Bad Business

43

I called an accountant I knew and we talked for a few minutes. When I hung up, I took Adele directly from my office and moved her into my place on the first block of Marlborough Street just up from the Public Gardens.

"I wish I could have gone home first and picked up some things."

"Safer this way," I said.

"Could anyone have followed us?" she said when we went in to the building.

"No."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

I was on the second floor. We took the stairs.

"How do you know we weren't followed?" Adele said.

"I have superpowers," I said. "Later maybe I'll leap a tall building for you, at a single bound."

She smiled faintly. My wit was probably too sophisticated for her. I unlocked my apartment door and we went in.

"Do you live with that woman?"

"Susan? No I don't."

"Wow, you seemed so..."

"We are," I said.

"Oh." She looked around. "You live here alone?"

"I have visitation rights with a dog," I said. "She stays here sometimes."

She looked around some more.

"My God," she said. "It's immaculate."

"I'll be damned."

"I just ... I'm sorry ... I just assumed men living alone were pigs."

"Clean pigs," I said.

"Do you cook for yourself?"

"Myself and houseguests," I said. "You want coffee?"

"That would be nice," she said.

She sat on a stool at my kitchen counter, while I fired up Mr. Coffee.

"I'm going to need things," she said.

"Make a list," I said, "with sizes. Susan and I will get them for you."

"Susan?"

"I assume some of what you want may be intimate and I blush easily," I said.

She smiled a little less faintly. She was beginning to get her feet under her. My doorbell rang. She jumped six inches and spilled coffee on the counter.

"Omigodjesus," she said.

"It's okay," I said. "I'm expecting someone."

I went and spoke into the intercom and buzzed the door open and in a minute there was a knock on my door. I checked the peephole and opened the door and Vinnie Morris came in. Vinnie was a medium-sized guy with movements so quick and exact that I always thought of a very good watch when I saw him. His dark hair was barbered short. He was newly shaved, and wearing a dark summer suit with a white shirt and tie. He was carrying a long canvas gym bag.

"Vinnie Morris," I said. "Adele McCallister."

"How do you do," Vinnie said.

A dele said, "Hello."

"Vinnie's going to stay with you," I said.

"Here?"

"Yes."

"I ... why?"

"To protect you," I said.

V innie put the bag down on my couch and unzipped it and took out a short double-barreled shotgun and two boxes of shells. Adele stared at him as if she'd seen a cobra. Vinnie put the shells on the coffee table and leaned the shotgun against the couch at the near end. Then he took an iPod and some earphones out and put them on the coffee table.

"Is he ... ? Can he really protect me? He's not, no offense, Mr. Morris, but he's not big like you."

V innie was paying no attention to us. He walked to the door he'd just entered and opened it and looked out into the corridor for a time. Then he closed it, locked it, fastened the swing bolt, and peered for a moment through the peephole.

"It's Vinnie's position," I said, "that big just makes a better target."

"But is he, ah, competent."

V innie walked across my living room and looked out at the street for a moment.

"Vinnie is a very skilled shooter," I said.

"And ... ah ... loyal? Reliable?"

"You mean will he stay? Yes. Vinnie is a very reliable person. He will stay with you, and I will come by and stay with you, and a man named Hawk will come by. One of us will always be with you."

"Is Hawk his first or last name?" Adele said.

"Just Hawk," I said.

"And he's resourceful, too?"

"Infinitely," I said.

"How will I know him?" "Vinnie or I will introduce you."

"And one of you will stay with me here, alone?"

"Yes.

V innie came back to the kitchen end of the living room and poured himself coffee.

"I don't ... I wonder ... I mean at night?"

V innie found some light cream in my refrigerator and added it to his coffee.

"We'll try not to be piggish," I said.

"I get a lot of sex, ma'am," Vinnie said. "I don't really need to have none with you."

A dele actually blushed. It was a good sign. She had calmed down enough to be embarrassed. Vinnie was stirring five spoonfuls of sugar into his coffee.

"I didn't mean ... I only . . ."

"I know," I said. "This is new for you. You can trust us. We'll take care of you. And we'll respect your privacy and your modesty and you."

She nodded and looked at Vinnie. He was sipping his very sweet coffee.

"May I call you Vinnie?"

"Sure."

"And I'm Adele," she said.

"Yeah," Vinnie said."I knew that."