past.
'You think be hard to kill you?'
'Yeah,' I said.
'Be hard.'
Eddie Lee dug another cigarette out of his pocket and lit it with the butt of the first one, dropped the butt into a small vase filled with sand, and left the new cigarette smoking in the corner of his mouth. Then he looked at me and spoke in Chinese. I held his look and when he finished Mei Ling translated.
'He says he is a sensible man,' Mei Ling said.
'He says he recognizes that killing you now would cause trouble among your friends, some of whom are police. He says this does not mean he can't kill you, but that he has decided not to for now. He says the smuggling of people will not end. But it will end in Port City. And he says if you keep him informed, and do not cause any trouble, you may continue to investigate. No Chinese people will interfere with you.'
'Does he know anything that can help me?' I said.
Eddie Lee shook his head before Mei Ling could translate.
'You know anything about a woman named Jocelyn Colby?'
Eddie Lee had to wait for Mei Ling on this. The name probably confused him. When she finished translating, he shook his head., 'Ever hear the name?'
He shook his head.
'Was DeSpain in Lonnie's pocket?' I said.
'Yes,' Eddie Lee said.
'But you don't want him involved in the case?'
Eddie Lee looked at Mei Ling. She translated. Eddie Lee shook his head.
'Chinese business,' Eddie Lee said. Then he smiled suddenly.
'And you,' he said.
CHAPTER 49
Hawk was wearing a white leather trenchcoat and aviator sunglasses and leaning on his car when I met him in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn at Portsmouth Circle, just south of the bridge over the Piscataway River. On the other side of the bridge was Maine.
It was cold near the water and Hawk had his collar turned up as he leaned on the white Jaguar.
'Ran a little farther than we thought she would,' I said.
'She on the second floor, in the back,' Hawk said.
'Vinnie's watching the room from out back. Only other way out is through the lobby and out that door.'
'Have any trouble with the desk clerk?' I said as we started toward the lobby.
'Naw. Been watching you close. I think I learning.'
'Sometimes the desk clerks are hard to get around,' I said.
We went into the small lobby. The dining room was to the right. The desk straight ahead. Behind the desk was a good-looking young black woman, wearing large hoop earrings. She smiled very brightly at Hawk. He nodded at her.
'And sometimes they're not,' I said.
On the second floor, Hawk said, 'Number 208, down here on the right.'
'You got a pass key?' I said.
Hawk grinned and produced one.
'
'Course I do,' he said.
'What did you tell her?'
'The sister at the desk? Told her she was the most exciting woman I ever had,' he said.
'And?'
'Told her you was my boss and it was your first wedding anniversary and you wanted to set up a nice surprise for your wife.'
'And you needed a key to set it up.'
'Un huh.'
'And then you mentioned again how she was very important to you.'
'Un huh.'
'This smacks of sexist exploitation,' I said.
'Do,' Hawk said, 'don't it.'
