Satisfied with himself for keeping up the friendship with Dan, Alipang did as much of his morning limber-up exercises as his present condition permitted, then headed downstairs to fix his own breakfast.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Meanwhile, in the county jail, a man using the street name of Icewolf was meeting with his lawyer. This lawyer had made his career out of defending men whom he knew to be guilty; even more than the money, he was in it for the intoxicating pride of _making_ "the truth" be what he commanded it to be.
"It looks bad, Icewolf. You know how the cops will store up information, all the bits and pieces, even before there's enough to get a conviction. Then when something tips the scales, all the files come open, and all at once there's a _massive_ case against you. Haven't I always told you there's a drawback to using juveniles? They're all emotions, no brains, and that can screw up everything. It _has_ screwed up everything."
"[OBSCENITY], I know, Hank, I know. Stupid [OBSCENITY] children, trying to play gangster, pulling that pathetic attempt on the Filipino kid in the park! Those [PLURAL OBSCENITY] were doomed from the start to be caught; and then doomed to be scared into telling the [OBSCENITY] pigs what they knew.
"But I see one chance, Hank. That's to make it look like they busted the wrong guys--by trying to get some action going outside _while_ the boys and I are inside. I want you to help me find out who's left free of the fringe recruits. Believe me, I _won't_ trust them for any substantial [OBSCENITY]; but it may help if they just make some noise on the street in the gang's name...."