It was pretty bad for me at the Abyss the other night. Sammy Napalm met me at the door.
"You're not carrying a gun, I hope," he said.
"None of your business," I said.
"Let me ask you something."
"No. Unless it's a question about what I feel like drinking. In which case, the answer is, pomegranate juice. On the rocks."
"You have 30 seconds to either give me your gun, or get the hell out of here."
"Fine." I handed him my gun. "You have 10 seconds to tell me what this is about, or you're buying my drinks forever."
"It's no joke. The old lady said no guns in here until this thing cools down. I've been taking guns and giving them back all day. I'm like goddamn coat check girl."
"That's an image. Wait, what thing?"
“You know what thing. Your thing. Your pulling down the Smoke's pants at the Sollies. That thing."
"Forgotten all about it."
"The old lady hasn't. She wants to talk to you yesterday. Where've you been anyway? She's been calling you."
"I had the flu."
"Didn't you get her message?"
"I figured she wanted to have lunch."
"She's going to have you for lunch."
"Really? Over Kurt-the-Liar? I don't think so."
"Listen, babe. You're in trouble. It's not just the Smoke. It's what happened afterward."
"Which was?"
"Suspicions. Paranoia."
"So what? Nobody's guilty like the Smoke."
"But they're all guilty of something."
"Yeah. So are we all. So?"
"So they've all left their teams and gone rogue."
"Who?"
"Everybody."
"No."
"I'm telling you. All the jobs went to sleep. People are ratting and rolling and moving their banks."
"Oh shit. Shit!"
"That's what I'm saying."
"I'm in trouble, Sammy. Very big trouble here."
"We're all in trouble. You've got to fix this. Right goddamn now."
"Where's the old twirl?"
"Upstairs. In the apartment."
"Call up there and see if she'll see me."
"In a shake or two. Go have Mike mix you something first. You're going to need it to help the crow go down."
"I'll be eating a lot more than just crow, Sammy."
"You got that right."
"Just make the call."
"Too late. She knows you're here."
"What? How?" I saw the look on his face, spun around, and there she was. My face went hot and my insides turned to ice water. She gave me a curt nod.
"Daniella."
"Lisette."
"Won't you come up and have some cake and conversation?"
"I'd love to, Lisette. Thank you."
"After you," she said.
I walked the length of the bar. I opened the door to the stairs. I climbed them. I passed through the lounge. I nodded at the hackers and the old timers playing cards. They were the only ones there. I could hear people arguing out on the roof. Not many. Not enough of them for me to care. I went into the library and waited at the door that leads to Lisette's apartment.
"Go right in," she said behind me.
I took a deep a breath and for the first time in a while did as I was told.
I've got to pause the story for a minute and just tell you - Lisette is a powerful and terrible figure around here. For 40 years she has been solving the underworld's unsolvable problems. Sometimes with her influence and diplomacy, but mostly with poison. She owns the Abyss, the building it's in, and the block it's on. Thirty years ago she and her cohorts invented the Sollies. She's an institution.
If you saw Lisette walking down the street, you'd see a beautiful, well-turned out, elderly gentlewoman. If you looked closer you'd notice her little laugh-lines and dimples and kid gloves. And as she walked past you, you'd see in her walk a cross between an empress and a ballerina. Your eyes would follow her even after she'd gone. You'd rack your brain, wondering who she used to be. And whoever you came up with, you'd be wrong.
She's not famous, except for here. She's not nobility, except among us. She's not the world's richest woman, she's our world's richest woman. She's not a wife or a mother to anyone. She's just a tough brilliant broad who's been looking out for me since I was still a kid and she was still a nun. That's how far back we go. It's a hell of a ways. In every way.
"I'm so sorry, Lisette," I said, and took my usual seat on the end of the chaise longue.“I've no doubt you are," said Lisette, taking her place in the center of the sofa.
"I knew the Smoke would want to kill me."
"And he does," said Lisette. "Why didn't that deter you?"
"I don't know. Because I was right. Because I had back up." "Yes. Yes, you did. Johnny Holiday, and Ali Fortunato," said Lisette.
"They're not to blame," I said.
"Don't be absurd."
"Lisette, they're not."
"Don't contradict me, Daniella. I saw the three of you with your heads geared together. If you'd been alone, or if you'd been sitting at my table."
"None of this would have happened."
"That's correct."
"I couldn't have guessed everyone would over-react."
"Couldn't you have?"
"I didn't think they'd turn on each other."
"Didn't you?"
"No. I really didn't. What's going to happen now?"
"Sammy is going to take the three of you up to the safe house."
"We can't Lisette. We have jobs."
"Not anymore. You are going to the house. You're going to stay there until I call you back. You'll talk to no one."
"For how long?"
"For as long as it takes."
"What are you going to do?"
"That is not your concern."
"Please, Lisette, tell me. And let us help. Don't send us away."
"This is the only way."
"Lisette, I'm begging you."
"The Kid has a small team up there. One of them will bring you food. Don't open the door to anyone over ten."
"But Lisette."
“Load every piece of heat in the house, and take turns sleeping. You'll have to control that perimeter every minute."
"What about you? If this is as bad as that, you should powder with us. Plan your thing from there. Then if it goes to hell, and they all wipe themselves out, you'd be safe. You'd be with us."
"That's not how the song goes, Daniella."
I felt about a million years old. I felt about to cry like a baby. "I know."
"Then we're ready for some cake," said Lisette. "Cake?"
"Yes."
"After this, you get in the car with Sammy. You go to the house, and you wait for my word."
"I will."
And so I did. I'm writing this from the house. We're still in the dark about everything back in the city, but I do know a couple of things. This is where I need to be. I'm in very good company. And it's a beautiful day.
Posts
