“Just take it easy, soldier,” the cop sez, friendlylike. “You’re among friends now. There are a couple of us who were in the service ourselves once.”
This is somethin’ we hadn’t counted on. The last thing we need right now is for the cops to act reasonable. I figure it is about time I take a hand in the proceedin’s personally.
“Oh, yeah?” I sneers. “What happened? You chicken out when it looked like there might actually be some fightin’ to be done? Figured it was safer hasslin’ drunks than gettin’ shot at?”
“Cool down, soldier,” the cop smiles, but I can see his lips are real tight. “Let’s just step outside and discuss this.”
“You hear that?” Nunzio shouts to the Flie brothers who are still holdin’ down our table. “They don’t mind taking our money for drinks … but when we catch ’em tryin’ to roll one of our boys, THEN they try to send us packing!”
“Oh yeah?” Shu Flie bristles and stands up, crowdin’ toward us followed close by his brother. “Well if they want us out of here, they’re gonna have to throw us out!”
Caught between us on one side and the Flie brothers on the other, the cops start gettin’ nervous, swivelin’ their heads back and forth tryin’ to keep an eye on all of us.
“Now hold on a minute!” the cop we was talkin’ to sez. “Who are you saying was trying to roll you?”
“That floozie upstairs!” Nunzio snarls, jerkin’ a thumb back over his shoulder. “She gave our buddy the big come on … crawlin’ all over him, you know? Then when we go up to see if he’s all right ’cause he’s been drinkin’, she’s goin’ through his pockets!”