Men In Blue
Page 34
“Oh, Christ!”
“I don’t know what that will do to the mayor in the election, but right now he thinks that Nelson is crazy. I mean, really. He thinks Nelson is out of his mind, which gets you off the hook with him. I mean, it’s you and him against the crazy man at the Ledger.”
Wohl’s eyebrows rose thoughtfully, but he didn’t say anything.
Coughlin looked around for the waitress, found her, and ordered another beer and broiled swordfish.
“Same for me, please,” Wohl said.
“I think I’ll have some steamers,” Lenihan said. “I’m trying to lose a little weight.”
“That little bowl of melted butter will sure help, Tom,” Coughlin said, and then turned to Peter. “Your friend Miss Dutton has left town.”
“I know.”
“That going to bother you, Peter?” Coughlin asked.
“Yeah,” Peter said. “Yeah, it will. How did you know about that?”
Coughlin chuckled, but didn’t answer.
“You’ll get over it,” Coughlin said. “It happens to everybody, and everybody gets over it, sooner or later.”
“How late is later?” Peter asked.
“Find some nice girl, a nurse, for example, and take her out. You’d be surprised how quickly some things pass when there’s a nice girl around.”
Staff Inspector Peter Wohl didn’t reply. But he picked up his beer glass and raised it to Chief Inspector Dennis V. Coughlin. He smiled, and then took a deep sip.
END