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had to go get something. Something for Bells.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œWhatta’ya mean, what?”
    â€œWhat did you go get for Bells?”
    â€œA turkey.”
    â€œA what?”
    â€œA turkey, a turkey. It’s gonna be Thanksgiving. People eat turkey. What’sa matta, you don’t eat turkey? I got a good dealon some fresh turkeys. I figured I’d give Bells one. You know, goodwill toward men and all that jazz. Grease the wheels, you know.”
    â€œYou’re full of shit.”
    â€œI swear on my mother’s eyes, Mike. I just went home to get him a turkey. I’ll show you. I got a whole bunch of ’em in my trunk.”
    â€œYou’re full of shit. You don’t have any friggin’ turkeys. They’d go bad in the trunk.”
    Freshy rattled his ice. “Nah! Whatta’ya, kidding? It’s friggin’ cold out there. They stay nice and cold in my trunk. C’mon. I’ll go show you.” Freshy didn’t make a move to get out of the booth.
    â€œFrig you, you lying bastard.”
    Freshy threw up his hands and rolled his eyes. “Why the hell don’t you ever believe me, Mike? Why?”
    â€œBecause you’re a goddamn liar.”
    â€œI am not.”
    â€œYes, you are.”
    â€œWhen did I ever lie to you? When?”
    â€œIf you got a turkey for Bells, why don’t you give one to Buddha? Grease his wheels, too.”
    Freshy shook his head. “Can’t do that.”
    â€œ ’Cause you don’t have any turkeys. That’s why.”
    â€œMan, you don’t understand shit.” Freshy looked down and rubbed his brow, suddenly distraught. He took another quick sip. “Listen to me, Mike. Buddha Stanzione, you don’t even talk to. I mean, what if I gave him a turkey and it turned out to be bad? You know, smelly, rotten? I’d be fucking dead. He’d eat me for Thanksgiving.”
    â€œYou just told me they stay nice and cold in your trunk.”
    â€œYeah, but you never know about these things, Mike. Youdrive around, the car heats up, the trunk gets hot, there go the turkeys. It could happen, man. You never know. I don’t wanna get whacked just ’cause I gave the guy salmon Manila or something like that. Not me, man.”
    Tozzi leaned on the tabletop and put his face in Freshy’s. “Keep on lying, Fresh. Go ’head, keep it up.”
    â€œI ain’t lying, man. You wanna fuckin’ turkey, I’ll give you one. C’mon.”
    â€œCut the shit and listen to me.” Tozzi lowered his voice. “If I find out you’re fucking around with me, Freshy, I’ll cut you loose, and I’ll make sure Buddha and Bells know you were cooperating with us. You hear me?”
    Freshy blinked in confusion. “I’m shocked to be hearing this, Mike. This isn’t you talking. Haven’t I played straight with you so far? Did I get you the introduction to Bells or what? Did I convince him that we were doing porno together or what? Is he or is he not at this very moment sitting in that back room back there trying to get some money out of Buddha for us? That’s what you wanted, right? So what the hell else do you want from me? If you want me to do more, then you gotta tell me what. I’m not Mr. Mysterioso, the mind-reader.”
    Tozzi rubbed his tired eyes. “You’re right, Fresh. You did do all that. But what I wanna know is, what else you been doing? What’re you telling Bells behind my back?”
    â€œNothing!”
    â€œThen keep it that way. You hear me?”
    â€œI can’t believe you’re saying this to me.”
    â€œDon’t try to play both sides to the middle, Fresh. It won’t work. I’ll cut you loose and feed you to the sharks. I swear to God, I will.”
    Freshy rattled his ice and thought about it for a second. Then a big grin opened up under his long sharp woodpecker nose.There were gaps