”My advice to you, big fella, is to keep your hands to yourself,“ she said.
I opened another beer and we went back into the living room. Hawk was stretched out in a wing chair near the fireplace, feet straight out in front of him, body slumped easily in the chair. When we came in, he took a small sip from his champagne glass and put it back on the end table near him. Patty and Paul were watching the six o’clock news. No one was talking.
I sat in a Boston rocker on the opposite side of the fireplace from Hawk.
I said, ”Paul, you did good today.“
He nodded.
”Patty,“ I said, ”tell me what happened.“
”I came out of the supermarket and three men with guns made me get into the car. That one that came to our house was one of them.“
”Buddy?“ I said.
”Yes. He sat in front with the driver and the other man sat in back with me and we drove to a pay phone in Boston. Then we drove to the bridge and they told me to get out and start walking. Other than that they didn’t talk to me at all or say anything.“
”You recognize any of them, Hawk?“
”Dude I threw in the river is Richie Vega. He used to shake down massage parlors.“
Patty said, ”My God, how would Mel find people like that to hire?“
Hawk raised his head slightly and looked at me. I shrugged. Hawk let his chin settle back onto his chest.
Patty Giacomin said to Hawk, ”Do you know my husband?“
Hawk said, ”No. Not if he go by Mel Giacomin.“
”Well, that’s his name.“
Hawk nodded.
Patty said, ”Do you know what this is all about?“
Hawk said, ”No.“
”You got in a fight with three men and they had guns, and you threw one into the river, and you don’t even know why?“
Hawk said, ”Yeah, that’s right.“
”And you’re not a detective or anything?“
”Nope.“
Paul was watching and listening. We had distracted him from the tube.
”A strong-arm man?“ he said.
”Yeah, something like that,“ I said.
The newscasters joked painfully with the weather forecaster on television.
I said to Susan, ”I don’t know how much Patty’s told you since she arrived, but for your benefit and Hawk’s I’ll run through it very quickly.“
I did.
When I got through, there was silence. Hawk seemed almost asleep. Only the evening news mewled in one corner.
Susan said, ”You can’t continue this way. You and your husband will have to negotiate.“
”After what he pulled today?“ Patty said. ”I will not talk to that man.“
”What about the law?“ Susan said.
”The law has already given me custody.“
”But kidnapping,“ Susan said. ”Kidnapping is illegal.“
”You mean report him to the police.“
”Certainly. You can identify at least two of the men. Hawk and Spenser can testify that they had indeed kidnapped you. Surely the police could trace it back to your husband.“
Susan looked at me. I nodded. Hawk sipped champagne and put the glass back gently on the end table. He was nearly prone in the chair, his feet stretched out and crossed at the ankles.
”He’d kill me,“ Patty said.
”You mean you’re afraid to tell the police because of what your husband would do?“
”Yes. He’d be furious. He’d… I can’t do that.“
”But he’s already had you kidnapped. Aren’t you already afraid of him?“
”But he wouldn’t try to hurt me. If I told, he’d… I can’t. I can’t do that.“
”So do you plan to employ me permanently?“ I said.
