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Protorov nodded。 〃That's all the time I'll need； Doctor。 Please go to work on him at once。〃
〃His name is Gordon Minck and he came down to Key West every so often to be with me。〃
〃What exactly do you mean by 'be with me。'〃
〃He loved the way I went down on him；〃 Alix Logan said somewhat nastily。 〃Does that answer your question？〃
〃I think it does；〃 Croaker said。
They were in the car； heading through the fumy innards of the Lincoln Tunnel on their way to Matty the Mouth's place。
He considered the nature of her response for a moment。 〃I'm sorry；〃 he said。 〃I didn't know that was a sore spot。〃
Alix put her head back against the seat； closing her eyes。 Her thick blond hair spread like sea foam around her cheeks。 〃What do you think？ A guy who's strong and handsome； powerful in an…oh； I don't know…interior sort of way； goes all googley…eyed over me。 He's a dangerous man； you can see that on his face like a scar or a ridge of pockmarks。
'〃I should have you killed；' he tells me； 'but I can't。 I don't ever want to think I'll never see that face again。'〃
〃Oh； very cute；〃 Croaker cut in。 〃Why didn't you tell me this before？〃
〃Shut up；〃 Alix snapped。 〃I'm telling you now； aren't I？〃
Fluorescent light and shadow fell over them in a rhythmic pattern； like notes controlled by a metronome。
〃'I don't want to lose you；' he said； 'but I'm in a business where I can't afford to make a mistake。' He looked at me in a way that made my insides go cold。 'Will you be a mistake； Alix？'
'〃No； I won't；' I told him。 'Is that a promise？' he asked。 'Yes；' 1 said； and I meant it。〃 She began to cry。 〃And now look what I've done。〃 Sobbing fully。 〃It's all your fault。〃 It was the wail of a lost and confused child。
Croaker didn't think he needed to refute that； it was too irrational。 Instead； he changed the subject slightly。 〃So who's this mystery man Minck。〃
〃Minck；〃 Alix Logan said。 〃Minck； Minck； Minck。〃 It was like a new toy which she did not want to give up。 Then she decided。 〃Gordon Minck is the man who killed Angela Didion。〃
Almost drove the car into the side of the tunnel。
〃What？〃
His head began to ache and there was a fearful red light behind his eyes。 〃You must be mistaken。〃 His voice was a dry rustle； no more than a whisper。 It was all he could muster at the moment。 But what if she's right？ he asked himself。 All these months hiding； living in fear of discovery。 He was a pariah at the New York City Police Department； he no longer even existed save as 〃Tex〃 Bristol。 He had lied； stolen； gone beyond the law he had so many long years ago sworn to uphold and protect。 What had happened to him？ What madness had possessed him？ He felt like a malaria victim who had just awakened from an endless fever through which he had been raving。 He had believed so mightily in this truth： that Raphael Tomkin had murdered Angela Didion in cold blood。 He had been so sure。 All the facts had pointed to it。 Now they darted like tiny frightened fish； weaving away from him as he sought again to pile them； to reassure himself that he was right and Alix was wrong。
Alix sniffed； wiped at her nose。 〃It's like this；〃 she said； ignoring his interruption。 〃Tomkin made the mistake of talking to Angela about his connection with Minck； and Angela； the bitch； had a memory as deep as the ocean floor。 She remembered everything。 That was part of her scam； how she could get whatever she wanted from almost everyone。 She remembered what they did not want known。
〃So of course there came a day when she threw this knowledge up at Tomkin。 I don't really know why。 Perhaps there was a diamond she wanted that he wouldn't give her； maybe he wasn't ing by enough； or maybe he was dropping in too much。 You could never tell with Angela； she blew so hot and cold。
〃Anyway； she could always spot a lever and she knew she had a powerful one with Tomkin。 She wanted something from him and if he wouldn't do it； she told him she'd go to the papers with what she had on him。 It was S。O。P。 with her。
〃However； this time I don't think she really understood the nature of the beast she had by the tail。 Tomkin shut up immediately； refusing to get into an argument with her； he saw right away that she was intractable。
〃So he called Minck and Minck sent out his hounds to snuff Angela。 There was no negotiating； no thinking it over。 Whatever Minck and Tomkin were into was far too big。
〃Of course； Tomkin had to be there when it went down。 Angela was so paranoid she wouldn't've opened the door to Minck's people。 Tomkin was the front man。 But once she unlatched the chain； the three of them came in。〃
〃Was Tomkin actually there when she bought it？〃 He trembled as he voiced it； knowing how important her answer was to him。
〃In the apartment but not in the bedroom。 He was at the bar； taking an anesthetic。 His hands shook so much he got as much Scotch on the counter as he did in his glass。 I had the angle from where I was hiding inside Angela's clothes closet。 I was just ing out of the bathroom when she went to answer the door。〃 Her eyes were bleak； almost as if they had lost their rich color。 〃1 heard Angela's high…pitched yelp。 It sounded like a dog being whipped。〃 She shrugged。 〃I don't know why； but I ducked into the closet right away。〃
〃So you were an eyewitness all right。〃
〃There was nothing mean about what they did to her。〃 Her voice； like her eyes； had bee washed out。 Maybe； Croaker thought； it was her way of protecting herself from something no one should see。 He took her hand in his； fingers entwined。 'They were very。。。 businesslike about what they did to her。 It took no time。 I remember； just afterwards； being so shocked by that。 Such a monstrous thing。。。 it should take a long time to undo life。〃 Her eyes closed for a moment。 Incipient tears glistened along the lashes。 〃Afterward； they made it look like something else； of course。 Not an execution。 Then they went into the living room and thoroughly cleaned up after Tomkin。 They didn't find me because I crawled into a secret partment Angela had built into the back of her closet to store her furs and jewelry； she loved being close to them。 1 had to curl up into a ball。 It was stifling and I couldn't hear anything。 I was terrified that at any moment they'd discover me。
〃They didn't then； but they must've known about my relationship with Angela because they found me a week after I flew down to Key West。 In the meantime； they'd done their homework。 They knew where I was that night； they knew I'd seen it all。 Minck's men are professionals。〃
〃So I've e to learn；〃 Croaker said distantly。 He put both hands on the wheel。 So the truth was close。。。 but not close enough。 His inner laugh was ironic and bitter。 The truth was nothing so clearcut as black and white。 Tomkin hadn't killed Angela； he had only set her up。 He didn't order it； didn't execute that order。 He merely went along with it； stood by； a wall away； while it was happening。 Guilty as charged； your honor。 The voice echoed hollowly in Croaker's mind。 But what was the charge？ Not murder in the second degree； not even manslaughter。 Instead； Tomkin had been an accessory to murder。 It had not been he who had put pressure on the missioner to sweep t