He's got to get the money back. He's got to put Beaumont down. He don't do that, what is he? What kind of man is he to run this thing we got? What do they think of him? What do I think of him?'
Joe's voice had none of the audition-booth resonance now; it was hoarse.
'What the fuck does he think of himself?'
'We got a problem,' I said. 'I don't say it can't be resolved, but it's a problem.'
'We got nothing against the broad,' Vinnie said.
'Sure,' I said. 'But what if she's with him when Gerry finds him, and he puts up a fight and Gerry has to kill him and she sees it? Or what if he's told her all about his deal with Gerry?'
'We guarantee her safety?' Joe said softly.
'You can't,' I said.
'You wouldn't take my word on it?' Joe said. 'Vinnie's word?'
'I'd take Vinnie's word, but not Gerry's.'
'Or mine?'
I shrugged.
'We can't guarantee it, Joe,' Vinnie said. His voice was flat, very careful.
Joe nodded slowly.
'You got a suggestion?' he said to me.
'I'll do the best I can, Joe. I don't like you but he's your kid. I find
Beaumont, I'll leave him in place and take the woman. I won't hold Beaumont for Gerry, and I won't tell Gerry where he is, but I'll leave him out there for Gerry to hunt.'
'You find him you give him to Vinnie,' Broz said.
'And Vinnie will put him where Gerry can find him and Gerry will think he won.'
Joe shrugged. I looked at Vinnie. Vinnie was staring past us both, looking at the harbor. There was no expression on his face.
'No,' I said. 'I won't give Beaumont to Vinnie.'
Joe sighed slowly.
'There's an option we ain't spoken of yet,' he said. He was tired; the ain't had crept in past his self- consciousness. 'We could whack you.'
'Maybe you could whack me,' I said. 'It's been tried. But where would that get you? It'll attract the attention of people you'd rather not attract. A lot of people know what I'm working on.'
'Hawk,' Vinnie said.
'For one,' I said. 'And there'd be a homicide investigation.'
'Quirk,' Vinnie said, as if he were counting off a list.
'So you trade me for them,' I said, 'maybe some others.'
My drink was gone. I didn't want another one. The room was full of harshness and pain and a bitterness that had been distilled by silence. I wanted to get out of there.
'It's my kid, Spenser,' Broz said. He sounded as if his throat were closing.
'I'm in sort of the same position, Joe.'
'He's got to get some respect,' Broz said.
I didn't say anything. Gerry wasn't going to get respect. He couldn't earn it and Joe couldn't earn it for him. Joe was silent, his hands folded, looking at his thumbs. He seemed to have gone somewhere.
After a while Vinnie Morris said, 'Okay, Spenser. That's it. We'll talk to you later.'
I stood. Broz didn't look up. I turned and walked toward the door across the big office. Vinnie walked with me.
At the door I said to Vinnie, 'If Gerry gets in my way I will walk over him.'
'I know,' Vinnie said. He looked back at Joe Broz. 'But if you do, you know who Joe will send.'
I nodded. I turned back and looked at Joe.
'Tough being the boss's son,' I said.
Joe didn't answer. Vinnie held the door open. And I went out.
CHAPTER 21
PEARL didn't like the rain. She hung back when Susan and I took an after-dinner stroll, even when Susan pulled on her leash. And when we prevailed through superior strength, she kept turning and looking up at me, and pausing to jump up and put her forepaws on my chest and look at me as if to question my sanity.
'I heard that if you step on their back paws when they jump up like that, they learn not to,' Susan said.
'Shhh,' I said. 'She'll hear you.'
