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“Never saw me here,” I said. “This is a meal for one.”
He grinned. “Got it, sir.”
I winked and shut the door.
“Come out, come out,” I called. “Dinner’s ready.”
No response.
I popped the cork and ate. After a half hour, Elise appeared in black yoga pants and an old 5k race t-shirt. She grabbed her food and disappeared back inside.
“Her loss,” I muttered and drank champagne from the bottle.
A half hour later, I stood by the window and looked out over the city as I picked up my cell and made a call. It rang a few times, but I was patient. I knew Lee didn’t have an answering machine. He was old school that way.
“What?” a gruff voice practically growled at me.
“Well, hello there, Lee,” I said. “Lovely speaking to you. I thought you’d be out.”
“So you were gonna let my phone ring all fucking night?”
“Pretty much. You’d hear it eventually.”
He cursed at me. “What do you want, Tanner?”
“I’m holed up in a hotel right now,” I said. “I don’t have eyes or ears outside. I was hoping you could do me a favor.”
Lee laughed. “I heard you were in a bad way, but I had no clue.”
I clenched my jaw. “What did you hear?”
“Just rumors,” he said. “The Leone family’s out for you, apparently.”
“Something like that.”
“Well, fuck me,” Lee said. “And you’re calling me for help?”
I wanted to tell the old fuck to go shit on himself, but I held back. He was an old friend of mine, a contact from back when I got started in the business. Lee was a drug dealer, an arms dealer, a black market lion dealer, and all around shady fucking scumbag. If it was illegal, but could be bought, he’d find it. He prided himself on being able to procure just about any object.
But he didn’t do people. He drew the line there. And that’s why I respected him. A man had to have some morals, even the scumbags among us.
“Not help,” I said. “Just information.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Bennigan,” I said. “Where’s he staying?”
“I don’t know shit about Bennigan these days,” Lee said. “You know that boy. Keeps to himself. Just about as crazy as you are.”
“Doubt that,” I said.
“I don’t know what he’s been up to. But I guess he’s the one the Leones sent after you, huh?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Man, must piss you off, huh?”
I kicked at the wall and stared down at the city below. Lights dotted the street. I thought I saw a man walk across a window in the building on the other side of the block.
“I have a complicated relationship with Bennigan,” I said finally.
“That’s putting it mildly. I hear you tried to kill each other, once upon a time.”
“Professional misunderstanding.”
“Yeah, right, sure, whatever, man.” Lee laughed his grunting, barking howl. “Look, I don’t know what I can do for you.”
“I need to know where Bennigan’s been going,” I said. “Anything about his habits.”
“He got the drop on you, huh?”
“Lee, if you’re not going to help, I’ll call someone else.”
“No, no, I didn’t say I wouldn’t help. Lord knows I owe you.”
“More than a little bit,” I said.
“I’ll ask around,” he said. “See if I can’t shake something loose. Bennigan’s a snake but even snakes got a nest, right?”
“Real folksy. But yeah, pretty much.”
“I’ll see what I can do. You hang tight, all right? Give me a day or so.”
“Fast as you can. And don’t tell the Leones I have you sniffing around. They won’t like that one bit.”
“What’d you do, anyway?”
“Sent me to kill a girl.” I hesitated and looked up at the moon. Half-full tonight. “Decided not to kill her.”
“Idiot,” Lee said. “Bet she’s hot.”
“She’s hot.”
“And you fucked her.”
“A man doesn’t kiss and tell.”
“Sick bastard. You fucked the girl you were supposed to kill. You do that before or after you decided to kill her?”
“Just find Bennigan,” I said, trying not to let my impatience show. “And call me back soon.”
“Fine,” he said. “Talk to you later, you stupid bastard.”
He hung up. I grunted and dropped my phone onto the table.
“Who was that?”
I spun around. Elise stood in the bedroom door.
“Were you listening to me?”
“I was,” she said.
“And that’s an okay thing?” I tilted my head.
“I heard you talking. These walls are thin.”
I laughed. “I was talking to a contact of mine.”
“He’s going to help?”
“That’s the idea.” I walked over to the coffee table and scooped up the half-empty champagne bottle. “Want a glass?”
“No,” she said. “I heard you say you have a complicated relationship with Bennigan.”
I shrugged, took a long drink, didn’t answer.
“What does that mean?”
“It’s not important.”
“I feel like it is,” she said. “Since my life’s at stake.”
“All right,” I said. “You come sit down and drink a glass of champagne and I’ll tell you.”
She crossed her arms. “You’re not going to fuck me again,” she said. “Just so you can brag about it to your sicko associates.”
