the bar. He'd had a slot waiting for him in the DA's offi ce since he'd worked there as an office boy in his late teens. Now, with four years on the job, he was starting to get bigger cases, larger prosecutions.
"How's work?" Danny said.
Connor lit a fresh cigarette. "There's some very bad people out there."
"Tell me about it."
"I'm not talking about Gusties and garden-variety plug-uglies, brother. I'm talking about radicals, bombers."
Danny cocked his head and pointed at the shrapnel scar on his own neck.
Connor chuckled. "Right, right. Look who I'm talking to. I guess I just never knew how . . . how . . . fucking evil these people are. We've got a guy now, we'll be deporting him when we win, and he actually threatened to blow up the Senate."
"Just talk?" Danny asked.
Connor gave that an irritated head shake. "No such thing. I went to a hanging a week ago?"
Danny said, "You went to a . . . ?"
Connor nodded. "Part of the job sometimes. Silas wants the people of the Commonwealth to know we represent them all the way to the end."
"Doesn't seem to go with your nice suit. What's that color-- yellow?"
Connor swiped at his head. "They call it cream."
"Oh. Cream."
"It wasn't fun, actually." Connor looked out into the yard. "The hanging." He gave Danny a thin smile. "Around the offi
Similar Books
