“There’s just one thing before I leave.”
Faster than he can blink, I grab Roger and hit him. The first punch breaks his nose. The second and third fracture his jaw. I let him go so he falls on the floor, bleeding all over Sandoval’s nice Persian rug. While he’s still down there, I pull the Colt from my waistband and point it at the closest roach. It’s a woman with red hair and a white rose on her lapel.
Sandoval yells, “Stark! Have you lost your mind?”
“Shut up.”
I press the Colt against the redhead’s temple.
“What’s your name?”
“Sandra,” she says.
“Sandra, teacher has to leave the room for a while. Your job is to take the names of any bad boys or girls who try to go downstairs to the bowling alley. Can you do that for me, Sandra?”
“Yes.”
“Good, because if anything else happens to Marcella, I want to know who to kill first.”
“Stop it, Stark, or the deal is off,” says Sandoval.
I point the Colt at her.
“That’s not much of an epitaph, Eva, but oh well.”
I cock the gun.
Sinclair gets between me and Eva.
“Listen to me,” he says. “Nothing will happen to the woman downstairs. I’ll see to it personally. Just put the gun down and finish the job. You’re so close to being whole again.”
I look from Sandoval to him and back to her. Roger moans on the floor. For the first time, she seems genuinely scared.
I lower the hammer on the Colt and put it away.
Sinclair says, “Let’s pretend that none of this ever happened. We’ll have Howard get set up as soon as you leave, so that he’ll be ready for you when you get back.”
“Good.”
I look over at Roger.
“And get rid of him. I don’t want to ever see Roger again.”
“Fine,” says Sinclair.
I look over at Sandra.
“Remember. You’re in charge while I’m gone.”
“I remember,” she says.
I look at Sandoval. She’s not scared anymore. She’s trying to figure out the best way to fuck me over.
“See you soon, Eva.”
She says, “You’ve proven you can hurt an unarmed boy. Now prove that you deserve your reputation. Hurt people who can hurt you back.”
“That’s the plan.”