'Think a big white bunny hops in every Easter and leaves eggs for the kids?'
'Sure,' Hawk said.
We were nearly through our beer when Tony Marcus came down the hall with his bodyguard. Some people think a huge bodyguard will discourage people. Tony's would have discouraged the Marine Corps. He barely fit through the hallway.
'That's Junior,' Hawk said. 'He got his own zip code.'
'Junior,' I said.
Hawk shrugged.
Tony didn't speak to Hawk. He looked past him at me.
'Figured it was you,' he said.
The group in the front booth had turned in their seats, and Ty-Bop had stepped out of the booth and was standing beside it. He had an earring. His longish hair was pomaded and slicked back against his skull. He was never quite still as he stood there, shifting his weight slightly from one foot to another, rocking back and forth a little on his heels, drumming with his finger against his thighs.
'How ya doing?' I said.
'You both got some fucking balls,' Tony said. 'Coming in here.'
'Balls are us,' I said. 'We need a favor.'
'A favor? A fucking favor?'
Hawk was looking at the bodyguard. His face had a look of benign amusement.
'What you feed him, Tony? Hay?'
If the bodyguard heard Hawk, he registered nothing. Probably too busy looming. A corner of Tony's mouth moved as if he were tempted to smile. His hair was grayer than it had been when I first knew him and his neck looked softer and his jawline was a little more blurred. But he was still a handsome man, expensive-looking, and very neat in his person.
'You sent me up,' Tony said.
'Shoulda been life,' Hawk said. 'And you out in three years.'
'I ain't some fucking street thug,' Tony said. 'What you want?'
'You know Haskell Wechsler?' I said.
'That prick?'
'That one,' I said. 'You owe him anything.'
'I owe him a kick in the ass, I ever get the chance,' Tony said.
'Here's your chance,' I said.
'I'm waiting,' Tony said.
'We want to take Haskell down,' I said. 'We do and it leaves all his loansharking business up for grabs. Broz is too old now to care about expanding. Fast Fddie only does Asians. Leaves you and Gino.'
'And the Italians,' Tony said. 'And the Irish guys.'
'You'll know ahead of time he's going,' I said. 'Gives you an edge.'
'Whaddya want from me?'
'Haskell's always got a lot of shooters around him.'
''Course he does,' Tony said. 'Everybody knows him wants to kick his nasty ass.'
'We need to get Haskell alone, and the only time we can think of,' Hawk said, 'is when he's getting laid.'
'You think Haskell can get laid?'
'We figure he pays for it,' I said.
''Course he does,' Tony said. 'Who would fuck him but a whore?'
'So you run the whore business in town.'
'Yeah?'
'If he was to employ a whore,' I said, 'and she was to let us know where and when, and bow out, we could go talk to Haskell.'
'That's the favor?'
'Uh huh.'
'And when he goes down, you let me know, first. 'Fore it happens.'
'Uh huh.'
Tony smiled gently to himself. I could tell he liked it.
'I'm going to be thinking about it,' he said.
