4
"You locked the door?" Abe said as Jack approached the rear counter.
Jack nodded.
The Isher Sports Shop was otherwise empty, but it could have been any day of the week. Traffic in Abe's store was never exactly heavy.
The darkness still suffused him, but he had it under control. At least for the moment.
Abe was leaning on the counter, wearing what he wore every other day.
"I need some hardware."
"So you said. Hardware I got. What kind?"
"A Beretta 92."
It would have been so much easier to discuss this over the phone, but one never knew when the Big Ear might be listening. And the code Jack and Abe had developed wouldn't cover the specifics of this particular purchase.
Abe frowned. "You've already got a PT 92 Taurus. It's the same pistol. Except for the safety, of course."
"I know, but I need a Beretta."
"Why?"
"I'll explain later."
Abe shrugged. "Okay. You're paying. I'll call around tomorrow and see who—"
"I need it today, Abe. And in stainless steel."
"Stainless steel? Gevalt! Impossible! You're asking me to move mountains, and believe me, my mother didn't name me Mohammed. You want a Glock 19, fine; you want an HK-MP5, that I can do. But a stainless-steel Beretta 92 on a Sunday? As my Italian neighbors in the Bensonhurst of my boyhood used to say, Fuhgeddaboudit."
"Got to have it before tonight, Abe. Really important. I'll owe you."
"Already you owe me." When Jack said nothing, Abe shrugged again. "All right, and I owe you too, but…"
His voice trailed off as he stared at Jack. It made Jack a little uncomfortable.
"But what?"
"But nothing. I'm seeing that look on your face."
"What look?"
"I know it, Jack. I've seen it before. And more often than not, when I see it, someone winds up shuffling off their mortal coil."
Jack knew he tended to let his guard down with Abe, but even with reins on the darkness, was it that obvious? He'd have to watch himself.
"Maybe it's because it's not yet noon and I've had a very bad day."
"Something's wrong? Gia and Vicky—?"
Jack held up a hand. "They're fine. It's no one you know. At least personally."
Interest lit in his eyes. "And that means?"
Abe knew Jamie Grant from reading The Light. Maybe Jack could use her as a carrot.
"The Beretta, Abe? Get me that Beretta before tonight and I'll tell you what happened to Jamie Grant."
"The Light reporter?*" Abe made a grumbling noise. "You make your best friend in the whole world earn a little news?"
"In this case, yes. Here's the math: Beretta equals story. Because without the Beretta there won't be any story to tell. At least not this week."
"For next week I can't wait. I'll start making calls. And then you'll tell me?"
Jack nodded. "If it goes down, yeah."
He had to position the pieces where he needed them, otherwise he'd lose this week's window and have to move it to next. Didn't want to do that. He wanted this to go down tonight.