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vice。 Making it ain't so easy now。〃
〃So act。〃
〃What do ya think I'm doing？ It ain't Shakespeare； but it sure takes talent。〃
〃And nerve。〃 Renie smiled。
〃Lady； e on。 It's all part of the game。〃 He rattled his beads and stepped back into his doorway shelter again。 〃What you doing out； Mike？〃
〃Trying to find somebody。 Tall； skinny； in his forties and boosting wallets in the theater district。 Got anything？〃
He cocked his head and peered at me； eyes squinting。 〃Hey； some hustler was asking the same thing。 Big chick； long dark hair； real knockout。 Don't know why she was hustling； but I tried to make out and she brushed me off。 Me！ How about that？ I wanted to give her a twenty 。 。 。〃
〃You would have had your head handed to you；〃 I said； grinning again。 Caesar boy had run into Velda。
〃Fuzz？〃 he asked； incredulously。
I nodded； not explaining all of it。
〃Man； they sure make them real these days。 She coulda busted me for panhandling。 Awful pretty for fuzz though； even under that face crap。〃
〃The guy I mentioned； Caesar？〃
〃Hell； I don't butt in to somebody else's 。。 。〃
〃You buck the theater crowds； Caesar。 He would have been in the same area。〃
He shrugged； giving a small negative shake to his long hair； but his eyes didn't want to look at me。 I stepped out from under the umbrella and got up close to him。 〃pared to withholding information； panhandling is a chintzy rap。〃
〃Mike。。。you ain't the fuzz。 You。。。〃
〃My license makes me responsible to turn certain facts over to them； buddy。〃
〃Hey； I thought we was pals。〃
〃After office hours。〃
Caesar Tulley made a resigned gesture and ran his fingers through his hair。 〃There was some talk。 Wooster Sal saw this guy hit a couple of joes and tried to cut himself a chunk。 He got a busted lip for it。〃
〃You see him？〃
〃I saw him pop Wooster Sal。 Like a sneak punch。 Wooster shoulda kept to his own racket。〃
〃Anything special abut him。。。facial characteristics。。。you know？〃
Another shrug。 〃Just a guy。 I didn't get a real good look。 Anyway； I didn't want one。 I'm opposed to violence。〃
〃What about this Wooster Sal？〃
〃Hell； after that he dug out for the West Coast。 Gone like two weeks now。〃
〃Keep looking； okay？ I'm in the phone book。〃
I flipped him a wave and started to walk away when he called me back。 〃Hey； Mike； there was one thing。〃
I turned and waited。
〃He wore a red vest。 Pretty dumb in his business。〃
One more little piece to add to the pile。 In time it would mount up to a face and a body。 One red vest； and it probably wasn't dumb。 It was a good luck charm； vanity or any other of a dozen reasons a petty crook could consider imperative。
I hooked my arm through Renie's and pushed the edge of her umbrella out of my face。 〃You have odd friends； Mike。 Those newsstand dealers； the pair at the hamburger stand。。。who else do you know？〃
〃You'd be surprised；〃 I said。 〃Still feel like prowling？〃
Renie glanced at her watch and tightened her hold on my arm。 〃It's almost ten； my big friend。 I told you I had to meet William at that reception in a half hour。〃
It was the same one Pat had mentioned to me； the opening of the new Soviet delegation buildings。 〃Since when are you people messed up in politics？〃
〃Since Teddy Finlay from the State Department invited us。 One of the new delegates was a foreign supplier for our Anco Electronics before we bought him out。 Finlay thought it would be beneficial to have a less formal introduction to him。〃
〃And where do you e in？〃
〃I pick up William's memos he made at the meeting today； give him his tickets for his Chicago trip tomorrow； murmur a few pleasantries and leave。 Impulsively； she added； 〃Why don't you e along？〃
〃We aren't exactly in evening clothes； baby。〃
〃But we won't be going to the reception proper。 I'm to meet him in office A…3 in the west annex； not where the crowd will be。 Please； Mike？〃 She nudged me expectantly； her leg touching mine in a long…legged stride。 The wind gusted and blew the rain under the umbrella into my face。 Hell； it would be good to get out of it for a few minutes。
〃Why not？〃 I said。
The two uniformed cops covering the annex entrance scanned Renie's admittance card and checked our ID's。 The older one； sweating under his rubber raincoat said； 〃Hold a second；〃 then walked across the street to a squad car； talked through the window and stepped back when the door opened。 I let out a grunt of amusement when Pat got out； hunched against the rain； his hands in his pockets。
When he saw me his face finally registered something besides tired boredom。 〃Now what are you doing here？〃 he asked me。
〃Personal invitation； old buddy。〃
〃His name isn't on the card；〃 the cop told him。 〃What do you think； Captain？ The dame's okay。〃
Pat flipped the rain from the brim of his hat and stepped away； nodding for me to follow him。 He swung around； his voice a low growl。 〃This stinks。 No matter what you tell me； it plain stinks。 What are you building？〃
〃Not a thing； Pat。 Miss Talmage has a business appointment with her employer there and invited me along。 Can anything be simpler？〃
〃With you； nothing's simple；〃 Pat said。 〃Look； if you pull anything 。。 。 〃
〃Unwind； will you buddy？ Can't I talk to you any more？〃
For a long few seconds he studied my face； then let a smile crack the corners of his mouth。 〃Sorry； Mike。 I guess I got too much bugging me。 There's more than one meeting going on in there。〃
〃So the Soviets really are cooperating on that C。B。 deal？〃
〃You called it。 And they're scared stiff。 All the top brass from Fort Derrick arrived at seven with a limousine of Russkies straight off a chartered nonstop plane from Moscow right behind them。〃
〃Military types？〃
〃Hardly。 Some were too old for that。〃
〃Specialists in chemical…biological warfare；〃 I suggested。
〃Could be。〃
〃Any newspapers covering it？〃
〃Only the social end。 They missed the first batch。 That's why you spook me。 Nothing better interrupt that meeting。〃
〃Quit worrying about me。 Anything turn up yet？〃
〃One lonely probability。 A couple on a honeymoon camping trip spotted a guy wandering around the Ashokan watershed area。 He seemed to be sick。。。kind of stumbling； fell a couple of times。 They were going to go over to him but he wandered up to the road and must have thumbed a ride。 The rough description they gave was similar to the guy we found in the subway。〃
〃The Guard in the area？〃
〃Like a blanket。 Boats； divers； foot by foot search。 They cut off the water flow from that district and that they can't keep a secret； so they'd better e up with some imaginative excuse before morning。〃
〃Oh； they will；〃 I said casually。
Pat jammed his hands back into his pockets and grimaced in my direction。 〃They better do better than that。 Right now you can realize what it's like to be in death row with no reprieve in sight。〃
〃Yeah； great；〃 I said。 〃By the way； you ever get tipped to a pickpocket who works in a red vest？〃
〃Go screw your pickpocket in a red vest；〃 Pat said sourly。 He waved an okay sign to the two cops and headed back tow