'Could of saved a lot of energy if we'd burned a couple people in there early. Nothing like a couple gunshots to clear an area,' Hawk said.
'Too crowded,' I said. 'No way to know who you're shooting. Most people in there didn't deserve to get shot.'
Hawk grinned. 'Deserve,' he said. He spat some pinkish saliva onto the sidewalk under the streetlight.
When we got to the car, April was sitting in the front seat with Susan.
Chapter 32
'She came with me on her own,' Susan said. Hawk and I had climbed into the back past April's tipped-forward seat.
'I called the police and then I came back and stood outside. Several people came out, including the man from upstairs, and then April came out and saw me and walked over. When the police came we walked back to the car to get warm.' Susan drove slowly past the Poitras house, waved on by the motorcycle cop.
'Why do you suppose they wear those high boots?' Susan said. 'Is there some motorcycle reason for it?'
'Make them think they cavalry,' Hawk said.
Susan turned up Gloucester and then left onto Marlboro. “I assume we're going to your place,' she said.
'Yeah. You need a ride to your car, Hawk?'
He shook his head. 'I'll walk down from your place and catch a cab in front of the Ritz.'
Susan pulled up half a block from my front door. 'My God,' she said, 'there's a parking spot.'
Hawk and I were silent.
'I can't stand it again,' Susan said. She opened the door and got out. April got out as soon as Susan did. Hawk got out and stood with them while I backed the Bronco into the first space I'd seen open on Marlboro Street since Labor Day weekend. Then I got out and joined them.
'Send me a bill,' I said to Hawk.
He nodded, nodded at April, kissed Susan good-bye, and headed down Marlboro, walking as he did everything, without seeming effort, moving. to the rhythm of some internal and volitionless mechanism. I watched him go for a minute and then turned and gestured toward the apartment.
'In case you have to wee wee,' I said to April. 'There's a place upstairs.'
'I don't need to,' she said.
We went up. My apartment smelled empty. It was neat, the cleaning person had been there. Somehow that made it worse. It looked like one of those display rooms in department stores.
'Anyone hungry?' I said.
April shrugged. Susan said, 'Yes.'
'I'll make something while we talk,' I said. 'A drink while I'm cooking?'
Susan had coffee. April wanted Pepsi, but settled for a beer. Me too.
April sat beside Susan at the counter. On the other side of the counter I was working my magic. While I worked it, I talked to April.
'You got a plan, kid?'
'For what?'
'For what you're going to do tomorrow?'
'Can I stay here tonight?'
'Yes.'
April drank a little beer from her glass. I could see she didn't like it much. Hard to warm up to someone who didn't like beer. Suze had managed to overcome that handicap, but it wasn't a good start. 'And tomorrow?' I said.
She shrugged. 'You gonna drag me out to see Mommy and Poppy?'
'No.'
April looked at Susan. Susan smiled neutrally and drank some coffee. She could smile a hole through Mount McKinley whenever she felt like it, and I was never able to figure out how she could modify the smile to neutral, or even, when she chose, disapproval.
I had a country patd I'd made from lamb and duck and pistachio nuts and an anchovy. I sliced that up and made sandwiches on whole wheat bread. I put the platter of sandwiches out with a dish of bread-and-butter pickles that Susan and I had made in September from a bunch of small funny-looking cucumbers we'd bought at a farm stand in Danvers. 'Well, what are you gonna do with me?' April said. 'What do you want me to do?' I said.
Susan picked up half a sandwich and ate a bite. 'Do you have any of that peach chutney that Paul gave you?' Susan said. I did. I got the jar out and put it on the counter. Susan took a small forkful and put it on her saucer. She took a dab from the plate and ate it and took another bite of the sandwich.
April looked at her sandwich. 'What is this,' she said. 'Pat(-,' I said.
'What's that?'
'It's like meatloaf,' I said.
