Killing Them Softly (Cogan's Trade Movie Tie-in Edition)

think he would?”
    â€œI dunno,” Frankie said.
    â€œYou asshole,” Cogan said. “An asshole like you, it’s no wonder you did time.
You fuck kin asshole
. You haven’t got no brains at all.”
    â€œLook,” Frankie said, “look, I …”
    â€œI haven’t got to look,” Cogan said. “Look, I know what’s going on. I know what I got to do. I need a right guy.”
    Frankie’s mouth worked. He did not say anything.
    â€œIf I get a right guy,” Cogan said, “I told them this,by the way, I said: ‘There’s two ways this thing can go. The hard way is, I do them both. The other way, I only gotta do one guy.’ I took a lot of shit for that. You know how I got them to go along with this? China. China says you’re all right. So, I always like China, I can do something for China, I’m gonna. China don’t want, you hit. Very loud on that point. Says you’re a good guy, kind of guy it’s good to have around. Okay. But you know where China is. All he can do is come up here and talk. He can’t actually do nothing for a guy.”
    â€œNo,” Frankie said.
    â€œI can do something for a guy,” Cogan said. “I don’t have to, but I can. Now make the pick, kid, and make it right now. I’m gonna do China a favor, I’m not gonna do China a favor. Don’t matter to me.”
    â€œLemme think,” Frankie said.
    â€œNope,” Cogan said, “no thinking. Go or no go, right now. I got to get going.”
    Frankie exhaled heavily. “I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
    â€œCan you do the other thing?” Cogan said.
    Frankie hesitated. “No,” he said.
    â€œWell,” Cogan said, “that’s the selection. So, I guess you know, then.”
    What’ve I gotta do?” Frankie said.
    â€œYou gotta find out where he’s gonna be,” Cogan said.
    â€œI already know that,” Frankie said. “We’re, he asked me what I was gonna be doing, he’s gonna be some place and he wants to call me or something. I know where he’s gonna be. He’s got a girl. He told me that, before. I told him I was gonna be home, I’d be home.”
    â€œYou’re not gonna be,” Cogan said.
    â€œI’m not?” Frankie said.
    â€œNo,” Cogan said.
    â€œWhere …” Frankie said.
    â€œYou’re gonna be with me,” Cogan said, “and we’re gonna be where he’s gonna be.”
    â€œJesus,” Frankie said, “I can’t do that. He sees me, it’s all over. He’ll know, something’s wrong. I can’t do that. I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you where he’s gonna be. I’ll do that. But, he’s a friend of mine. I can’t do that.”
    â€œOkay,” Cogan said, “okay. That’s, you made the other choice then, I guess.”
    Frankie stared at Cogan. Cogan did not move. Frankie said: “Have I really got to do that?”
    Cogan nodded.
    â€œAll of it?” Frankie said.
    Cogan nodded.
    â€œI got to be there and everything?”
    Cogan nodded.
    â€œIt’s not,” Frankie said, “it’s not like, there was anything I could do, anybody else inna world couldn’t do. It’s not that. You, there must be hundreds of guys, you can get. You don’t need me.”
    â€œWrong,” Cogan said. He put his hand on Frankie’s shoulder. “Frank,” he said, “it’s not like I don’t understand what’s on your mind, right? But this thing’s a problem. And part of it, it’s partly your fault. You made a mistake. Now you gotta, you got to do the right thing. You gotta show, you understand, you made a mistake, and you gotta make things right. Otherwise, guys know you made a mistake, right? And that’s when they’re gonna want somebody to do something, like with Trattman. He never did the right thing.”
    Frankie nodded.

F RANKIE DROVE the Gold Duster quickly through the arch with the orange lanterns into the curving drives of Stuart Manor. The apartment complexes were two-story, the first of vertical redwood planks, the second stucco, half-timbered. The parking areas were filled with Volkswagens, Camaros, Mustangs and Barracudas. There were coach lights with orange bulbs above each door.
    â€œJee-zuss,” Cogan said, “I finally made it.