'You are close to him.'

'Yes, I guess…'

'As close to him as to anyone?'

'I guess so.'

'Meaning you might tell him things you would tell no one else.'

'What are you getting at?'

Farel's gray-green eyes found Harry's and held there. Finally his gaze moved off and they continued to walk. Slowly, deliberately. Harry had no idea where they were going or why. He wondered if Farel did, if it was simply his manner of interrogation.

Behind them, a blue Ford turned the corner, drove slowly for a half block, then pulled over and stopped. No one got out. Harry glanced at Farel. If he was aware of the car, he didn't acknowledge.

'You never spoke with your brother directly.'

'No.'

Farther down, the men loading bottles finished, and their van pulled from the curb. Parked beyond it was a dark gray Fiat. Two men sat in the front seat. Harry glanced back. The other car was still there. The block was short. If the men in the cars belonged to Farel, it meant they had essentially sealed off the street.

'And the message he left on your answering machine… you erased.'

'I wouldn't have done it if I had known how things were going to turn out.'

Abruptly Farel stopped. They were nearly to the gray Fiat, and Harry could see the men in the front seat watching them. The one at the wheel was young and leaned forward in his seat almost eagerly, as if he hoped something would happen.

'You act like you don't know where we are, Mr Addison.' Farel smiled slowly, then swept his hand at the yellow stained and paint-peeled four-story building in front of them.

'Should I?'

'Number one-twenty-seven Via Ombrellari – you don't know?'

Harry looked down the street. The blue Ford was still there. Then his eyes came back to Farel.

'No, I don't.'

'It's your brother's apartment building.'

9

Danny's apartment was on the ground floor, small and exceedingly Spartan.