A few minutes later, Luck and the others were walking down a wide road in the direction of Central Park.
“Shouldn’t you send the boy back as well?”
“No need. This fella’s lunacy isn’t that weak.”
“…I see.”
Smith was taking his apprentice around with him as usual, and Luck sighed.
Suddenly, screams let out behind him, mingling with the ongoing noise.
“Hmm…?” Luck turned, eyes narrowing.
For a moment, he suspected he might be hallucinating.
But the sight soon became undeniable reality, and it was closing in fast.
✦ ✦ ✦
A bear was tearing hell for leather down the middle of the road, with a man and woman clinging to its back.
Luck recognized the man and woman, but the sight of Ladd and Graham following the bear was especially bewildering.
Their approach felt as if it took a very long time—but in fact, it happened all in a moment.
✦ ✦ ✦
The enormous bear, a car, and two motorcycles raced right past them.
Graham seemed to have noticed Luck and Smith, waving his wrench cheerfully at them from the roof of the car. Before he had time to say anything, though, the vehicle roared off after the bear.
✦ ✦ ✦
Luck was stunned.
He remained silent for a little while, but Maria’s oblivious comment brought him back to himself.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Say, amigo? You think it’s okay if I slash that bear?”
The workers’ lodging house
✦ ✦ ✦
“Hey, what happened last night? If you didn’t come back today, I was going to give your room away,” said Roy Maddock.
Nader shrugged. “Sorry. I was out on the town. Say, what’s that noise outside?”
“Dunno. It’s been going on for quite a while now. I don’t think it’s coming from nearby, though.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Is that right…?” Apparently Nader wasn’t all that interested. Leaving Roy for the moment, he walked toward his room at a brisk pace.
Once he’d made sure no one was watching, he took the fortune he’d won at the Martillo Family’s casino from its hiding place under his bed.
It’s still here, huh? I thought somebody might have walked off with it…
Nader stuffed the money into the bag Ladd had given him, setting aside a single bundle of bills.
Then he left the room, found Roy again, and held the bundle out to him.
“I’m moving out today, at least for a while. If the mess I’m in settles down, I might take advantage of your hospitality again, but… Well. For now, here’s my rent.”
“Whoa, what the—?! Where’d you get this kinda dough?! That’s way too much for rent, chief. I can’t take this!”
“Give the change to the doc, then. I owe him more than I could ever repay… Frankly, it’s the sort of debt money couldn’t cover anyway.” Handing the money to Roy, Nader added, “If you’d like, keep half of that for yourself. You helped me out quite a bit… People may come by looking for me; if they do, think of it as an apology for the nuisance.”
He’d only known Roy a few days, but Nader’s eye for people told him the man wasn’t the type to take the money and run. Even if he did, it wouldn’t matter.
I’m just doing this to satisfy my conscience anyway.
That was why he’d included enough to thank the doctor as well.
Roy sighed and shook his head. “I mean it—don’t trouble yourself on my account… Oh, Who’s bringing the soup kitchen groceries by today; I’ll give him the money for the doc. Who’s a real stand-up guy.”
Does he mean Ladd’s pal? Well, I doubt he’d have the guts to run off with it.
With that thought in mind, Nader responded a bit absently and walked away.
As he reached the stairs that would take him down to the front door, someone he knew called to him. “You’re leaving, Nader?”
It was Upham, another former member of the Lemures. Nader had approached him about selling out the organization, then gotten sold out instead. But if Upham wasn’t out for blood now, neither was Nader. He considered the score settled after the incident the other day. At this point, he was actually impressed with how neatly Upham had done it.
After all, none of the people who’d sided with him and completely betrayed the Lemures had survived.
And if he’d made it off that train alive, Upham either had incredible luck or was extremely skilled at maneuvering.
“That’s about the size of it. Sorry about the other day.”
“Do you have somewhere to go?”
“Can’t say, pal. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but…Hilton’s in town. Chané ambushed me yesterday, too.”
“Wha—?!” Upham turned pale.
“I think Huey’s here, too. Watch your step out there, all right?”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Wait, wasn’t Huey in…?” Upham’s voice trailed off until the words were barely audible. He hadn’t believed it, either. He hadn’t been able to picture Huey Laforet cooling his heels in jail for years on end.
“Uh… How was Chané?”
“Same as always. Deadly as a praying mantis.”
“I see… So she’s doing well, huh?”
“Hey, fella, you wouldn’t happen to be…? Nah, never mind. Well, the odds aren’t great, but if I last till next week, I’ll see you around.”
Upham’s attitude made it pretty clear he was carrying a torch for Chané. She had amputated Nader’s hand, though, and she’d almost killed him again last night, so he really didn’t feel like playing cupid.
I can’t imagine that twist being somebody’s girl anyway.
As he thought to himself, he heard Roy—who’d come down to the entrance hall with him—talking with Who.