"Lewy Body causes progressive decline." "I have it." "There's no cure." "I'm sorry." " Is there something else I should know?" " No." "My guy said it's some pretty powerful shit." " Who's it for?" " A friend." "A friend I need to know about?" "No, relax." "There's nothing to worry about." "I want you to run for governor against Mac Cullen." "There's a different view of the world from the one you have at the moment." "If you want to see it, there's a certain group of people in Chicago I'd like you to meet." "A year from now the mayor runs for reelection." "Drop out of the governor's race and you'll have the organizational support you need to take him on." "If we're gonna move on this, we have to do it soon." "What do you say?" "The document that shows then sanitation director Thomas Kane authorized the dump of trichloroethylene was made public by a blogger, Chumpbait." "We make it so it's not about us." "We make it so it's about how a small town deals with the end of the world." "12 years ago I was approached by a member of Mayor Kane's staff and told that any reference to trichloroethylene was to be redacted from the report." "Alongside Mayor Kane, I did wrong." "♪ Satan, your kingdom must come down" "♪ Satan, your kingdom must come down" "♪ I heard the voice of Jesus Christ" "♪ Satan, your kingdom must come down." "Surfacing last night a bombshell." "Dr. Gabriela Reyes, head of research at Children's Memorial at the time, claiming the Kane administration coerced her into redacting damning materials from her official report." "I could've stood strong, but I did not." "Alongside Mayor Kane, I did wrong." "Give me an old Chicago on tap." "I'd like a ride on the Riverview coaster, but they both went under in '67 just after the blizzard." " 26"." " 27." " We made a killing." " Six sidewalks, four driveways and two shovels." "Where are those industrious little bastards?" "I thought I'd be seeing you." " Can we go for a walk?" " I'll check with the owner, tell him the mayor wants a word." "This can't be an easy time for you." "It goes with the territory." "What's so important, alderman, that you needed to see me on a Saturday?" "I'd like to offer my assistance." "Help the mayor make a graceful exit." "You know, recent revelations aside, he's done many positive things for the city for which he should be remembered." "That's very kind of you." "I'll relay the message." "She looks good on tv," "Dr. Reyes." "Respectable." "Unimpeachable." "Troubled by a past transgression and then pointing her elegant finger at your guy for poisoning children and then covering it up." "That ball doesn't bounce." "Look, I have no interest in shaming him out of office." "I'd like to offer him a way to leave with a little dignity during this difficult time." "If...?" "If he promises not to run again." "To free it up for whom?" "You?" "No." "I don't need to try that suit on." "I know a bad fit by looking at it." "Mm-hmm." "And if he doesn't?" "Then we'll be forced to start impeachment hearings." "We?" "The wheels are already in motion, but say the word and we'll put the brakes on." "You know where to reach me." "Sorry to interrupt, but Mrs. Kane is on the line." " I'm in a meeting." " She's looking for the mayor." " She's left several messages." " The mayor's not taking any calls right now." "He'll get back to her at his earliest convenience." "Yes sir." "They have a pretty airtight case." "I assume you're aware of all the details." "Appendix two, you'll find them listed alphabetically under "Bensenville plaintiffs."" "These are all everyday folks" "Their numbers sizeable and growing" "Whose health and well-being were pretty badly compromised by the mayor's negligence and the cover-up he engineered to avoid personal responsibility." "We're aware of the details, Mr. McGantry." "Elliot, please." "Look, we don't have to play the game too hard here." "We know what we have." "You know it too." " What are you offering?" " A 12-hour window for the mayor to agree to a settlement." "The mayor has no intention of admitting guilt" " because he's" " Not guilty." "Of course." " The terms?" " Steep, though not as steep should he decide to go to trial instead." "The choice is his, sort of." "I mean does man really have free choice?" ""Brothers Karamazov," "the Grand Inquisitor"?" "It changed my life." "I'll pass these on and get back to you." " 12 hours." " Heard you the first time." "I assume you've seen some photos of the plaintiffs involved, but just in case you haven't." "This is tragic." "Hey, it's me." "Any word from the mayor?" " No ma'am." "Nothing yet." " Leave another message." " Okay." " Shit." "Those people are fishing down there." "Yeah." "In the mornings they come to watch for birds." "From a chemical dump to a fucking garden of eden." "It was a quarry before that." "Someday somebody'll come along and convince the city to build condos next to the fishing pond and turn it into something else." "Another layer for the archeologists to dig up." " Remember Harold Baines?" " Do I remember?" "You were a pathetic cubbie when we first met." "Cooperstown turned him down again." " Could be his last shot." " Fuck them." "How many hall-of-famers have over 3,000 hits?" "His mistake was not quitting when he was on top, ending his career when he was batting .161." "You can't quit when the team still needs you." "Yeah." "I worked for the city since before I could vote." "I'm not sure I know what anything else would even feel like." " You'd hate it." " How do you know?" "'Cause you need to be on the field." "The game is what keeps you going." "You'd shrivel up and die without it." " Recognize it?" " Why?" "I haven't been back there since" "You were running errands for Jack Manning" " at the housing authority." " The greasiest palm in the city." "Man taught me all I ever needed to know about how things work." "They were all in bed with Sorell" "All of 'em." "Paid off by that greedy fucking slumlord to look the other way while my family dodged rats and drug dealers." "You came and took one look, saw what this place had become." ""Screw Jack Manning," you said," ""and screw the housing authority."" "I was showing off for your sister." "Yeah." "As far as I'm concerned, that's the night you became Tom Kane." "No response yet from the mayor's office as the controversy shows no signs of abating." "Try again." "I don't care." "Try every five minutes until you reach him." "Reference to trichloro" "Birth defects, lung abnormalities, severe asthma." " Yeah?" " It's me." "What are you wearing?" "A suit of armor." "It's the middle of a work day." " It's Saturday." " Have you been watching the news?" " I need to see you." " Ben, primaries are four days away." " Are you focusing?" " I am, on you." " I need to see you." " I am in the middle of a shitstorm." "I am not gonna drop everything and trek out to Decatur." "You don't have to." "Come with me, one hour." "You came back to Chicago for a quick fuck?" "What's going on?" "What's going on?" "Get the fuck out of here, okay?" " You're wasting my time." " What if I drop out of the race?" "That's why I'm here." "I had a meeting with some people and they think I should quit." "Who's they?" "Cullen, Ross, others." "They came to me, proposed I drop out of the primary and..." " And?" " ..." "Run next year." " Next year?" " For mayor." "Against?" "Are you out of your fucking mind?" "They think I can win, that they can make it happen." " Well, they're using you." " For what?" "You just asked me yourself-- have you been watching the news?" "Forget a year, he may not be in office next Monday." "Don't underestimate." "You have no idea." "Even if he does bounce back, if I don't make this move," "I'm in his pocket the rest of my political life." "What about Ross's pocket or Cullen's pocket?" "It's different." "They're different." "I know how to handle them." " How are they different?" " This whole fucking thing is sinking." "We don't have to go down with it." "We have choices, options." "Why are you telling me all this?" "I'm telling you this because I trust my instincts and I trust yours." "I mean think about this." "How much have you had to compromise?" "Huh?" "Sacrifice?" "And for what?" "If he goes down, what are you left with?" "Is he worth it?" "Who else knows about all this?" " Who?" " Anyone who does is neck-deep in on it, and then there's you." "He's not gonna go down without a fight." "He will take this entire city down with him." "Maybe." "Maybe not." "Come here." "Things have changed." "Sorell rebuilt, of course." "Like roaches, the Sorells of the world..." " Mm-hmm." " ..." "Adapting to anything." "They could survive a nuclear attack, inherit the Earth." "Everybody came out on top, except maybe Sorell's insurance company." "So if you're ever worried whether you did the right thing" "You were an officer of the law, and I burnt down his fucking house." "When you choose between the lesser of two evils, your choice is still evil." "A necessary evil." "You do something bad to do something good." "I remember pouring turpentine along the base," "watch the flames lick at the bottom of the house before swallowing it whole." "The smoke was so blinding, you could hear the fire better than you could see it." "Electrical circuits popping, glass shattering, the hiss of appliances decompressing and then exploding." "And then steady, calm" "Wood burning." "Snap, crackle, pop" "Just like a bowl of Rice Krispies." "And then it was done." "And all I could think was" "I had no regrets." "It took me less than a year in Manning's office to see how things are done." "Fair play had about as much currency as the tooth fairy." "See, the thing is one necessary evil leads to another, till one day you can't differentiate between what's necessary and what's merely expedient." "And when that happens, you're done." "You're a monster." "Nice guys don't turn dumps into city parks or force landlords to clean up slums." "Not here." "It's nice here." "I should've visited before." "Yeah, try touring your city sometime, see what the monster has built." "I need a favor." "When we spend money on private estate coffee, you don't ruin it by serving it in a cardboard cup, you know?" "Sugar?" "Alderman Mata, are you fucking us?" "No." " Ross." " What about him?" "If there's a movement to impeach," "I assume if you knew anything, we'd hear about it, correct?" " Yes." " What factions, what kind of names, numbers, money." "Of course." "Hmm." "I understand it's tempting to consider alternative world views when the climate turns like this." " No." " But climates turn and turn again." "It would be terrible were you to land on the wrong side once things settle." "You've worked too hard to be suckered by wannabes who think this is their moment, yeah?" "Don't worry about the coffee." " Everything all right?" " Fine." "No, actually, I'm not." "I'm out of my mind, trying to reach the mayor." " Where is he?" " He'll be back when he's ready." " How's our boy doing?" " Numbers are up, right on target." " Where are they now?" " Uh, Decatur, I think, unless they've moved on to Urbana." "Nope." "Decatur until tomorrow morning." " When are you joining them?" " I don't know." "If the mayor ever reappears and we get this mess cleaned up, maybe I'll try to head out there in the next couple of days." "You should go anyway." "We can't afford to take chances, not now." "If Kane's pick loses, his chances of bouncing back are next to nil." "I wouldn't want to be responsible for that, would you?" "Uh, Mrs. Kane" "I'm not available, the mayor's not available and no, I don't know where he is or when he's coming back." "Um, she's in your office, sir," "Mrs. Kane." " Ezra." " Mrs. Kane." "Where is Tom?" "I don't know." "Is there something I can help you with?" "Do you mind if we talk candidly?" " No." " How bad is it?" "It's bad." "And Tom?" "How's he reacting?" "As he usually does." "It's hard to imagine, isn't it?" "The city without him, him without it." "But then, not impossible." "I've tried to picture it, the end" "Farewell dinners, dedications, interviews, maybe a statue." "But this?" " Well..." " He's been through worse." "We all have." "I wouldn't doubt his resilience." " Still?" " Yes." "My father always said that Tom was the kind of leader other men would follow into battle, that he had the vision to take this city into the next millennium." "So he'd found his successor, someone to perpetuate his legacy." "I was just a bridge between the two." "Tom would inherit the kingdom, my father would never have to step down, be a sort of mayor emeritus." "He thought the world of your father." "We all did." "Yes, but his tenure did end, didn't it?" "How about you?" "Have you thought about it, the end?" "What it would look like?" "When you talk to him, tell him to meet me at the house at 4:00 this afternoon and not to be late." "Of course." "Can I tell him what it's regarding?" "Dr. Reyes, it's Sam Miller again." "I'd really appreciate your calling me back when you have a chance." "I have a few follow-up questions regarding the mayor's involvement in the redacted medical reports." "Again, my number is 555-0158." "Thank you." "Why am I here?" "What do you expect to get from this, detective?" "Retired." "I left the force not long after I arrested your brother here." "He looks good." "Good job, the right meds" "He's pulled his life together." "I've made my peace with what happened." "It was a long time ago." "I carried it with me in silence and now it's time to speak." "Gemma Lewis." "Remember her name?" "When we found her, her neck was ripped open." "He did it with his teeth." "Left marks all over her, like an animal." "Do you remember?" "I do." "What do you want?" "What do you think would happen to him, to Mani, if all the details of the case were to finally be revealed?" "And not only that, but that you agreed to alter medical evidence in your report to make those details go away to save him?" "There's a statute of limitations." "Class X felony" "Aggravated criminal sexual assault." "It means he's accountable for up to 20 years after the victim turns 18." "Plenty of time for another trial." "And with the dental records and the DNA" "Just tell me what you want." "Remove Tom Kane from the toxic-waste equation, make a simple statement you acted on your own." "He had nothing to do with it." "Some deals are worth doubling down on." "No?" "The first secret that she has..." "In a way, I admire her." ""Man hath no greater love than to lay down his life for his brother."" "Except she laid down the lives of innocent children to save her werewolf brother." "And what does that make me?" " I should've called." " I told you I'd bring them by when I got them." "I just wanted some fresh air, clear my head." " I thought" " Can I get you anything?" " Some water or" " Yeah, some water'd be nice." "You look tired." "Yeah, maybe a little." "I'm not as resilient as I used to be." "That young man I saw leave" " Darius?" " Thanks." "He helps out." "You two seem close." "Dad." "I know." "It's a little late for me to be asking you questions about your-- Your boyfriends." "Only by about 15 years." "It's not too late." "Well, what does he do to help out?" "He transports supplies, that sort of thing." " Supplies?" " Dad." "Look, I don't want this to be difficult." "I want to tell you the truth and be honest about things." " Me too." " I can't afford to be compromised." "I know that." "I'm on top of it." "I know what I'm doing." "Trust me, okay?" "It's not too late for you to start doing that." "I promise you, he's as stunned as the rest of the city by her accusations." "That's the problem." "His word against Mother Teresa's." "And now with this brewing class action suit ahead of him" "We've been here before, countless times." "These accusations are politically motivated." "We know it." "We can see it." "Tom's always fighting off challenges like this, and he's always survived." "Yes, but this time he's got Elliot biting at his heels." "Your Elliot?" "Since he joined Bollingworth, Sanford  Wexler." "Watch out." "Young Mr. McGantry is looking for a game-changer to make his name on." "I'm sure he is, win or lose." "Look, I'm not gonna bullshit you, Meredith." "I don't give a damn who sits in city hall as long as there's consistency about the way we do things." "I know you know what I mean." "And I've always had a soft spot for you and your father, so I'm gonna give you a heads up." "There are some people making some serious moves against Tom." " How serious?" " Usually these threats peter out." "It's almost impossible to unseat an incumbent unless a star candidate presents himself." "Who?" "Drop the naivete." "It doesn't suit you." "It's a town of two when it comes to politics, you know that." "This kid is gathering a serious head of steam, could do anything with it." "Tom needs to watch his back." "It doesn't matter what we recommend." "Our hands are tied until we get a directive from the mayor." "I'm getting fried out there." " Should I go" " No, stay where you are." "Schedule a press conference today at 2:00." "Yes sir, and the talking points?" "Dr. Reyes will be retracting her former statement, absolving the mayor's office of any involvement" " in a cover-up." " Can I leak in advance on the reason?" "No, she has agreed to make the statement." "That, for the moment, will be enough." "Will she be taking questions?" "Sir, maybe we should prepare against pushback, questioning the viability of recanting such an explosive accusation without explaining it." "There's no need." " But in the public's view" " This has nothing to do with the public's confidence in the mayor." "It's a message aimed at a different constituency." " Thank you." " Sir, one more thing." "It's urgent." "Bensenville class action suit-- I spoke with them this morning." " They have us over a barrel." " Stop." "Do you know who I am?" "Yes sir, I believe so." "Spectators stand on the sidelines shaking their heads, lacking the balls." "Do you know what I mean?" " No sir." " When Truman nuked Japan, when Lincoln sent boys out to kill their cousins, you think they gave a shit about their approval rating?" " No sir." " Fuck the spectators." "If there's another city in this country that takes better care of its citizens, you tell me now which one you think it is." "Anyone?" "Good." "If in the course of doing what I believe is best for this city there is collateral damage," "who here wants to explain to me the position of those on the sidelines shaking their heads?" "Good." "Now you were saying about this lawsuit?" "Nothing, sir." "Just get me a deal." "I will settle this one." "They should've proposed one already anyway." "That's what I'm hearing." "It's already underway unless you announce you're not gonna seek reelection." " Who else is involved?" " I don't know." "Ross" " Find out, dig." "I need to know where he's vulnerable." "I'm fucking done with him-- Impeachment hearings." "Did you find her yet, the nurse?" " Not yet." "We will though." " Soon." "I can't afford to wait, not now." "I would first like to say how grateful..." "I am to Dr. Reyes for her willingness to come here and set the record straight." "It takes character and courage to admit a mistake." "This is an example of the kind of integrity that has defined her career." "Dr. Gabriela Reyes." "I wish to amend the statement" "I made yesterday regarding the redacted medical reports." "Jesus Christ!" " Mayor Kane had nothing at all to do with it." " What?" "I acted entirely alone." "I regret any aspersions" "I might have cast on the Kane administration" " or on the mayor himself..." " No." "No no no no." " ..." "Whose commitment to the health and welfare..." " No." " ..." "Of the citizens of Chicago is and has always been..." " Motherfucking" "Above reproach." "What did you get on her?" "It's not gonna work." "Reversing a huge public statement this quickly is only gonna raise public suspicion." "But this isn't about the public." "This is aimed at us, at me, at every alderman and ward boss." "You know what he's saying?" "He's saying, "come after me, motherfucker, because I'm staying where I am and your potential star witness is no more."" "Impeachment?" "Gone." "Period." "Thank you." "I know how difficult this was for you." " Did you see that?" " Yeah." "Change anything?" "Not if we jump on it before he's had time to recover." "He's upped the game, so we hit him back harder" "His own man running against him." "Speaks volumes." "Look, we have to be decisive and move fast." "I need your answer by tonight." "What are you doing home?" "I just needed a break." "I wanted to see you and see the kids." "Ben, four days to the primary-- What do you mean a break?" "The kids can wait." "I can wait." "We'll see enough of each other in Springfield." "Let's just get there." "I missed you." "Come on, cut it out." "Be serious." "Should I be worried?" "No, everything's fine." "You should go." "If the kids see you, it'll only make things worse." "It's better they believe you weren't here at all." "Ben." "I know it's hard, but everything will be okay." "As soon as this is over, everything is gonna be so much easier." " Whatcha got?" "Whatcha got?" " Come on, gimme the ball." "Hey!" "Oh boy!" "Come on, man." "You're lucky, boy." "Oh man." " Come on, man." " Hey, heads up." "Shoulda called." "You just don't drop by around here." "I did." "You didn't answer." " What's the matter?" " Your father." "I didn't like seeing him at the clinic" " and I didn't like him seeing me." " It's fine." "I told him you work there." " And?" " And what?" "Did he believe it?" "Well, you do, sort of." "It's not a joke-- What I do, who he is." "I know that." "I told you he's fine." "I have it under control." " Hey." " D!" " Shit!" "Fuck." " What's the matter?" " Oh, I don't like this." " No, it's just in case." " It's okay." " Oh shit." " Move it." "Come on, man, go!" " What's going on?" " Run!" " Come on!" "Let's go!" " What's going on?" " Run!" "Run!" "Go through here." "I'll meet up with you later." " Go go." " Fuck." " Oh fucking a." " Ah!" "Yeah." "Hey, now come on, man." "Okay." "You just wait here, okay?" " Don't" " Shh, shh!" "Hit him!" "Come on." "Anybody home?" "Over here." "Here here." " Will he be okay?" " I don't know." "I'm gonna call the police." "What the fuck are you thinking?" "We should call the police?" "We should call the police?" " Where do you think we are, huh?" " I just thought" "Thought what?" "Who do you think I am?" "What do you think all this is, some fucking project?" "Some fucking Robin Hood shit?" "Fucking fairy tale?" " That's not fair." " This is real and it's fucking dangerous." "And there is no fucking help." "Do you get that?" "So go back to your shelter where you can feel good about yourself for helping some poor colored people." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "Oh baby." "Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." "Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." "The situation has changed since her confession." "Confession?" "Hardly." "Coercion more like it." "Still, it changes everything." "He could come back." "Impeachment was always just a short-term opportunity." "We have to stay the course on this" " Just keep our heads, keep cool, play the long game." " Yeah, the long game." " Look, we hit him with the kid first and roll from there on." "We can't afford to break ranks." " No." " What he put on for us today in that press room was a pretty puppet show." "Don't flinch." " We need you." " See, you've got nothing to lose." "If he even finds out that I know about our play dates, let alone that I'm involved, it is over." "I am fucked." "Don't you ever get tired of being that man's bitch?" "It's been a long time." "My neighborhood has benefited greatly from Mayor Kane's generosity." " What are you saying?" " I don't know." "Just that maybe it's not the right time." "Maybe we wait." " We wait?" " Yeah." "I can't force you into anything." "Just know this:" "You are more than what he allows you to be." "More than just some affirmative action spic who brown-nosed his way into the council chamber." "You are right at the head of the fastest-growing immigrant population in the state, not to mention the country." "Now that's something he should acknowledge with more respect." "I would." "Oh what?" "Who?" "Oh look." "Grr." "How y'all doing?" "Yes." "Ezra Stone." "I just don't know what's wrong with him." "It's been going on for months." " I didn't sign up for that." " Hm-Mmm." "Hm-Mmm." "His skin, his coloring" "It's eating him from the inside." "Mmm, well, he's only gonna get worse." " I know." " So what do you want me to do?" "Get rid of him, because he's gonna bring you down too." "Do it before he gets any worse." " Oh." " He's an embarrassment." "I think he wets his bed." "You're stronger than him." " Oh." " Yes, you always have been." " Daddy." " Do what you need to do." "Things must go on." "I'm here." "I'm right here." "Tom." "Peter, good to see you." "Oh, it's nice to be invited." "I haven't been here in quite some time." "It's still a beautiful place." "My compliments." " Thank you." " Would you like a drink?" "Oh, no thanks." "I didn't want to divulge to Peter the reason you arranged for this little tete-a-tete in too much detail without you being here." "You have your own inimitable way of expressing your concerns." "I thought it best to wait." "The price one pays for a long marriage" "Predictability, I'm afraid." "But Peter here is aware of Mr. Miller's dogged nature." " Are you?" " Well, I read his column." " He's bright, impulsive." " Let's cut the shit, Peter." "He's burying me and Bentley doesn't have the balls to stop him." "Well, why should he?" "Every outlet's running with the story." "What difference does one reporter make?" "He broke the story." "His column leads the charge." "He goes dark, it takes considerable wind out of sails." "Well, I don't know, Tom." "It's selling papers." " Quid pro quo." " Are you gonna be around long enough for quid pro quo?" "The art of political survival" "One day at a time." "You make it through one, then the next." "String enough days together, people forget." "They move on to newer matters." "I need a breather" "Just a little" " Through the gubernatorial primary." "Well, there's a tower-- My tower." "I've been operating a radio station from it." "It has recently and quite suddenly been designated a Chicago landmark." " You know it, I believe." " Yes." "So now I can't make any alterations to accommodate a new broadcast tower, which is something I'm very anxious to do." "There are nine people on the landmark commission, all nine appointed by you." "I'll see what I can do." "It was a pleasure." "Next time it'll be the four of us and I'll do the cooking." "He doesn't keep me around just for my looks." "Thanks a lot." " Good night." " Bye-bye." "Farewell." "Ah." "Don't ever blind-side me again." "It was the right play to make." "Don't get ahead of yourself." "I would strongly advise against it." "Ezra, we're glad, believe us." "He put impeachment out of play." "But the real problem is how the people see him out there in the street." "They're not buying it." "The press conference just made it look like he bullied that woman into recanting." "And the kid's charismatic, but without Kane, why would we want him?" "He's unconnected, inexperienced." " What are you saying?" " Look, I gotta tell ya" "Cullen looks solid right now." "He's a known quantity, been doing the job for years." "That's good for contracts, relationships." "Everything that stands today remains stable with him." " We want stability." " Kane is your stability." "If he's in city hall." "But if he isn't," "Zajac's nothing but a smile." "Frank, what's the temperature in the 37th?" "My precinct captains are waiting, ready to mobilize and get out the vote whichever way Tom wants to go." "But I agree with everyone else" "As things stand, one choice is easier to pull for than the other." "No matter who wins the primary," "Tom Kane is staying in city hall, of that I am sure." "And I'm also sure that he will look back on this time and remember those who were able to overcome difficulties and deliver a majority for treasurer Zajac in their wards." "Then he will ask me for the names of those who did not." "That must've been some car accident." "How come the rest of you didn't get damaged?" "All depends on how you go through the windshield, I guess." " The angle." " Yeah." "Why am I here, Mr. Ross?" "How close are you to Lalo Mata?" " He's my alderman." " That's it?" "I've known him since I was little, from the neighborhood." "He's like my uncle." "And he's thrown some business your way in the past." "We're very grateful for that." " Suppose it were to stop." " Excuse me?" "What if there were no more contracts?" "That would not be good." "Mr. Ruiz, can I speak with you frankly?" "Yes yes, by all means." "There's a shift going on within the city administration." "Things are going to be different and soon." "I'm sorry to say that alderman Mata has found himself on the wrong side of that shift." " Uh-huh." " This shift means that contracts that were Mr. Mata's to dispense would now be mine to award as I saw fit..." "Yes." "Which is why I asked to speak to you today." "I wanted to let you know that I'd like to continue working with you and your company." "You are an integral part of how the city contracts are effectively and economically carried out." "Thank you, sir." "That" " That's it?" "Yes, that's it." " Thank you, Mr. Ross." " Mr. Ruiz." "Uh, Mata-- Alderman Mata-- so he's not involved anymore?" "Soon he won't be." "Not even as an alderman?" "I doubt it." "Thank you, Mr. Ross." " Yes sir?" " Get me alderman Mata on the phone, please." "Sir, it's ringing." "You gonna get that?" "Dental records." "You understand." "See, 20 years from now when the city council decides to turn this new terminal into a shopping mall and some nutball like me finds your skeleton, nobody'll know who the fuck it is." "Not indian burial sites, cement foundations or, uh, aldermen." "I should cut off your fingertips, avoid prints, but then soft tissue starts rotting almost immediately." "Did you know that if you bury a pig under the sidewalk, the cement starts to smell like pigshit?" "Like coffee." "And then there's bloat." "Just imagine if your body began pushing up the dirt." "Hmm?" "So this is gonna be a little tricky, but your body's gotta be ventilated." "The foundation that we're laying tomorrow, you know what it's for?" "The executive terminal." "Huh?" "Perfect, right?" "You can spend eternity kissing the feet of los jefes while they walk on your face, just like you did when you were alive." "Don't think of this as the end, Lalo." "Think of it as..." "As a transition." "Like everything in life, no one can live forever." "Hey." "Burns like hell, I know." "But lye's the best thing to speed the decomposition." "We'll do it publicly" "A press conference where you'll announce that you're dropping out of the gubernatorial race in order to focus on your upcoming candidacy for mayor." " Sounds good." " And I want you to hold it in front of city hall." "Mr. Zajac, nice to see you again." "Have a nice night." "Tom." "Thomas Kane?" "Hand it to me." "You've been served." "The Bensenville suit." "What happened to the goddamn deal?" " I'll look into it." " What the fuck is going on around here?" "What about the old man's nurse?" " We've got a lead." " Find her, Stoney, for God's sake." "Mrs. Kane." "Thank you for meeting me." "I don't have long." "I have only one question." "Are you prepared for the wrath of my husband?" "Because it'll be unlike any you've ever felt before." "That's a long drive for one question." "Running against him won't be easy." "I can help you win." "I guess that's not a question after all."