“Okay. You know something funny, Quarry?”

“Not that I can think of.”

“I feel a little bad about that kid back there.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the lump in the bedclothes behind us.

“Really.”

“I mean it. He was too young. I thought working the backup spot, after so many years of going in first, would be relaxing, but shit.. with a young guy like that, no experience, impulsive, I was sitting on pins every time around, waiting to see if he pulled it off or stepped on his dick or what. No, last couple years, Broker was bringing ’em in too young. I don’t think Beatty was twenty-five, even. What are you, Quarry, thirty? You must’ve come in young, yourself. Fuck. Must be gettin’ sentimental in my old age.”

“I guess I know how you feel,” I said. “I lost a partner myself last year. Hey! This is it right here… don’t miss it.”

He started backing in, saying, “So you lost one, too, huh? Well, it happens.”

“Yeah. I worked with the same partner for something like four years. Okay, whoa. This is good.”

He shifted into park. “I had three different partners, since I got in the business. I guess you’re my fourth.”

“Yeah, well, I worked with other guys, myself. I spent a whole year, filling in where Broker needed me, whenever one half of a team wasn’t available. I even worked with a guy named Ash once or twice.”

He didn’t catch it right away.

He was looking into the silencer by the time he said, “But I thought you said you never heard of Ash…”

“I lied,” I said.

He took it between the eyes and the side of his head hit the horn. I eased him over a bit, to stop the honking, and got out of the car.

I opened the door on his side and he almost fell out. I pushed him forward so that he was prone across the seat, put the car in neutral, shut the door, got around front and pushed. A few feet from where the little inroad ended, the watery pit began.