Private

"There can be no mistakes," said Marzullo. He smiled without moving the top of his face. "As per usual, here's twenty percent down. The rest you get tomorrow night. No more than seventeen points. Understand? If you have to call the game on account of the sun's in your eyes, that's good enough. Whatever it takes to hold the spread."

Richter said, "We understand, and we know what's at stake." He reached for a fat stack of banded hundreds.

"Do you?" Marzullo said, putting his hand over Richter's.

"Yes, sir. It'll happen just like you want. It's not a problem. Whatever it takes."

Owen slapped his packet against his thigh before pocketing the cash.

I stopped the video and turned to my uncle.

The poor guy looked as though he'd taken a wrecking ball to the gut. Actually, I remembered the look from my father's trial, a combination of terrible shame and sadness.

"It's pretty bold," I said. "This isn't just a case of one ambitious mobster and a couple of crooked refs. It's much bigger. The Marzullos are moving in on the Noccias' territory."

"I never thought Kenny Owen would take a nickel that didn't belong to him," said Fred. "I know his wife and I've met his kids. One plays ball at Ohio State."

"The tape is good," I said. "It'll hold up in court."

"I've got some calls to make," Fred said. "I'll get back to you in the morning, let you know what we're going to do. You did a good job for us, Jack."

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry, Uncle Fred. I couldn't be sorrier."

"Yeah," Fred said. "Tomorrow'll be worse."

Chapter 95

IT WAS PAST midnight when I finally got to Colleen's house.

I was wrung out, and I needed Colleen's cool hand on my forehead. I wanted to listen to the musical sound of her brogue and fall asleep with her body curled around mine.

She came to the door in a camisole and a pair of panties the size of an afterthought. Her hair was bunched loosely on top of her head. She smelled wonderful, like pink roses with sugar on top.

"I'm sorry, but the inn is closed," she said. "There's a Days Inn down the road a piece."

"Colleen, I should have called first."

"Come in, Jack."

She opened the door and stood on her toes to kiss me. Then she leaned in and pressed her hips against me for the couple of seconds it took to get me hard.

She ran her hand across the front of my pants, then took my hand in hers and led me to her bedroom. Filtered moonlight was coming through the curtains as Colleen stepped into a pair of high-heeled shoes.

"Want to watch the telly?" she asked. "Or is it something else you have in mind?"

"What's on?" I said, and grinned.

So did Colleen.

Chapter 96

I PUT MY hands on the straps of her camisole and pulled them down onto her shoulders. No farther than that. Just a tease.

Colleen kept smiling as she unbuckled my belt and stripped off my clothes. Then she sat me down, took off my shoes and socks, and pushed me back onto her bed.

"God, I do love that body," she said. "I do. God save me."

This wasn't what I had expected when I rang her doorbell, but there I was, naked on flowered sheets, watching Colleen tug the clips out of her hair. That curtain of fragrant black silk fell around her shoulders, covering, then revealing her breasts.

She bent over me, hair tickling my face, and she kissed me deeply and for a long time. It was glorious. She slid into the bed and wriggled against me, her cool skin sliding across mine, pulling away, then pressing against me.

I had my hands around her narrow hips-felt a prick of high heels at the small of my back-and then I was inside her.

My mind emptied, thoughts of sleep having burned away completely. Love poured in and filled my heart, love and gratitude and ecstasy and then, after maybe ten minutes of this, release-for both of us. I moved off Colleen's body and sank into the bed.

The sweat began to dry on my skin, and unbelievably, Colleen began to cry.

I felt a flash of regret. I couldn't take any more this day, not another thing, but the feeling dissolved, replaced by shame and then compassion for Colleen.

I gathered her into my arms and held her as she sobbed quietly against my chest. "Colleen, what is it?"

She shook her head no.

"Sweetie, tell me what it is. I want to hear it. I'm right here."

Colleen struggled out of my arms. Shoes flew, banged into the corner. The bathroom door opened, and I heard water running. Minutes later, Colleen came out in a long sleep shirt and got into the bed.

"I've made a right fool of meself," she said.

"Talk to me. Please."

She lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. I put my hand across her belly.

"It's hard, Jack. This-leaves me so sad sometimes. I see you at midnight some random nights. I work with you at the office. And in between?"

"I'm sorry."

I couldn't say that things would change. We were smack up against the wall, and I had to tell the truth.

"This is all I've got, Colleen. I can't move in. I can't marry you. This has to stop."

"You don't love me, do you, Jack?"

I sighed. Colleen hugged me as I stroked her hair. "I do. But not the way you need."