Patty's eyes were bigger than was possible. 'No,' she said. 'No, no.'
'Does my mother know what you're running away from?' Paul said. There was a rasp in his 209
voice now. I was perfectly still, near him, and a little behind. I looked at
Rich Beaumont. But I said nothing. This was Paul's, not mine.
'Hey, kid, you got some kind of bad mouth,' Beaumont said. 'For crissake lighten up. We went off and didn't tell you. So let's not make a big fuck ing deal about it.'
'Richard!' Patty said and put the back of her hand against her mouth.
'Do you know?' Paul said.
'Paulie, you stop this. I was glad to see you, but now you're spoiling everything.'
'Ma,' Paul said. He was leaning forward a little as he talked.
'Listen to me,' he said. 'Do you know who you're with? Do you know why he doesn't want anyone to know where he is? Do you know why he bought the house under another name? And where he got the money?'
They both spoke at once. Rich said, 'Hey-'
And Patty said, 'Damn you, Paul, I don't want to know! I'm happy, don't you understand that? I'm happy.'
Everyone was quiet then for a moment until Paul said, 'Yes, but you're not safe.'
The silence rolled in as if from a far place and settled in the room.
Everyone stood still, not knowing what to say. Except me. I knew what I should say, which was nothing. And I kept saying it.
Finally Patty looked at Rich, and he said, 'Kid, you got no business coming in here and talking like that. And you wouldn't get away with it if you didn't have this Yahoo with you.'
'That may be,' Paul said, 'but here he is.'
The Yahoo smiled charmingly and said nothing. He was musing over the prospect of stung Rich up the chimney flue if the opportunity appeared.
From the sofa where she had settled, Pearl yawned largely. Her jaws opened so wide when she yawned that it ended with a squeak which may have been her jaw hinge. I was never quite sure.
'Paul,' Patty said. 'Please. Don't do this. I've found someone. Rich cares about me. You don't know what being alone is like.'
'The hell I don't,' Paul said.
From where I stood I could look into the big round gilded Eagle mirror over the fireplace and see my car parked down the slope of the lawn-to-be.
'What did you mean about safe?' Patty said.
'Are you going to tell her?' Paul said to Rich. 'Or am I?'
'I am,' Beaumont said. 'It's not as bad as it sounds, but I was in business with a guy who turned out to have mob connections, and I took some money he says belongs to him.'
'And they want it back,' Patty said.
Beaumont nodded.
'Well, just give it to them,' Patty said.
Beaumont shook his head.
'Why not?' Patty said. 'Tell them you're sorry and give them the money.' 'And this house?' Beaumont said.
'Yes, certainly, sell it. Tell them you'll make good. You have some money.'
'None I haven't stolen,' Beaumont said. There was no scornfulness in his voice this time, nor selfregard. It was the voice of someone noticing an ugly thing about himself.
'I don't care. Give it to them. We have each other, we can start over, give them the money back.'
Beaumont was silent. Paul looked at me.
'It's not that simple,' I said. 'They intend to kill him.'
Patty put her hand to her mouth again in the same gesture she'd used when
Beaumont said fuck. Patty's reaction range was limited.
'But if he gives the money back…' she said.
Beaumont was looking past her out the sliding doors at the end of the living room, which opened out onto the green and yellow woods. He didn't say anything.
'It's a matter of principle now,' I said. 'These particular people can't let him get away with it. They have to kill him.'
All of us were quiet.
Patty said, 'Richard?'
Beaumont nodded.
