'Been spending too much time with you.'
'No such thing as too much time with me,' Hawk said.
'So how's Tony going to react to this?' I said.
'Don't know,' Hawk said.
'We don't want to fight a two-front war,' I said.
' 'Less we have to.'
'Think about it from where Tony's standing,' I said. 'He doesn't like Podolak any better than anyone else does. He's just allied so his son-in-law can feel like a big shot and his daughter won't be widowed.'
'None of that my problem,' Hawk said.
'So you knock off one of the Ukulele soldiers and Podolak will see it as not part of the deal.'
'And Podolak get on Tony's case. Tony supposed to protect the Ukes, like Podolak s'posed to protect… what's that kid's name?'
'How could you forget,' I said. 'Brock Rimbaud.'
'Yeah. But if I tell Tony I ain't killing no more street soldiers, Tony takes credit for it, and all be well.'
'And when Podolak's ready to fall over,' I said, 'Tony might even help you push.'
'So we don't fight Tony. We get him on our side.'
'For the moment.'
'Like Hitler and Stalin and the nonaggression pact,' Hawk said.
'How you know about Hitler and Stalin,' I said.
'Heard some white guys talking,' Hawk said.
'Think Tony will buy it?' I said.
'Sure,' Hawk said. 'Easier than fighting us about it.'
'You think?' I said.
'We hard to fight,' Hawk said.
'But oh so easy to love,' I said.
I went to the refrigerator and got out two more cans of beer. It was late. I stood beside Hawk and looked down at the quiet street. A yellow cab cruised down Boylston Street. Probably going to the Four Seasons.
'So if Tony buys it,' I said, 'all we got to do is go up to Marshport and take over the city.'
'That be the plan,' Hawk said.
'Any operational details?' I said. 'Like, how?'
'I already give you the big picture,' Hawk said. 'You supposed to contribute something.'
'How about I learn to say 'don't shoot' in Ukrainian?' I said.
31
WE ROLLED SLOWLY along Revere Beach Boulevard, looking for a parking spot. The spring was too early for there to be a lot of people at the beach, and Hawk pulled in half a block from the small pavilion on the beachfront where we were meeting Tony and Boots.
We sat in the car and looked at the meeting site.
'Tony buys it,' Hawk said. 'But he want to be sure Boots buy it, and Boots wants this meeting.'
'Ty Bop and Junior,' I said.
Hawk nodded.
'Leaning on the front fender of the black Escalade,' he said. 'Junior liable to break it.'
A silver Mercedes sedan pulled up and double-parked by the pavilion. There were two Marshport police cars with it, fore and aft.
'That would be Boots,' I said.
'With escort,' Hawk said.
'He is the mayor of Marshport,' I said.
Hawk grinned at me.
'So far,' he said.
Four Marshport cops got out of the police cars and walked to the pavilion, and stood, one in each corner, and waited. Tony got out of the Escalade and walked to the pavilion with Leonard, the handsome black guy we'd met before. Leonard was wearing a dark cashmere overcoat that fitted him perfectly. You know you're with a clothes guy when he gets his overcoats made.
'Our turn,' Hawk said. 'Boots like to make the grand entrance.'
