"Yeah, that's why. This world is full of people who will do anything for enough money. He thought he was going to get a half million bucks as the ten per cent reward for exposing tax cheats. He told how they'd swindled the government out of over five million in taxes. Seven out of thirteen went to prison; even the rat himself. He was doing so much squealing he confessed he hadn't paid any taxes either. So he got sent down too. He did thirty-one months and now he's out. I don't know how much Judas money he got."

"About fifty grand," Lieutenant Anderson said. "He's put it all in his setup."

"Digger and me could use fifty G's, but we're cops. If we squeal it all goes on the old pay cheque," Coffin Ed said from the shadows.

"Let's not worry about that," Lieutenant Anderson said impatiently. "The point is to keep him alive."

"Yeah, the syndicate's out to kill him, poor little rat," Grave Digger said. "I heard all about it. They were saying, 'O'Malley may run but he can't hide.' O'Malley didn't run and all the hiding he's been doing is behind the Bible. But he isn't dead. So what I would like to know is how all of a sudden he got important enough for a police cover when the syndicate had ten months to make the hit if they had wanted to."

"Well, for one thing, the people here in Harlem, responsible people, the pastors and race leaders and politicians and such, believe he's doing a lot of good for the community. He paid off the mortgage on an old church and started this new Back-to-Africa movement — "

"The original Back-to-Africa movment denies him," Coffin Ed interrupted.

"— and people have been pestering the commissioner to give him police protection because of his following. They've convinced the commissioner that there'll be a race riot if any white gunmen from downtown come up here and kill him."

"Do you believe that, Lieutenant? Do you believe they've convinced the commissioner of that crap? That the syndicate's out to kill him after ten months?"