“That there was hanky-panky between Milo and Amir.”
Hawk smiled.
“That what I’d think,” he said.
“So,” I said. “We don’t want to be homophobic about this.”
“So hanky-panky it is,” Hawk said.
“On the other hand,” I said, “you’ve read the literature. For the leader of this movement to be having an affair with a gay black militant is not just miscegenation, for crissake, it’s treason.”
“You right,” Hawk said. “Couldn’t happen. Be like J. Edgar Hoover running around in a dress.”
“Exactly,” I said. “Impossible.”
I did some curls. Hawk worked on his triceps a little. I did some dips. Hawk worked on his lats. Henry strolled past us and explained to someone that the leg extension machine gave you a better workout if you put some weight on it. He showed them how to set the weight, then he walked back past Hawk and me without looking at us.
After a while Hawk said, “I feelin‘ short on electrolytes.”
“Me too,” I said. “Luckily Henry keeps some in his office.”
We went back into Henry’s office that looked out over the harbor and got some beer out of the refrigerator.
“Milo is speaking out in Fitchburg,” I said. “I thought I’d go out and listen.”
“Why?”
“Why not? Right now I got so little that knowing what he looks like will help.”
Hawk nodded.
“I had a lover in Maine,” he said, “and he coming to Fitchburg, maybe I arrange to meet him.”
“Why don’t you stick with Amir,” I said. “And I’ll tag along behind Milo Quant. And we’ll see.”
“Say we catch them doing the hoochie coochie,” Hawk said. “What we got?”
“More than we got now,” I said.
“That much,” Hawk said.
“Well, we’ve got some stuff,” I said. “We’ve already got Amir connected to an outfit that is capable of pitching someone out a window.”
“True.”
“What we don’t have is proof that they did it, or any reason why.”
“Prentice a blackmailer,” Hawk said.
“Could be a reason,” I said.
“Don’t forget why we doing this,” Hawk said.
“I know. Robinson’s tenure,” I said. “I think we’ve got enough now. But it’s messy. I want it clean.”
“How often you get clean?” Hawk said.
I grinned.
“Figure I’m due,” I said.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
I was getting ready to drive out to Fitchburg when KC Roth called me on the phone.
“I’m sorry about the other day,” she said.
“Un huh.”
“I guess I’m a little crazy right now.”
“Probably.”
“It’s not easy being me, you know.”
“I know.”
“I’m alone, I have no prospects, I need support. I guess sometimes I get a little too aggressive.”
“Nothing wrong with aggressive,” I said. “But you need to focus it properly.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re not alone.”
“The question isn’t whether it’s easy for me to say. The question is am I right?”
“I didn’t call up for you to give me advice,” KC said.
“No,” I said. “Of course you didn’t.”
“It’s frankly none of your goddamned business.”
“It was,” I said. “But now it isn’t.”
