"Дон Пендлтон. California Hit ("Палач" #11) " - читать интересную книгу автора

"Hell, hours ago."
"The mob's telegraph gets better all the time."
"The first word didn't come from that side of the street."
"No?"
"No is right. The fuzz wires were burning minutes after your hit. Well,
maybe an hour after. Ever hear of a James Matchison. Captain James
Matchison?"
"No. Should I?"
"You should, and I'm betting you will. He heads up a specialty outfit
in the soggy city, geared for open warfare and committed to the salvation of
San Francisco. It's called the Brushfire Squad, and they've elected you
their next triumphal achievement. They're not going to give you the keys to
the city, Sarge."
"I don't want the keys, just the garbage franchise."
"They're going to bury you in their garbage, friend."
"Did Matchison tell you that personally?"
"He did."
"They actually contacted you?"
"Via the usual routine, yeah. I'm the quote foremost living authority
unquote on Mack the Bastard. The guy wants your blood, Sarge. I could smell
his taste-buds at three thousand miles. Take my advice and get out."
"What did you tell him?"
"The usual honest truth, what else."
"Okay, I'll take a helping of that, too. Give me a rundown on Daddy
DeMarco. What are his pet things here?"
"The usual stuff."
"Tell me something unusual."
Turrin sighed across the wire. "One of these days, my buddy, my fuse is
going to get lit from both ends and I'm going to go up in a puff of police
outrage and mob vengeance. Why can't you just say hi, how's the weather,
how's your heart beating, and let it go at that."
Bolan said, "Okay. How's your heart beating, Leo?"
The cop/Mafioso chuckled and replied, "Same as ever. Uh, you're looking
for a fresh handle, eh?"
"Yeah. The boys are starting to treat me with respect. Soon as I hit
town, everything grinds to a halt."
"Yeah, well, that's per official directive from the commissioners.
You're going to be getting that from now on."
"Well..."
"You might look at an outfit calling itself Baysavers, Incorporated."
"What are they saving?"
"The San Francisco Bay, among other things. Can you imagine the mob
getting ecology conscious?"
Bolan said, "Sure. They've been fighting the overpopulation problem for
years."
Turrin chuckled and said, "They're fighting industrial pollution now."
"Then there must be a buck in it somewhere," Bolan replied.
"There's the secret. There are plenty of bucks in it."
"Nothing's sacred, is it."
"Just omerta. Uh, you know about Thomas Vericci?"