That had been a problem for me, briefly. "I thought it was one damned long coincidence till I realized I was looking at it from the wrong end. From the end where we are, chasing Winchell. Look at it coming the other way. The thing between Belinda and Crask and them has been going on for months. The girl-killer thing is just something she stumbled into going somewhere else. She wouldn't have been involved at all if the other thing hadn't made her run away from home. Chance brought me into it at one point rather than another, sooner than later. The players had me chalked in for their game."

Block looked uncomfortable. "How come you're telling me? It ain't healthy knowing too much about Chodo's business."

"Because there's a very large and nasty man up there giving me very evil looks. He's unhappy because I haven't been busting my butt trying to find Belinda instead of noodling around with some who-cares serial-killing thing. As I recall, I'm supposed to call on the Watch if it can give me a hand. Not to mention that you might get a kick out of poking a stick into the eye of an evildoer of Crask's stature, knowing he doesn't really have Chodo behind him."

"Tell you the truth, Garrett, I think getting Crask off the street is a grand idea." He snarled it, setting off alarms. What had I done? "But I don't have much confidence in it being a healthy idea. What's he doing?"

"Glaring daggers. Probably thinking how nice it will be to drag me somewhere where he can do dental work on me."

"Why?"

"The girl. He doesn't know she's staying at my place. He hasn't seen me lift a finger to find her. Despite my having been told very plainly that it would be in my best interest to do so."

"You're sure Chodo's out of it?"

"Absolutely."

"Then maybe I'll have some fun with Crask. But don't expect a lot. These people always have friends in high places."

"How well I know," I muttered.

Block winked. "Have a nice day." He strolled away, looking thoughtful, leaving me beached and sputtering.

I did notice that he had friends in the crowd, mostly his auxiliaries. He'd begun to enjoy his role as honest Watchman. I wondered if he'd started turning all bribes away or only the most embarrassing ones.

I hoped the New Order thing didn't go to his head. Truly there can be such a thing as too much law and order—though I can't foresee TunFaire ever suffering from that.

I bade a soft farewell to Barking Dog. He was on a roll, did not have time to set his brass megaphone down. He indicated his latest report on himself. I snagged it and moved away, awaited Crask.

54

Crask was displeased with me. "What kind of creep are you, Garrett, hanging out with dogshit like Block?"

"He's not so bad. We're old pals. Didn't you know? Sort of in business together too. The new order, like that." I couldn't get the caps in like Block's creature Relway. "Got a problem with that?"

"I got a problem with you. You was hired to do something. You ain't doing it."

"You're mistaken. Despite having had money forced upon me, I didn't agree to anything. Not to say I refuse the job. But I do have a couple other things to wrap before I get to it. So flutter away."

"No. Chodo hires you, you're on the job now. It's the only job on your list."

"Aw, shucks. Here we go. How long you known me, Crask? Long enough. You know no matter how many ugly faces you pull, no matter how many muscles you flex, I'm going to do things my way. I told you, I have things to finish first. You wait in line just like you was real people."

"You're pissing me off, Garrett."

"Eek." That was the idea. "I have that effect on people. Especially the kind who jump lines or think they deserve special consideration." If he was going to do anything, I wanted him to do something stupid, in public. "Look here. Look real close. I want you should see my heartfelt pain at how I'm causing you distress."

"I come here just going to caution you gentle, Garrett. Just going to take a minute out to show you the error of your thinking, so to speak. But now I got a feeling we need to go someplace and talk."

"You aren't half as slick as you think, Crask." That was Block, materializing out of nowhere. "Why don't we all sit down on the steps here, like we was old buddies."

"Bug off, asshole," Crask said. "Ain't none of your business, what we're talking about."

"Maybe you're right. But maybe I'm not interested in that." Block backed up a couple steps, settled onto the stone wall at the edge of the Chancery steps. He waved. A man stepped out of the crowd. Even I was startled. He seemed to have come from nowhere. Block said, "Well, Blinky?"

Blinky replied, "We removed the coach. We arrested three men."

"Well. How about that?"

Crask didn't look at Block. He put it all on me. "What the hell's going on here, Garrett?"

"You know as much as I do."

Block said, "You could be going down."

"Shit. What're you pulling?"

Block smiled. "Times are changing, Crask. I been waiting for that to happen." He looked up at me, smile malicious. "Me and Crask go way back. Same neighborhood. Same outfit in the Cantard, to start. We share a lot of memories."

Crask stirred uneasily. The strain in Block's voice said this was old business coming to a head. Crask's confidence was less than complete. Things did seem to be changing. "You mess with me, Block, you'll think a shit avalanche fell on you."

"I doubt it. Like I said, times are changing. You're running out of friends. I been waiting. The day I made captain, I had a special cell fixed up in the Al-Khar. I'm looking for an excuse to put you in it, hoping you make me break all your bones putting you there. I don't know why it works out that way, but almost every prisoner who was on the Watch's top-fifty-assholes list seems to end up committing suicide. Maybe it's rough in there." He winked at me, said, "Thanks, Garrett. I'd almost forgotten what I owe this butthead."

At the same time, Crask put on his most menacing face. "You want to be dead, Garrett? You don't mess with me like this and get out alive."

"What do I have to lose? Weren't you going to do me and the kingpin's kid as soon as I found her?"

"Come on, Garrett!"

"You think I'm weak. By your standards. But do you really think I'm stupid?"

Crask was ready to skin people alive. My plan to drive him crazy had worked. Only...

One of Block's men stepped up and bopped Crask from behind, whaling on his head with a stick that was cousin to my own. Crask didn't go down first crack. The stick man stared at his tool for a moment, astonished. Then, before Crask regained his equilibrium, Block's man whacked him half a dozen times real fast, making sure he got the effect he wanted.

Traffic on the steps cleared back. Funny. Not one soul thought of hollering for the Watch.

Block asked, "What do you think? Shall I put him away? Let Sadler shit a few bricks trying to figure what happened to him?"

"You're not scared what they'll do?"

"Not anymore." Block smiled. Relway appeared. Though I had no solid reason to think so, I feared Relway was the most dangerous creature in this New Order Watch. "We'll lock him up for a few days. Just so he'll know what it can be like."

The show moved away from me then.

I worried for Block. This could cause him big trouble. He might have a cell fixed up for Crask, but I couldn't see Crask staying in it, no matter what Rupert planned. The kingpin had friends everywhere. Once Sadler learned about Crask's predicament, heavyweight wheels would start turning.

Still...

I watched Relway.

Block was creating his own personal secret police force. Fast. Possibly with the best of intentions, but if he pulled many stunts like snatching Crask, he'd find himself riding a tiger.