Set back from the highway and built up against a heavily wooded section of road, the rest area just before the Angel Bay exit was dark and appeared empty.
As Frank pulled in he saw a pair of headlights quickly blink and then vanish over near the trees. He parked and walked quickly in the direction from which the lights had come.
Vincent was standing in front of his Corvette. Even shrouded in darkness the worried look on his face was evident. "You're late."
"I had to drive Sandy all the way to Torlington," Frank told him, buttoning his coat against the cold. "What's going on?"
"There was some trouble with the Turano thing," Vincent said, hands stuffed deeply into the pockets of his jacket. "They missed the sonofabitch."
"Oh, Jesus Christ."
Vincent nodded. "The shit's really hit the fan this time, goombah. Michael's trying his best to smooth things over with the boys in Philly, but even he may not be able to work it out in time. I'm supposed to talk to him later tonight. If we're on our own, we're gonna have to take this sack of shit out ourselves."
"Are you nuts?"
"If we don't, we're dead."
"How the fuck did this happen?" Frank clenched his teeth in anger. "You told me they could pull it off without a – "
"Yeah," Vincent interrupted, "but I wasn't figuring on getting fucked over."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Vincent began to pace. "Turano knew what was coming."
"How?"
"Somebody tipped him off, that's how."
"Do we know who did this?"
"Of course we do."
The buzz of cars rushing past on the highway next to them periodically muffled their voices, but Frank was sure Vincent had not yet answered the question to his satisfaction. "Am I supposed to fucking guess?"
"Use your head. Who knew about this?"
"You mean besides Michael and his people?"
"Obviously."
"You, me, Charlie, and Gus."
"Forget Charlie," Vincent said. "He left the hotel room that day in Connecticut the minute we started discussing it seriously. That leaves the three of us. Now I'm pretty sure you didn't do it, and I know goddamn well I didn't, so who does that leave?"
Frank lit a cigarette and tried to sort his thoughts. "Not Gus, Vin. He'd never do that."
"Come on, for Christ's sake, he's the – "
"I know Gus a hell of a lot better than you do," Frank reminded him. "Say whatever you want about the guy, but he's loyal."
Vincent popped a square of bubble gum into his mouth. The pink wrapper jumped from his hand, levitated as if by magic, then rode the breeze until it gracefully spiraled downward into a puddle at Frank's feet. "Not anymore."
"He didn't do it," Frank said, his breath forming clouds of mist as it hit the cold air.
"You're right," Vincent smiled. "The tooth fairy done it."
"You're making jokes?" Frank snapped. "There were just two guys in my parking lot who probably wanted to kill me and my wife and you're making jokes? What are you, a fucking moron?"
Vincent stared at him, the smile gone. "Nobody else knew about it, Frank. Gus is the one."
"Goddamn it," he sighed. "Have you spoken to him?"
"I can't find him. I've been trying to get a hold of him for hours. His old man answered his home phone – that's a treat, like talking to a fucking chair, and I've called his beeper twice."
"He's probably shacked up somewhere with that tramp he's been running around with."
"Probably. They're most likely counting money. How much you figure it took for him to fuck us like this? A couple grand maybe?"
Frank flicked his cigarette into the darkness. "Gus knew what would happen if Turano found out. Why would he do it?"
"Because he's a piece of shit."
"You're telling me he'd let us get whacked for a lousy few grand?"
"He thinks he got fucked over when I came into the picture," Vincent said, shuffling his feet in an attempt to stay warm. "Ever since then he's been bugging both of us to make him a partner. We've been blowing him off so long he's probably figured out that it ain't ever gonna happen. So he goes to Turano, and God only knows what that sonofabitch offered him."
"I don't buy it."
"Well I'm sure as hell not gonna spend all night freezing my balls off trying to convince you."
Frank looked out at the highway. "Find him."
"I'm trying."
"Try harder. I want to talk to him face to face," Frank said. "If he lies to my face, I'll know it."
Vincent nodded. "And when you're sure, then what?"
"If we find out that he screwed us then we'll… we'll deal with it then. Otherwise we cut him loose."
"I'll take care of it, you won't have to – "
"Only if it comes to that, Vin. Only then." Frank rubbed his tired eyes. "What the hell's happening to us, man? What the fuck have we done to our lives?"
"We rolled the dice, that's all. It ain't over yet, don't go laying down on me. First thing we do is find motherfucking Gus. Piece of fucking dog shit."
Frank faced him. "I meant what I said before. Don't fucking touch him, Vin. Don't so much as put one fucking hand on him; you got me? I don't want any goddamn accidents between now and then, you hear me?"
"Don't I have some say in this?" Vincent asked evenly.
"You have say," Frank told him. "I have final say."
Vincent watched him for a moment. "Fine. I'll bring him to you in whatever shape I find him."
"And if we find he didn't do this but he's still a risk, when I cut him loose you'll leave him that way."
"All right, for Christ's sake."
"Gimme your word."
"I just did."
Frank lit another cigarette. "What do we do from here?"
"Don't go home."
"I've got Sandy out of the way. What about my mother?"
"She should be all right." Vincent shrugged. "Just lay low until you hear from me. You're wearing your beeper?" Frank gave a quick nod. "Go somewhere nobody'd look for you and I'll call you as soon as I hear anything."
Frank started back to his car. "Be careful."
"Hey, Frank?"
He stopped and looked back over his shoulder. Vincent was still standing next to his car watching him. "Yeah?"
"You too."