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I pick it up and open it. The deeds to a vacant five-acre lot at the edge of town. All filled out in my name. I carry the papers outside, wondering if I’m too late.
Enzo’s sitting in the Don’s Cadillac, one of the Don’s cigars in his hand. He’s lighting it and taking a long slow drag.
“What is this?” I ask him, waving the papers his way.
“Some paper,” he replies.
“There was me thinking you never make jokes.”
“A statement of fact isn’t an attempt at humor.”
“You know what I’m talking about. These deeds, what are they?”
“What do they look like?”
“They look like I own five acres on the edge of town.”
He gets out of the car, leaning back against it, taking another drag of the cigar. “That’s because you own five acres on the edge of town.”
“But why? How? I don’t understand.”
“It’s perfectly simple. I thought I might not come back from this alive and I also thought you deserved to get your dream even if I couldn’t get mine. So I asked Imelda to buy the biggest vacant lot in Shallow Falls so you could build your community garden.”
“You bought this, for me?”
He nods. “You sound shocked.”
“I am. I mean, no one’s ever done something like this for me before.”
He shrugs. “You deserve it.”
“You’re not expecting anything in return, are you? Only I’ve got about fifty bucks in my checking account and that’s your lot.”
“Call it a farewell gift. You can live your dream. I can go take over an empire. Everyone gets to be happy, right?”
I look down at the papers and then up at him. “Wasn’t your dream to retire?”
“As I said, I don’t get mine.”
“Your boss is dead. Tom Blizzard’s going away for a very long time. Wouldn’t you say this is the perfect time to retire?”
“I can’t retire. What would I do with my life? All I’m good at is killing.”
“There’ll be plenty of pests on those five acres. A lot of weeds that need taking out. Whacking, if you will.”
He manages a rumbling laugh. “You asking me to do the gardening for you?”
“I’m just saying that maybe there’s room in Shallow Falls for a guy with an ax and a shovel.”
“You saying you want me to stay?”
“I’m saying that Umberto managed to run an empire from a warehouse. Maybe you could run one from my house?”
“Pretty small house. Might have to add a few extra rooms.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, I’m thinking maybe a study for now.”
