[Quinn 01] - The Cleaner

'Borko,' Duke said quickly.

'Only Borko?'

Duke eyed the blade nervously. 'He's been my only contact.' 'Not Dahl?' 'The name doesn't mean anything to me.' 'God, I hate it when you lie.' 'I'm not,' Duke said. Quinn inched the knife

closer. 'Okay, okay. I've heard the name, all right? He called Borko once when I was meeting with him. That's all.'

Quinn stared without saying anything.

'I swear, that's it.'

'Then let's talk about the water plant. What's it being used for?' 'You think they would tell me?' Duke asked. 'Borko wouldn't even let me in the building.'

'I have a hard time believing that. Borko isn't based here. He needs a local guy. Someone who knows the city and can make things happen.' Quinn pointed the knife at Duke. 'That's you. So don't fucking tell me it isn't.'

'I'm a nobody, Quinn. A hired hand. Like you. That's all,' he said, his accent all but gone. 'Borko doesn't tell me anything. Sure, I got the property for them, but that's it. What they're doing, I haven't a clue.'

'Think really hard. Maybe you're forgetting something. Something Borko might not have told you directly. Maybe something you overheard or even figured out on your own.'

Duke didn't say anything, but the look in his

eyes told Quinn he knew more. 'What is it?' Quinn asked. Duke hesitated, then said, 'It's just a guess.' 'Then guess.' 'They needed the Office out of the way. I don't

know why. Borko handled that. I think he worked

with someone on the inside.' 'Who?' Quinn asked. 'Was it Peter?' Duke said nothing. 'Fine,' Quinn said. 'But why take me out? I don't

even work for the Office.' Duke hesitated. 'What?' Quinn asked. 'You were a special request.' 'Special request? You mean I was singled out?' 'That's all I heard, okay? It's all I know.' Quinn let the meaning of Duke's words sink in.

A special request? Could that be true? Even if it

was, it did little to explain what was going on. 'What are they up to?' Quinn asked. 'I already answered that,' Duke said. In one quick, fluid motion, Quinn flicked the

blade against Duke's ear. Blood began running down the fat man's neck. 'What the fuck?' he said as he put a hand over the wound to staunch the flow.

'What's the job?' Quinn asked again.

'I told you, I –'

The knife started to move again.

Duke raised his hands, palms outward. 'Wait. All right. I overheard something. But it didn't make sense to me.'

'What?'

'Just some initials,' Duke said. He closed his eyes, as if straining to remember. 'What initials?' 'Give me a second!' Duke's voice rose in frus

tration. 'It was "I" something. ICME . . . ICUT

No, not IC. IO . . . IOMP. That's it. IOMR'

'What's that mean?' Quinn asked.

'How should I know?'

'You're lying,' Quinn said, knowing Duke was holding something back. 'What does it mean?'

'I don't know.'

'Then what do you know?'

The fat man looked down but didn't answer.

'What?' Quinn demanded.

'Just a name. I've never heard it before.'

'What was it?'

'Campobello.'

Quinn's eyes narrowed, the connection immediately made in his own mind. 'There has to be more,' he said.

'No,' Duke said. 'Nothing.' Quinn moved the knife a fraction of an inch. 'I swear,' Duke said. 'It's all I heard.'

'You're a lot of help, aren't you?'

'I'm telling you everything I know.'

'I doubt that,' Quinn said. 'Where can I find Borko?'

'I've never met him in the same place twice,' Duke said. 'He calls. We meet. A restaurant. A bar. Whatever. I don't have a clue where he might be staying. Your best bet is the water plant. He must go there sometime.'

Quinn had already thought of that. He stared at Duke until the fat man looked away. 'Just one more thing. How much did they pay you to set us up?'

Duke stammered. 'I . . . I didn't. . . they . . .'

'How much? Ten thousand a head? Twenty? I hope you were getting at least twenty-five K for me. That's what they offered Gibson.'

Duke's lips were pressed tightly together.

'Where's my team?'

Duke shook his head. 'I don't know.'

'You're lying.'

'I'm not,' Duke pleaded.

'I don't believe you,' Quinn said. He pulled Duke's pistol out of his pocket. 'What are you going to do with that?' Duke asked.

'The same thing you tried to do to us.'

Quinn aimed the gun at Duke's forehead and pulled the trigger.

Chapter 24

Quinn made several stops that afternoon, purchasing tools he needed for the task ahead. He also checked the handrail in Ku'damm, but it was still devoid of any sign of Nate or Orlando. He knew he should assume the worst, but he wasn't ready to do it yet. Eventually he found a cafe just south of Tiergarten where he ate an early dinner and waited for the sun to go down.

As he sat nursing a cup of coffee, Quinn thought about his conversation with Duke. IOMP. Maybe it was nothing. Duke might have made it up on the spot to keep Quinn from killing him. If so, it was just another example of Duke's bad judgment. But if it meant something, Quinn couldn't afford to ignore it. He searched his memories for any kind of connection, but couldn't come up with one.