'What'd you get?' he said.
'Might be chicken,' I said.
'How about you?'
'They steamed the steak, just right,' Hawk said.
'You think he don't want you to find Bibi?'
'Yeah.'
'Why?'
'Because I think he killed Shirley Ventura. And Bibi knows it, or knows enough to let us figure it out.'
Hawk chewed silently and swallowed.
'You ever wonder why they don't just serve you couple nice sandwiches on an airplane,' he said. '
'Stead of trying to microwave you a five-course meal that tastes like a boiled Dixie cup?'
'Often,' I said.
Hawk drank his champagne.
'Anytime somebody get killed and Marty in the area, it's a decent bet he done it,' Hawk said.
'Plus they had something going,' I said.
'She used to meet with him regularly. And she had the phone number of his hotel in Vegas when she was killed.'
'Plus he had something going with her old man.'
'Which might have had something to do with the mob realignment that was developing.'
'Maybe Bibi will know something,' Hawk said.
Cabin attendant Cheryl came by.
'Did you enjoy your meal, sir?' she said to Hawk.
'Horse died hard,' Hawk said.
Cheryl smiled.
'More champagne?'
'Be a fool not to,' Hawk said.
Cheryl produced a bottle at once and filled Hawk's glass.
'I'll keep it chilled for you up front,' she said.
Hawk nodded gently.
'Be nice if you did,' he said.
'And I'll check back regularly,' she said.
As she walked away there was a little extra something in the way her hips moved, I thought.
'You think Cheryl's in love with you?' I said.
'Yes,' Hawk said.
We survived the landing in Dallas. Cheryl gave Hawk a small slip of paper as we were getting off. He smiled at her and slipped it into his shirt pocket. Hawk and I killed an hour very dead strolling around DFW, and then got a plane to Vegas.
'Did I see Cheryl slip you her phone number?' I said to Hawk when we were airborne and I was able to get my teeth unclenched.
Hawk took the folded paper out of his shirt pocket and looked at it.
'Full name, address, and phone number.'
'Does it say 'For a good time call Cheryl'?'
'
'Course not, you think she forward or something.'
'She based in Boston?' I said.
'Dallas,' Hawk said.
'Too bad.'
Hawk shrugged.
'Maybe stop off on my way back,' he said.
'Be a fool not to,' I said.
'Lester going to pick us up?'
