“You got any problem with us looking into this?” I said.
“No,” Quirk said. “I hope you find out who did it and Hawk kills him. What’s he doing in this?”
“Hard to say about Hawk,” I said.
“We won’t bother you,” Quirk said. “I want someone to go down for killing the kid and her baby. We got the slugs. We can identify the gun if we find it.”
“I know,” I said. “Nine millimeter. I’ll keep an eye out.”
“Not hard to find on Hobart Street,” Quirk said. “We can help, we will. Hawk wants to handle it his way, be fine with me.”
“Me too,” I said.
CHAPTER 11
When Hawk picked me up in the morning there was a woman with him. She was stunning and black with a wide mouth and big eyes and her hair cut fashionably short. She wore a light gray suit with a short skirt. Even sitting in the car she was tall, and her thighs were noticeably winsome. I got in the back. Hawk introduced us. The woman’s name was Jackie Raines. In her lap she held a briefcase.
“Jackie’s going to sit with us today,” Hawk said. He put the Jag in gear and we slid away from the curb in front of Susan’s place and headed down Linnaean Street.
“Good,” I said. “I was getting really sick of you.”
“I’m a producer,” Jackie said. “For The Marge Eagen Show.”
“Television?” I said.
“My God, yes,” Jackie said. “It’s the most successful local talk show in the country.”
“Un huh,” I said.
“Not a fan?” Jackie said.
“Mostly I only watch television if there’s a ball involved, or maybe horses.”
“Well, Marge wants to do a major, week-long, five-part series on the gangs in Boston,” Jackie said. “And she spoke to me about it. She thought we’d be best to focus on an event related to one gang, in one locale. We knew of course about the murder and the problems at Double Deuce, so I spoke to Hawk.”
“Of course,” I said.
“I thought if anyone could help those people it would be Hawk, and I could tag along and get my story. And we could get it on in time for sweeps period.”
I smiled.
“That sounds swell,” I said. “Have you and Hawk known one another for long?”
“I’ve known Jackie most of my life,” Hawk said. Jackie put her hand lightly on his thigh.
“I hadn’t seen Hawk for years, and then, after my divorce, I ran into him again.”
“Gee whiz, Hawkster,” I said. “You forgot to mention Jackie when you hired me to solve the murders and save all the poor folks at Double Deuce. How’d you happen to hear about the problems at Double Deuce, Jackie?”
“The local minister, man named Orestes Tillis,” Jackie said. “He wants to be a state senator.”
“Anyone would,” I said. “So Hawk and I are going to clean up Double Deuce and you’re going to cover it, and Marge Eagen is going to be able to charge more for commercial time on her show. And Rev Tillis will get elected.”
“I know you’re being cynical, but I guess, in fact, that’s the truth. On the other hand, if you do clean up Double Deuce, it really will be good for the people there. Regardless of Marge Eagen or Orestes Tillis. And whoever killed that child and her baby… ”
“Sure,” I said.
“He’s just mad,” Hawk said, “because he likes to think he’s a catcher in the rye.”
“I’m disappointed that I didn’t figure it out something was up.”
“I don’t follow this,” Jackie said.
“Hawk seemed to be helping people for no good reason. Hawk doesn’t do that.”
“Except you,” Hawk said.
“Except me,” I said. “And Susan, and probably Henry Cimoli.”
“Who’s Susan?” Jackie said.
“She’s with me,” I said.
“I thought of money, or getting even, or paying something off. I never thought of you.”
“Me?”
“He’s doing it for you.”
Jackie looked at Hawk. Her hand still rested quietly on his thigh.
“That why you’re doing it, Hawk?” she said.
