'You think they stop?' Hawk said.
'No,' Tony said. 'They want it all.'
'So you going to have to step up sooner or later,' Hawk said.
'They also pretty bad,' Tony said.
'That so?' Hawk said.
'You should know,' Tony said.
'Why Gillespie come to me?' Hawk said. 'Why didn't you protect him?'
Tony looked at the ceiling above his desk for a while. He had short salt-and-pepper hair and a big moustache. He had on a tie, as he always did. His shirt was immaculate. His suit fit him perfectly. He was even a little soft around the neck as befits a successful middle-aged executive.
'Luther and I were, ah, in disagreement,' Tony said.
'You thought he holding out on you?' Hawk said.
'I did.'
'So you left him on his own?' Hawk said.
'I did.'
'Mistake,' Hawk said.
Tony nodded.
'But I cut a guy off, I can't go bailing him out later, you unnerstand. I do that, pretty soon everybody be trying to fuck with me and I have to do some major bang bang.'
'Many of the people they've moved in on been in disfavor?' I said.
'Disfavor.' Tony shook his head. 'Man, you white folks do talk funny.'
'Were they?' Hawk said.
'Couple were,' Tony said. 'Some of the others weren't mine.'
'I thought they were all yours,' I said.
Tony smiled.
'They were going to be,' he said.
Hawk took out the paper on which I had typed the names of the four Ukrainians that Bohdan had named.
'Know any of these?' Hawk said.
Tony looked at the list.
'Don't see no brothers on this list,' Tony said.
'Anybody you know?' Hawk said.
'Man, they all got those fucking bohunk do-do names, you know? I can't tell one from another one.'
'Well, me and Spenser gonna be prowling around some of your neighborhoods,' Hawk said. 'You got any problem with that?'
'Live and let live.' Tony sat.
'I think he means it's okay,' I said to Hawk.
'We be prowling either way,' Hawk said.
Tony smiled.
'You want a drink?' he said. 'On the house. People see whitey at the bar, justify the new name.'
'Like to help you out,' I said. 'But it's a little early.'
'Whoa,' Tony said. 'I remember the days when you'd drink paint remover at nine in the morning.'
'Never drank paint remover,' I said.
'And we proud of you for that,' Hawk said.
'Drop in anytime,' Tony said.
'Anything helpful,' Hawk said to him, 'you know where to find me.'
'Harbor Health Club. Leave a message with Henry.'
'Nice to be remembered,' Hawk said.
'Nothing to do with you,' Tony said. 'I don't forget much.'
Hawk stood. I stood with him. Tony stayed seated. Nobody shook hands.
'Good luck,' Tony said.
'Got nothing to do with luck,' Hawk said.
