‘Keep in the middle of the street,’ Marx said. ‘Any ideas who the two musclemen were?’

‘If I did I’d be howling for the police right now,’ I said.

‘How come Homicide is on to it?’ Marx said. I told you that he was a smart cop.

‘They think maybe it’s all tied in with the Tani Jones killing,’ I said.

Marx was thoughtful. ‘They do, huh?’

As I said, the cops give nothing away. That was all Marx said. And my mind was on Petey Vitanza.

‘Can I talk to him?’ I said.

The doctor shrugged. ‘He can’t answer.’

‘He can nod,’ I said.

‘Okay. Two minutes; no more. Then everyone out,’ the doctor said.

I bent over the bandages. It was like talking to a corpse. Petey could move nothing but his head. But he could hear.

‘Did you recognize them at all?’ I said.

A negative shake, slow and drugged.

‘Did they want to know about Jo-Jo?’

Affirmative, a small nod.

‘They did not want you to lay off Jo-Jo? They wanted to find Jo-Jo?’

Affirmative. They were looking for Jo-Jo, not warning off.

‘Did Jo-Jo know a Tani Jones?’

Nothing. No movement. Then I saw a faint motion of his shoulders. Petey had shrugged.

‘You don’t know if Jo-Jo knew Tani Jones?’

Affirmative. He did not know about Tani Jones one way or the other.

‘You said Jo-Jo seemed in trouble. Was he scared?’

A faint shrug.

‘This Driscoll girl. Was she trouble for Jo-Jo?’

The shrug.

The doctor stepped in. ‘That’s all.’

Petey became agitated. He wanted to speak. I guessed.

‘The Driscoll girl might know something? Might be trouble?’