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"Black, right?"
"Right. Thank you."
"Sergeant?"
"Black is fine with me."
And that's why O'Dowd was at 30^th Street Station when I picked Larkin up. Pekach was not about to tell Wohl that he thought he was making a mistake sending me on an important errand, but he felt obliged to protect his boss by sending O'Dowd there in case I fucked that up.
Matt had a clear mental image of him patronizing O'Dowd outside the station:"How are you, Jerry? What's up?"
Did your reputation precede you, Detective Payne? Did Captain Pekach say a soft word in Sergeant O'Dowd's ear before he sent him to the station, or did he think that was unnecessary, it would only be
a matter of a minute or two before O'Dowd would be able to conclude for himself that Matthew M. Payne was a first-class, supercilious horse's ass?
"Sergeant, excuse me," Matt Payne said. "I think I'd better call Chief Coughlin, and then check in with Inspector Wohl."
Sergeant O'Dowd looked at Detective Payne with something in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
"Yeah, Matt, please. Go ahead. Tell the inspector that what we're getting from Dr. Payne is very valuable."
****
Pekach answered Wohl's private number.
"Captain Pekach."
"Payne, sir. I was told to check in."
"The inspector took Mr. Larkin down to Intelligence," Pekach said. "How's things going?"
"Chief Coughlin will meet us for lunch. And Sergeant O'Dowd said to say that what we're getting from my sister is valuable."
"The reservations are for twelve noon. The inspector wants O'Dowd there. Tell him it would be nice if he could get into civilian clothing by then."
"Yes, sir. I have the feeling we're about finished here. There should be time."
****
In the elevator, Matt said, "Sergeant, Captain Pekach said that you're to go to Bookbinder's, and that if there's time, he'd like you to get out of uniform."
"The inspector probably wants to hear two versions of what we got from your sister," O'Dowd thought out loud, and looked at his watch. " There will be time. I live in Ashton Acres, right by the entrance to Northeast Airport."
The elevator door whooshed open, and they walked to the main door, past the doorman, who made no effort to rush to the door and open it for them.
"See you again," O'Dowd said cheerfully to the doorman, who snorted and pretended to find something on his little desk to be absolutely fascinating.
"I wonder what's wrong with him? Tight shoes?" O'Dowd asked as they were walking to the car.
"Beats me," Matt said. His brilliant repartee earlier with the doorman now seemed nowhere near as witty as it had.
When they were on the Parkway, headed east, O'Dowd said, "Give them a call, tell them where we're going."
Matt picked up the microphone, and then started to open the glove compartment to make sure he was on the right frequency.
"We're on the J-band," O'Dowd said, reading his mind. "And this is the boss's car."
"Highway One-A to Radio," Matt said.
