Now and Then

“Because of us?” Perry said. “He knows there’s something going on?”

“I can’t be here,” she said, “with you, and home with him. He knows I’m not there.”

“What else does he know?”

“He doesn’t even know what he knows,” Jordan said. “I told you he’s got his head down like a man in a sandstorm.”

“What if he decided to fi nd out?” Perry said.

“He won’t.”

“He’s an FBI agent,” Perry said. “He has resources.”

“Maybe,” Jordan said. “But none that will help him here.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m right,” Jordan said. “I’ve lived with him for twenty-fi ve years. The poor bastard.”

“You feel sorry for him?”

“He’s so overmatched in this,” she said.

“So what do you think you should do?” Perry said.

“Right now,” Jordan said, “I think I should give you a blow job.”

“That’ll work,” Perry said.

I reached over and shut off the radio.

“You don’t want to listen to a BJ?” Hawk said.

“No.”

“Might be some more clues,” Hawk said.

“I got all the clues I can stand.”

We were quiet. The wind and rain kept coming.

“She find that bug in her purse,” Hawk said, “gonna matter more than we thought it would.”

“I know.”

“You working on a plan?” Hawk said.

“I am,” I said.

9.

How come i got to mug her?” Hawk said.

“Sell the mugging,” I said. “You’re a big scary black guy. People expect to get mugged by big scary black guys.”

“I too dignifi ed-looking to be a mugger,” Hawk said.

“It’ll be dark,” I said. “Besides, I don’t want her to recognize me later.”

“How about the guy? If he walks her to her car? What you want me to do with him.”

“After the evening he has spent, would you get up and get dressed and walk down to the garage?”

“Good point,” Hawk said.

“And she’s not going to raise a ruckus either,” I said. “She’s not supposed to be here.”

“Okay,” Hawk said.

Hawk pulled the car up to the corner and turned off the lights.

“Don’t want her copping the plate numbers,” he said. Hawk turned the collar up on his leather trench coat and got out into the downpour. He walked down the street away from me and turned into the garage. I punched the radio on.

“Until tomorrow,” Perry’s voice was saying.

“Yes,” Jordan said.

There was silence.

Then Jordan said, “I love you.”

“I love you too, my friend,” Perry said. “I love you very, very much.”

Too many verys, I thought. Insincere. The door closed. She walked to the elevator. It went down. She got out. I could hear her heels on the concrete floor of the garage. Then I heard her stop.

“I’ll take the bag,” Hawk said.

“Don’t hurt me,” she said. “You can have the bag. I won’t give you any trouble. Just don’t hurt me.”

“Car keys in the bag?”