"I mean, isn't he a policeman?" "Apparently not. The source is reliable." "Which one?"
"Police Connections."
"I see. That's probably what you said, 'Isn't he a cop?'" "I don't know? I wasn't the one who asked."
"I see. His phone number?" "253-43-58"
"Where's the phone? (You can call anywhere from here, this is the Koza Nostra embassy, no one sends a letter here without authorization)"
"Over there," Galanzio pointed to a desk in the corner. I took a few steps toward it, picked up the phone, and dialed the right number. I heard a ringing bass: "Yes." "This is who you wanted to meet."
"One minute."
Came the wheeze of a man as old as they live, "This is José Mortain on the line…" "The meeting's canceled."
"Why?"
"What did you want us to do?" "Talk…"
"You have that opportunity now." "Can't do it over the phone." "Your Difficulties."
"But it's really serious." "Appreciate in money." "Thirty million." "Which ones?"
"Euro".
"What kind of occupation?" "Contraband."
"What do you mean, we don't do that sort of thing, it's against the law (either he really is a cop and wanted to catch me in a "clean confession over the phone" or he's a headless horseman).
"But…"
I hung up the phone and called back (actually, I could, like LaSkoltza, forget the whole thing, but he had already passed it to me (but I have no one to pass it on to here), and
then they might inadvertently ask me: "Faust, and why the hell did you refuse the "easy" 15 million? And what will I answer: "The mood was bad…" or something even worse.
In short, no matter how it's done, but I'm not going to be patted on the head for refusing). The hoarse one.
"Hello?"
"Meeting July 22 at four o'clock." "It's late."
"Explain."
"Can't on the phone." "Your Difficulties."
"The goods are already in place. We need protection, and you're the only ones we can trust here."
"What makes you think that?" "Your reputation…"
"Our reputation is worth 50 percent." "But that's robbery, isn't it?!" "Goodbye, then…"
"Wait!"
"What?"
"45%".
"We don't bargain, goodbye…" "Okay, okay, come on over…" "Where to?"
"You know that."
"It wouldn't hurt to refresh your memory." "Petrska ul. 7".
"He's all yours?" "Temporarily rented." "When would that suit you?" "On the hour."
"I'm doing you a favor." "Thank you…"
"You do realize that if even a small part of what you said is not true, someone is going to get hurt badly."