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〃We women are exercising our newfound freedom。 Haven't you heard about the brassiere…burning demonstrations？〃
〃Yeah。 I heard。 Only I didn't figure on being this close to the ashes。 It's distracting。〃
〃Well？〃
〃Don't guys find it hard to keep their eyes off you？〃
Renie looked at me with an amused smile； her mouth formed into a tiny bow。 〃Very hard。〃
〃Cut it out。〃
Her smile got deeper。 〃Me？ You're the one making all the dirty remarks。〃
I almost spilled my beer before I managed to get it down。
〃Now what have you been doing to get so wet。。。tailing a suspect？〃
〃Not quite。 There are better ways of nailing them。 I've been walking and remembering a dead friend who shouldn't have died and thinking out why he died until things begin to make a little sense。 One day； one second； it's all going to be nice and clear right in front of me and all those targets will be ready to be knocked off。〃
The funny little smile on her face warped into a worried frown and some deep concern showed in her eyes。 〃Is it。。。 that personal； Mike？〃
〃All the way。〃
〃But you're serious。。。about killing。〃
〃So was somebody else；〃 I told her。
Renie looked into her glass； started to raise it； then put it down and looked at me again。 〃Strange。〃
〃What is？〃
〃My impressions。 I read about people in your line of work； I see the interpretations on TV and in movies。。。it's rather hard to believe there really are people like that。 But with you it's different。 The police。。。〃
〃Cops are dedicated professionals； honey。 They're in a tough； rough； underpaid racket with their lives on the line every minute of the day。 They get slammed by the public； sappy court decisions and crusading politicians； but somehow they get the job done。〃
〃Mike。。。I thought I knew people。 I'm personally responsible for the actions and decisions of several thousands and answerable only to William Dorn。 I can't afford to make mistakes in selecting them for sensitive positions； but I would have made a mistake with you。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Because。。。well； there are different sides of you that nobody can truly see。〃
〃You've just lost touch with the lower class； kid。 You work on too high a level。 Get out there on the street where the buying public is and you'll see a lot of other faces too。 Some of them probably work for you too。 Not everybody is in an executive position。 Macy's and Sears Roebuck still do a whopping big business by catering to their tastes。〃
〃Take me with you； Mike；〃 she said。
〃What？〃
〃You could be right。 I'd like to see these people。〃
〃Renie； you'd get your clothes dirty； your nails broken； and your ass patted。 It's different。〃
〃I'll survive it。〃
She was so serious I had to laugh at her。 I finished the fresh beer the bartender set in front of me and thought； what the hell； a change of pace could be good for her。 It was one of those evenings where nobody was going anyplace anyway； so why not？ We could cruise through the entrails of the city and maybe pick up pieces here and there that were lying around loose。
Down at the end the bartender had switched on the TV to a news station and the announcer finished with the weather and turned the program over to the team who handled the major events。 Somebody in Congress was raising a stink about the expenses involved in calling up National Guard and Army Reserve units for a practice maneuver that apparently had no meaning。 Film clips taken by some enterprising photographer who had slipped past the security barrier showed uniformed figures slogging through mud and water； flashlights probing the darkness。 Another shot had a group locating and dismantling some apparatus of destruction around a power station。 He even included the information that they were deliberately planted decoys with a minimum explosive capacity to sharpen the soldiers' abilities。 It seemed that most of the activity was centered around the watershed areas in key areas across the nation with chemical analysis teams right in the thick of things。 The mentator even speculated briefly on sophisticated chemical…biological warfare techniques and this exercise was possibly for training in detection and neutralizing an enemy's attack from that direction。
He never knew how nearly right he was。
Tom…Tom Schneider's killers had escaped a trap laid by the Detroit police。 Somebody had passed the word where they could be found and there was a shoot…out in the Dutchess Hotel。 Two cops were wounded； a porter killed； and it was believed that one of the suspects was shot during the exchange。 An hour later a known police informer was found murdered with three 。38's in his chest along a highway leading from the city。 It was going to make a good pictorial spread in tomorrow's papers。
The mayor was screaming for more crime control and was setting up a panel to study the situation。 Good luck； mayor。
〃Great world out there；〃 I said。
〃I'd still like to see it with you。〃
〃Okay。 Finish your drink。〃
I hoped I wouldn't run into Velda。 Women don't exactly appreciate other women's plunging necklines。
Caesar Mario Tulley was a professional panhandler who bused over from Patterson； New Jersey； every day； picked up a hundred bucks in nickels and dimes from the tourist suckers； then went back to his flashy suite in a midtown hotel。 He had pageboy hair； a faceful of stringy whiskers and a motley outfit of clothes held together with beads and chains that no decent hippie would be caught high in。 But it was his gimmick。 That and the lost look in the young…old face and tired eyes。 The women felt sorry for him and the men flipped 。their quarters in his hand to pay for the snide remarks that went with the coin。 Hell； he probably was making out better than any of them。
He saw me and Renie squeezed together under her umbrella； half stepped out of the shoe store doorway； then recognized me and those deliberately tired eyes pepped right up。 A loose…lip grin split the whiskers and he said； 〃Oh； hi； Mike。 Almost put the bite on you。〃
〃Fat chance；〃 I told him。 〃How you doing； Caesar？〃
〃Lousy tonight。 Tried working Radio City and got rousted by the fuzz。 Then some drunk belts me in the chops figuring I was his own kid and tried to drag me back to Des Moines； Iowa。 I was halfway to the Forty…second Street subway before I shook him loose。 What kind of kooks they got around here these days？〃
〃Look in the mirror； kid。〃
〃Man； I'm straight！ A working stiff！ You think I'd go this route if it didn't pay off！ Twice a week I take acting classes and already I got a future lined up。 You see me on TV the other night？〃
〃Great show。〃 Last Tuesday they did a special on the hippies in town and managed to round up a few of the real pros like Caesar。 Twenty…seven runaway kids in Greenwich Village were recognized and picked up by their parents； four narcotics pushers were spotted by sharp…eyed detectives and hauled in on possession charges； and the public had a good idea of what the city was ing to。
〃Pig's ass it was a good show；〃 Caesar said sullenly。 〃Practically everybody spots me。 I even got a call from the Internal Revenue Service。 Making it ain't so easy n