Arleigh was standing by the window, pressing an ice cube in a white washcloth against her swollen lip.
Did he give you any idea of when he might turn up?” Rez, from the bed.
“No,” Arleigh said, “but he made it clear he wanted you to wait.”
Rez sighed.
“Let the people take care of you, Rez,” Willy Jude said. “It’s what they’re paid for.”
0 0 -203 Laney had taken it for granted that all of them were expected to wait, along with Rez, for Blackwell. Now he decided to try to return to his room. All they could do was stop him.
Blackwell opened the door from the corridor, pocketing something black, something that definitely wasn’t your standard-issue hotel key. There was a pale X of micropore across his right cheek, the longest arm reaching the tip of his chin.
“Evening, Keithy,” Rez said.
“You really mustn’t piss off like that,” the bodyguard said. “Those Russians are a serious crew. Massive triers, those boys. Wouldn’t do if they got hold of you, Rozzer. Not at an. You wouldn’t like it.”
“Kuwayama and the platform?”
“Have to tell you, Rez.” Blackwell stood at the foot of the bed. “I’ve seen you go with women I wouldn’t take to a shit-fight on a dark night, but at least they were human. Hear what I’m saying?”
Ј~J do, Keithy,” the singer said. “I know how you feel about her. But you’ll come around. It’s the way of things, Keithy. The new way. New world.”
“I don’t know anything about that. My old dad was a Painter and Docker; had a docky’s brief Broke his heart I turned out the sort of crim I did. Died before you’d got me out of B Division. Would’ve liked him to see me assume responsibility, Rez. For you. For your safety. But now I don’t know. Might not impress him so. Might tell me I’m just minding a fool with a bloated sense of himself”
Rez came up off the bed, surprising Laney with his speed, a performer’s grace, and then he was in front of Blackwell, his hands on the huge shoulders. “But you don’t think that, do you, Keithy? You didn’t in Pentridge. Not when you came for me. And not when I came back for you.”
Blackwell’s eyes glistened. He was about to say something, but Yamazalci suddenly stood up, blinking, and put his green plaid sportscoat on. He craned his neck, peering nearsightedly at the pins
204 William Gihson he’d used to mend it, then seemed to realize that everyone in the suite was looking at him. He coughed nervously and sat back down.
A silence followed. “Out of line, I was, Rozzer,” Blackwell said, breaking it.
Rez clapped the bodyguard’s shoulder, releasing him. “Stressed. I know.” Rez smiled. “Kuwayama? The platform?”
“Had his own team there,”
“And our crashers?”
“That’s a bit odd,” Blackwell said, “Kombinat, Rez. Say we’ve stolen something of theirs. Or at least that’s all the one I questioned knew.”
Rez looked puzzled, but seemed to put whatever it was out of his mind. “Take me back to the hotel,” he said.
Blackwell checked his huge steel watch. “We’re still sweeping, there. Another twenty minutes and I’ll check with them.”
Laney took this as his opportunity, standing up and stepping past Blackwell to the door. “I’m going to take a hot shower,” he said. “Cracked my ribs up there.” No one said anything. “Call if you need me.” Then he opened the door, stepped out, closed it behind him, and limped in what he hoped was the direction of the elevator.
It was. In it, he leaned against the mirrored wall and touched the button for his floor.
It said something in a soothing tone, Japanese.
The door closed. He shut his eyes.
He opened his eyes as the door opened. Stepped out, turned the wrong way, then the right way. Fishing for his wallet, where he’d put his key. Still there. Bath, hot shower, these concepts more theoretical as he approached his room. Sleep. That was it. Undress and lie down and not be conscious.
He swiped the key down the slot. Nothing. Again. Click.
Kathy Torrance, sitting on the edge of his bed. She smiled at him. Pointed at the moving figures on the screen. One of whom was Laney, naked, with a larger erection than he recalled ever having had. 3