The Third Rail Read Online Free PDF Page B

pointed his fork my way. "How the fuck is it you're in the middle of this?"
    "I don't know."
    "Coincidence, huh?"
    I shrugged. "Could be."
    "You're a liar." Wilson cut off another piece of his appetizer and smiled as he chewed. "But that's okay. Everyone lies."
    "You think so?"
    "Sure. In a way, all the bullshit lies restore my faith in human nature."
    "That's comforting."
    "For what it's worth, the feds are trying hard to believe you. The female agent, what's her name?"
    "Lawson. Katherine Lawson."
    "Right, Lawson. She thinks you have a connection. But she's not sure what it is. Anyway, she wants to keep you close. Keep an eye on you. You gonna eat the rest of that?"
    I shook my head. The mayor shoveled my saganaki onto his empty plate and continued talking.
    "I come here two, three times a week. Sometimes for lunch. Sometimes just to get the fuck away. Listen to these crazy bastards run around, yell 'Oopah,' and all that shit. Glass of wine. Good fish here. You like fish?"
    "Sure."
    "Me, too. This is a steak town and I love it. But a good piece of fish is tough to beat. Anyway, the Bureau wants you around, but they don't want you in their way."
    "I'm sure you can understand why."
    "I certainly can. You're an asshole. Simple as that. Don't give a fuck who you fuck. Or why. Can't be reasoned with, et cetera, et cetera. Don't get me started. I already got some indigestion working. You want dinner?"
    "No thanks, Your Honor."
    "Yeah, I don't really feel like eating with you, either. So, here it is. The feds are going to use you as their personal piss boy. And you're not going to like that. Not one bit. Am I right?"
    "When you put it that way ..."
    "Meanwhile, I got some asshole shooting people on the CTA. No rhyme. No reason. Just for the hell of it. And where the fuck does that stop?"
    As he spoke, a flush of crimson rose in the mayor's cheeks, a darker thread of purple pooling in the cracks of his fractured complexion.
    "I don't know," I said.
    "Me neither." The mayor gestured around the empty dining room. "Look at this place. Two nights ago I was in here, and the joint was packed. A week from now, who knows? People get afraid to come out of their house."
    "Or their hotel room."
    "Exactly. You know how much tourist money this kind of thing could cost us?" Wilson took a sip of water and cracked hard on the ice in his mouth.
    "What do you want from me, Mr. Mayor?"
    Wilson chewed up his ice and swung his head around the empty room. "Stand up for a second."
    I did. The mayor walked behind me and executed a pretty impressive pat down.
    "Don't think you're anything special. These days I check my wife for a wire before we get into bed at night."
    "Nice life."
    "Yeah, sit down." I did. Wilson leaned forward and let his jaw hang open so I could see his back teeth. "I need you to work this case for me. Under the radar. No official ties to the city."
    "Just you and me?"
    "And Rodriguez. He'll be my eyes and ears with the feds, who, for my money, are gonna get nothing done with their task force."
    "You don't feel good about the Bureau?"
    Wilson waved a cold hand in my face. "Fuck them. Bunch of pencil pushers sitting around in meetings trying to figure out the quickest way to get their ass back to Washington. Meanwhile, this guy is out popping people. My people. In my city. Our city, for Chrissakes."
    "I know."
    "So get on it. If you got an angle to play, go ahead and play it. You don't want to tell me your connection to all of this, fine. I'll provide cover for you. Rodriguez will provide whatever information the task force digs up."
    "What do you mean by 'cover,' Your Honor?"
    "You know what I mean."
    "I'd like to hear it."
    Wilson leaned in farther, his voice crawling across the table on its belly. "You want to hear it, Kelly? Fine. Find this guy. Guys. Whatever. Put a bag over his head and drop him down a fucking hole. No arrest. No trial. No questions asked."
    "You can't find a cop to do that for you?"
    "This isn't a Chicago