'But you know Haskell Wechsler.'
'Haskell. Yes.'
'You have regular appointments with him.'
'Yes.'
'Tell me about them.'
'I would not tell anyone these things, but Clifton says I must.'
'Clifton's your pimp?'
'Yes.'
'Where do you meet Haskell?' I said.
'Charles River Motel. He always has room 16.'
'In Brighton, on Western Avenue?'
'I don't know name of street. It is near the river. Past the television station.'
'How do you get there?'
'Man comes in a car, picks me up, and takes me there. When we are through, man takes me back.'
'Is Haskell always in the room when you get there?'
'No. I go first, man lets me in. Then I get ready. Mr. Haskell like me to wear kimono, silk slippers, lots of makeup. Mr. Haskell comes maybe half hour after I do.'
'He's alone?'
'Yes.'
'How long usually?'
'He stay an hour, maybe hour and half. He doesn't fuck me all time. He brings a bottle. We drink some of it. Mr. Haskell like to talk.'
'Who leaves first?'
'Mr. Haskell. After he is gone, I take shower, change clothes. Man comes back for me.'
'You do this regularly.'
'Tuesday and Thursday.'
'So you're scheduled for tomorrow.'
'Yes.'
'What time?'
'Three o'clock.'
I sat back in my chair and thought about things. Velvet drank her coffee.
'Clifton say you should do what we ask you to do?'
'Yes.'
I looked at Hawk.
'Smart move would be to scope this all out tomorrow and make our move next Tuesday.'
'Yep.'
'Want to do it that way?'
'Nope.'
'Tomorrow?' I said.
'Yep.'
I leaned back in my chair some more, looking at Velvet.
'Okay,' I said finally, 'tomorrow here's what we need you to do.'
Velvet listened with full attention while I told her. She seemed solely interested in doing what she was supposed to. She showed no interest at all in why.
chapter forty-one
WHILE WE WERE having dinner at Rialto, Susan said, 'We spent so much time talking to the police after the incident the other night that we haven't really discussed it with each other.'
'I know it.'
The waiter brought us a serving of broiled little necks.
'Hot,' he said to Susan.
'Like her?' I said.
