letters.
Hawk looked at it and said, ”What the fuck is that?“
I said, ”That’s Suze’s new vehicle. For Christmas I’m getting her some foxtails and a pair of big rubber dice.“
”That’s a big ten-four momma,“ Hawk said.
We went in. Susan was the only person I’ve ever seen that Hawk seemed to have any feeling about. He grinned when he saw her. She said, ”Hawk,“ and came over and kissed him. He gave her the two unopened bottles of champagne.
”Brought us a present,“ he said. ”Spenser promised supper.“
She looked at me. ”What am I, Howard Johnson’s,“ she said.
”You’re a real looker when you’re angry,“ I said.
She took the champagne and went toward the kitchen, ”Goddamn host of the goddamn highway,“ she said.
”You forgot to take my beer,“ I said.
She kept going. Hawk and I went into the living room. Paul was watching a bowling show on television. Patty was sipping what looked like bourbon on the rocks.
”This is Hawk,“ I said. ”Patty Giacomin and her son, Paul“
Paul looked at Hawk and then looked back at the bowling show. Patty smiled and started to get up and changed her mind and stayed seated.
”Are you the other one?“ she said.
Hawk said, ”Yes.“ He drank some champagne from the bottle.
Susan came back into the room with another bottle of champagne in a bucket and four fluted champagne glasses on a tole serving tray.
”Perhaps you’d care to try a glass,“ she said to Hawk.
” ‘Spect ah might, Missy Susan,“ Hawk said.
Susan said to Patty, ”May Paul have a glass?“ Patty said, ”Oh, sure.“
Susan said, ”Would you care for a glass, Paul?“
Paul said, ”Okay.“
Patty Giacomin said to Hawk, ”I’d like to thank you for what you did today.“
Hawk said, ”You’re welcome.“
”I really mean it,“ Patty said. ”It was so brave, I was so terrified. You were wonderful to help.“
”Spenser gave me two hundred dollars,“ Hawk said. ”I figure it’ll show up in his expense voucher.“
”Are you a detective too?“ Patty said.
Hawk smiled. ”No,“ he said. ”No, I am not“ His face was bright with mirth.
I said, ”I’m going to put this beer away,“ and went into the kitchen. Susan came out behind me.
”Just what in hell do you think we’re going to feed these people?“ Susan said.
”Got any cake?“ I said.
”I’m serious. I don’t have anything in the house to serve five people.“
”I’ll go get something,“ I said.
”And let me entertain your guests?“
”Your choice,“ I said. ”I don’t care to have a fight though.“
”Well, don’t do this to me. I don’t simply sit around here waiting for your problems to drop by.“
”Love me, love my problems,“ I said.
”Sometimes I wonder if that’s a worthwhile tradeoff.“
”There you go,“ I said, ”talking that education management jargon again.“
She was looking in the refrigerator. ”If I want to say trade-off, goddammit, I’ll say trade-off. I’ve got some of that Williamsburg bacon. We could make up a bunch of BLTs.“
”Toasted,“ I said. ”And on the side, some of those homemade bread-and-butter pickles we did last fall.“
”And cut flowers in a vase, and the Meyer Davis Orchestra? You better go back in and help out on the conversation. Hawk must be ready to jump out of his skin.“
”Not Hawk,“ I said. ”He doesn’t mind silence. He doesn’t want to talk. He won’t talk. He doesn’t sweat small talk much.“
”He doesn’t sweat anything too much,“ Susan said, ”does he?“
”Nope. He’s completely inside. Come on in and talk a bit, then we’ll all transfer to the kitchen and make sandwiches and eat. There’s some cheese too, and a couple of apples. It’ll be a feast“ I patted her lightly on the backside. ”Besides, we need your advice.“
