Beck left Queen-Esther Goodwin watching New York Bay with decisions and courses of action spinning in his head.
Alex had disappeared to grab some sleep.
As Beck passed Demarco and Amelia, Demarco called out, “James.”
“What?”
“I want to get the girl some clothes.”
Beck stopped, checked his watch. His Saturday morning was disappearing.
“Two hours max. And please take Queenie, I mean Esther, with you. She needs clothes, too. A few days’ worth.”
“We’re calling her Esther now?”
“Yes.”
Amelia said, “I once heard her square name was Karen.”
Beck said, “Queen-Esther Karen Goodwin.”
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea we go together.”
Beck’s patience for the Amelia/Queenie feud had run out. “You have to change that. At least for the next twenty-four hours. She’s sitting outside by the barge. Go ask her to come with you. Please.”
Beck headed downstairs. He found Manny sitting at the old wooden table in the downstairs bar kitchen, sipping coffee. He took the seat across from him.
“It’s coming down.”
Manny asked, “How soon you figure?”
“Next twenty-four hours.”
“Who’s first? The cops, or Jackson’s crew?”
“I have to stop the cops first. They have to be coming at us with everything this time. But Jackson will be right behind them. Have to deal with that, too.”
“You got a plan, right?”
“If you call a suicide mission a plan, yeah.”
Manny said, “What else is new?”
“Problem is, it won’t just be us.”
“Meaning what?”
Beck avoided answering. “What shape is Edward Remsen in after Ciro took him down?”
“Ciro got that drunk cabron right after he parked his car. Popped him in the liver, right under the ribs.”
“From behind?”
“Yeah.”
“With his fist?”
“No. With one of those fish clubs.”
“Shit.”
“He just gave him a tap.”
Beck said, “I hope he doesn’t bleed to death internally. I need him alive.”
“Too bad. He deserves to die. There’s something foul about that guy, James. Dirty. You know what I mean?”
“This whole thing is foul. We’re going to have to take down a lot of them, Manny.”
“How?”
Beck leaned forward and told the grizzled old gangster his plan. Making it clear what he needed Manny to do. Listening if Manny had any suggestions.
By the time Beck finished, he had three minutes before Walter Ferguson and Phineas Dunleavy were scheduled to arrive.