I sat in a booth at the back of Fat Willy’s, sipped at some coffee, and watched my conscience chase my past around the room.
“You look like you just lost your best friend.” Rita Alvarez dumped her briefcase onto the opposite seat and slid in beside it.
“Hey, Rita.”
“Hey.”
The place was empty. A waitress hovered nearby with a menu. Rita ordered a pulled pork sandwich and waited until we were alone again.
“So, what’s the matter with you?”
“Nothing.”
“Looks like something.”
“Some days life sucks.”
“You think?” She pulled a bottle of water from her briefcase, uncapped it, and took a sip.
“I didn’t ask you here to listen to my problems, Rita.”
“I didn’t figure that.”
“You been working the West Side?”
“Feds got the whole place shut down. Reporters tripping over each other.”
“Camp Chicago, right?”
“That’s what they call it.”
“What do you know about what’s going on inside?”
“We know what they tell us.”
“Which is what?”
“There’s been some sort of biorelease. Not sure if it’s an attack or an accident. Got some sick people, maybe fifty dead. They’re hoping the thing’s contained.”
“What did you think of the mayor?”
“On TV?”
I nodded.
“Asshole.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” I said.
Rita’s sandwich came. She took a bite and wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Heaven.” The reporter took another sip of water. “Got a lot of stuff going on today, Michael.”
“This is worth your time.”
“I’m listening.”
“Off the record?”
I expected her to fight me tooth and nail, but Rita just nodded and chewed.
“I just came out of a quarantine zone on the West Side.”
She put down her sandwich. “Jesus.”
“I’m not infected.”
”I wasn’t worried about that.”
“You should be. They’re loading dead bodies onto L trains and shipping them out so they can be cremated.”
“You saw this?”
“I took a ride on one of the trains this morning. They’re also worried the thing might have caught a plane out of O’Hare.”
“How did you get out?”
“Rachel.”
Rita’s eyes flicked to the street. “Where is she?”
“She’s not part of this.”
I could see the reporter adding up bylines and headlines in her head.
“You can’t report any of it, Rita.”
“Let me explain why that’s not a good idea. In the long run-”
“I’m not finished. You know Matt Danielson?”
“The guy from Homeland?”
“Yesterday, he blew his brains out in my apartment. Left me with this.” I pulled out the address to the Korean’s grocery store and watched the reporter blanch. “It’s the same address you gave me on your hospital supply story.”
“I know what it is.”
The waitress came by to check on us. We waited until she left.
“I tried to call Rodriguez,” I said, “but couldn’t get him.”
“He’s down on the West Side. Working the perimeter, like the rest of the Chicago PD.” Rita pushed her plate away and leaned her forearms on the table. “All right, Michael, you got me. What does my dead Korean have to do with Homeland Security?”
“Vince and I found ten thousand body bags in Lee’s cellar.”
Rita tilted her head. “Why didn’t I hear about the bags earlier?”
“Because I didn’t know what it meant. You had a legman for the Outfit trailing you around town, and I don’t want to owe Rodriguez a girlfriend.”
“Fine, fine.” Like any good reporter, she knew better than to hold a grudge. Especially when there was nothing to be gained. “So, what does it mean?”
“Danielson thought the body bags were ordered by someone who knew about the release. Someone looking to make a quick buck. That’s why he gave me the address.”
Rita had her briefcase up on the table and two files open. “Nothing like that ever came through any of the county paperwork I’ve seen. Here, take a look.”
I shook my head. “I believe you. No one’s gonna buy ten thousand body bags and run it through a county contract. This was a side deal for Lee. Black market. Still, whoever ordered the bags must have known about the release.”
“Probably, but not necessarily.”
I took a sip of my coffee. “How do you feel about squeezing Rissman?”
Rita shook her head. “I told you. Rissman’s a small-time guy.”
“We know he’s dirty.”
“Dirty, yes. But there’s no way he’s hooked up in anything like this.”
“You sure?”
“I can’t see it. And if he is, what makes you think he’d roll over? Not based on what you’ve told me.”
The reporter was right. “We’re gonna need to dig a little, Rita.”
“Where?”
“You said Lee spread the hospital supply work out among a few small companies, but you couldn’t find the money behind it?”
“That’s right.”
“Push a little harder. Creditors, lenders. Mention your investigation. If you have to, tell them there might be a connection to the pathogen release. See if anyone gets nervous.”
“That’s a pretty hard push.”
“You want the story or not?”
“Of course I want the story. I just don’t think any of this is connected… ”
“Don’t think. Just follow the information. First thing we learn in PI school.”
“You can really be a jerk sometimes.”
“Will you do it?”
“I’ll make some calls.”
“When?”
“I’ve got a story to file today. I’ll hit it tomorrow morning.”
“Good.”
“If it does turn out to be anything… ”
“The story’s yours.”
“Including the drugs.”
“You’re gonna have to talk to Vince about that.”
Rita stood up. “I’ll call you.”
I touched the back of her hand. “There’s one more thing we need to consider.”
“What’s that?”
“I like to think of it as a shortcut.”
Rita sighed and sat back down.