Michael Harvey - The Chicago Way: Reissued

MICHAEL HARVEY is the author of two other Michael Kelly books, The Fifth Floor and The Third Rail, as well as a journalist and documentary producer. His work has won numerous national and international awards, including multiple Emmy Awards and an Academy Award Nomination. Harvey earned a law degree from Duke University, a masters degree in journalism from Northwestern University, and a bachelors degree in classical languages from Holy Cross College. Additional information can be found at

http://michaelharveybooks.com/

The Fifth Floor
The Third Rail

MICHAEL HARVEY

First published in Great Britain 2007
Copyright 2007 by Michael Harvey

This electronic edition published 2011 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

The right of Michael Harvey to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

All rights reserved. You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 36 Soho Square, London W1D 3QY

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 4088 1977 7

www.bloomsbury.com/michaelharvey

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In memory of:

Michael Marchetti
20022005

Fallon OToole McIntyre
20022004

Matthew Christian Larkin
19581999

This is my first novel. As such, it is as much the product of good fortune and the beneficence of others as it is anything I might have done. The following people contributed their time, talent, and heart to this novel. I cannot thank them enough.

Jerry Cleaver, Deborah Epstein, Laura Fleury, Anna Gardner, David Gernert, Garnett Kilberg-Cohen, Erinn Hartman, Bill Kurtis, Leslie Levine, Tania Lindsay, Diane Little, Maria Massey, Dan Mendez, Megan Murphy, Mary Frances OConnor, Jordan Pavlin, Pegeen Quinn, Roel Robles, John Sviokla Jr., John Sviokla III, and Patrick Sviokla.

Special thanks to my mom and dad for sacrificing so much, and to my five sisters and brother for being the best people I know.

Most of the action in this novel takes place in Chicago. I have, whenever possible, tried to be faithful to the citys geography, buildings, and institutions. Where necessary, however, I have intentionally taken certain liberties to fit the needs of the story. My apologies in advance to those of you who live in the worlds greatest city and know full well where all the imperfections lie.

It is hard to contend against anger. For whatever it craves, it buys with its life.

HERACLITUS

You wanna get Capone? Heres how you get him. He pulls a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. Thats the Chicago way.

SEAN CONNERY AS OFFICER JIM MALONE, THE UNTOUCHABLES

I was on the second floor of a three-story walk-up on Chicagos North Side. Outside the Hawk blew hard off the lake and flattened itself against the bay windows. I didnt care. I had my feet up, a cup of Earl Grey, and my own list of the ten greatest moments in Cubs history.

For the first half hour I was stuck on number one. Then I realized the greatest moments at Clark and Addison are always about to be. With that I settled in and mapped out the starting rotation for next years world champions. Thats when I saw him.

Actually, I sensed John Gibbons before I saw him. But thats just how it was with Gibbons. From waist to shoulders he was of one dimension, that being massive. His head sat on a bulldog neck, with short ears and gray hair clipped close. His nose showed the back rooms of Chicagos alleys. His eyes were still clear, cool, and blue. He cornered me with a look and smiled.

Hello, Michael.

Gibbons had been retired from the force five years now. I hadnt seen him in four, but it didnt matter. We had some history. He shook off the rain and threw a chair toward my desk. He sat down as if he belonged there and always had. I put the Cubs away, pulled open the bottom drawer, and found a bottle of Powers Irish. John took it straight. Just to be sociable, I gave Sir Earl a jolt.

Whats up, John?

He hesitated. For the first time I noticed his suit, uncomfortably cheap, and his tie, a clip-on. In his hands he twisted a soft felt hat.

Got a case for you, Michael.

He always called me Michael, which was okay since that was my name. I didnt want to derail him, but my curiosity held sway.

Jesus, John, whos dressing you these days?

The big man reddened a bit and looked down at the outfit.

Pretty bad, huh? The wife. Did you know the wife, Michael?

I shook my head. I didnt know anything about John that wasnt three years old. His personal file at that time read WIDOWER. His first wife, an Irishwoman from Donegal, got a message from her doctor one day about an X-ray. Two weeks later, she was gone. I had sent a card and given John a call.

The wife, the second wife that is, she left about a year ago, Gibbons said. She was a younger type, you know.

John always had a weakness for them. Women, that is. Its been my experience if you have that sort of weakness, the younger ones tend only to aggravate the situation.

So you been dressing yourself? I said.

For some time.

And you get all dressed up to come here?

A nod.

To see me?

Another nod.

I got a case, Michael.

So I gather.

I freshened his drink and poured a bit more hot water into my mug.

You remember 1997.

Before my time, I said.

Not by much. Anyway, it was Christmas Eve. I had the windows rolled down. You remember I used to keep the windows down. Even when it was cold. Well, Im driving the squad by myself. Down in South Chicago.

I knew South Chicago. A collection of warehouses and whorehouses. Dry docks and rough trade. A nasty bit of Chicago, crumbling at the edges and blending into Indiana gray.

I hear a shot, John said. Roll around a corner and see this girl running down the middle of the street. Head-to-toe blood. The guy is right behind her. Hes got a .38 in one hand and a knife in the other. Sticking her as they run.

John closed his eyes for a moment and left the room. When he opened them, he was back. I didnt feel so comfortable anymore.

Couple decades on the job, Michael. Never saw anything close to it. I get out of the car, shes coming right at me. I just catch the both of them. Hes on top and I can still hear that knife. Made like a suction noise. I reach around with my piece and put it to his head. For the first time he registers me and stops.

None of this is ringing a bell, John.

It should ring a bell, huh?

I nodded.

Well, let me finish. So we are all three on the ground. Me with the gun to his head and the girl in between us. Her face was about six inches from mine. I could smell the death on her, you know?