It was a standard reaction for a guy like Gerry. If I'd said George Washington he'd have said the same thing. College hadn't helped Gerry all that much.
'My question exactly,' I said.
'Why ask me?'
'Because Bobby mentioned your name to my associate,' I tipped my head toward Hawk, 'and suggested you were a tight personal friend.'
Gerry raised both hands in front of him palm out.
'Never heard of the guy,' he said.
'Bobby says he asked you to point him at a good hitter, and you sent him to Hawk.' Gerry pushed out his lower lip and shook his head.
'I was supposed to be the hittee,' I said. There was a little movement in Gerry's eyes for a moment and then nothing.
'Would I send a guy to Hawk if he wanted you hit?' Gerry said. 'How stupid you think I am?'
'Awful stupid,' I said. 'Bobby didn't tell you who he wanted hit.'
'Look, asshole,' Gerry said. 'I told you I don't know nothing about no Bobby Deegan. You unnerstand? Nothing.'
'Gerry,' I said, 'I've known you since you were a boy.'
'You're a pain in the ass. You been a pain in the ass to the old man and you're a pain in the ass to me. The old man let it slide. I don't know why. He does what he does. But I ain't going to let it slide. You hear me talking? You get in my way and you're going to sleep with the fishes.' Gerry's voice was soft, but he leaned forward and his face was reddish-looking as he spoke.
I turned toward the counter.
'Hawk, you hear this conversation?' I said. Hawk shook his head.
'Gerry says if I get in his way I'm going to sleep with the fishes.'
Hawk's quiet face broke into a slow widening grin.
'Sleep with the fishes?' he said.
I was smiling too. 'Yeah.'
Hawk began to chuckle quietly and then to laugh and finally he bent over on his stool and pressed his hands against his stomach and laughed.
'Sleep with the fishes,' he said, his voice shaking. 'Sleep with the fucking fishes.' There was a slim black guy who looked like a cabbie sitting next to Hawk at the counter, and in another booth there were two Irish looking women, who had probably walked the kids to school and were on their way home. All three studiously ignored the hilarity.
'Guppies,' I said to Gerry, 'could I sleep with some guppies? I always sort of liked guppies.'
Gerry was redder than before. He jerked his head at Jojo and said, 'Let's get the fuck out of here.'
Jojo slid off the stool and stood by the booth as Gerry edged out of the booth and stood up. 'Does this mean you're not going to tell me about Bobby Deegan?' I said.
'Fuck you,' Gerry said, and stomped out of the coffee shop. Jojo barely got to the door in time to hold it for him. Through the window I saw them get into a charcoal gray Mercedes sedan, Jojo behind the wheel, and drive away.
Hawk got off the stool and stood beside me looking through the window.
'Not productive,' I said.
'Counterproductive,' Hawk said. 'Now we got to worry about Bobby Deegan putting a hit on you cause you screwing up his scam, and we got to worry about Gerry putting a hit on you cause you hurt his feelings.'
'Had to ask,' I said.
'Sure,' Hawk said.
'Hurting Gerry Broz's feelings isn't a bad day's work,' I said.
'True,' Hawk said.
19
I was back on paralegal watch when Chantel knocked on the frame of the open door. I put my feet on the floor and stood.
'Come in,' I said.
She was wearing black stockings and a red leather mini skirt and a silver gray silk blouse with the top three buttons open. Her highheeled shoes were gray and she wore a silver gray duster open over her outfit. She walked in slowly, looking at my office the way people look around at a museum. She stopped maybe two feet in front of my desk, holding her black alligator purse in front of her thighs with both hands. Her hair wasn't corn rowed today, it framed her head in soft black curls. She wore eye makeup and red lipstick, and probably more subtle stuff that I didn't know about. She looked maybe twenty years old and she was beautiful.
'I . . .' she started and stopped. She looked back at the open door. 'Can I close the door?' she said.
