“The fifty is for solving your problem,” Frank says. “Either way.”

“Half now,” Mouse Junior says, “half when the job is done.”

Frank shakes his head. “All of it up front.”

“That’s unprecedented.”

“Thisis unprecedented.”

Them approaching him directly, that is. The protocol is that they should have gone through Mike Pella, capo of what’s left of San Diego, who’d collect a referral fee.

It would be good to talk to Mike about this Vena thing, get his take. Mike Pella is an old-school mafioso, among the last of a dying breed. He and Frank have been tight since forever. Mike’s been his friend, his confidant, his partner, his captain. Mike would be able to give him the lay of the land, steer him clear of the land mines.

But Mike, with his instinct for survival, has been in the wind since the Goldstein thing came back up.

Good place for you to be, Mike.

Stay there.

“Two-thirds, one-third,” Mouse Junior says.

“I’m notnegotiating with you, kid,” Frank says. “I gave you the conditions under which I’ll work. If it’s worth it to you, fine. If not, it’s also fine.”

The money’s in the Hummer.

Mouse Junior sends Travis out to get it. He brings back a briefcase containing fifty K in used bills, nonsequential.

“Dadsaid you’d want it all up front,” Mouse Junior says, smiling.

“Then why were you busting chops?” Frank asks. Because you’re a smarmy, wise-ass punk, Frank thinks, trying to prove how smart and tough you are. And you’re neither. If you were smart, you wouldn’t have gotten yourself into this predicament. If you were tough, you’d take care of it yourself.

“It’s just business,” Mouse Junior says. “Nothing personal.”

Frank wishes he had a dime for every time he’s heard that line. The wise guys all heard it in the firstGodfather and liked it. Now they all use it. Same with the termgodfather, for that matter-until the movie came out, Frank never heard the word in that context. The boss was just the “boss.” Those were good movies and all-well, two of them were-but they had nothing to do with the mob, not the mob that Frank knows, anyway.