East 126th Street
November 29, 8.15 p.m.
Sebastian looked at the girl in the red dress standing in the doorway to the bedroom, staring out with hope in her eyes. ‘I see you took another girl, Mo. What did I tell you? What the hell did I tell you?’
‘Don’t take no more girls,’ said Mo.
‘That’s right, and what the hell did you do?’
‘I couldn’t help it.’
‘I should kick your ass for this, Mo. You’re a fucking liability.’
‘I kept her all nice,’ said Maurice. ‘Better than Lottie. I gave this one water too. Kept her alive.’
‘Good, Mo, real good.’
Sebastian walked in, walked over to Lucy and hit her hard across the jaw. She fell backwards and Sebastian shut the bedroom door. ‘Speak to me, Maurice. What the fuck is going on?’ Sebastian looked around the dilapidated apartment. ‘What are you doing in here? What’s with the music?’
‘Nothing, Nick. Ain’t nothing.’
Sebastian shoved past Maurice and took a drink of water from the tap. ‘What’s been going on?’
‘The police have been following me, Nick. I had to stay away for two days.’
Sebastian stopped dead. ‘Cops have been here?’
‘They were waiting up and down the street, but then today they left and I got in again. Lucy’s medicine had worn off and she was okay. She looks better now, Nick.’
‘How did the police find you?’
‘I don’t know.’
Sebastian sat at the kitchen table. He thought for a moment. ‘Listen, Mo, this is what you need to do. We got to get the girl out of here right now. I want you to go back to Benny and borrow his van again. We’ve got to take her upstate. You remember the farm. We can use the farm, can’t we? Bring the van back here soon as you can. You understand?’
‘You not going to hurt her, are you, Nicky?’
‘Course I’m not, Mo.’
Mo nodded gratefully and headed for the door. ‘Soon as I can, Nick, I promise.’ Then he was gone.