Bad Business

46

When I got back to my apartment, Vinnie, with his coat off and a nine-millimeter Glock on his belt, was cooking sausage with vinegar peppers on the griddle part of my stove. A big pot was heating on another burner. Adele and Hawk sat at the counter watching him. They were drinking some Gray Riesling.

"On duty?" I said to Hawk.

"Vinnie's on duty," Hawk said. "Besides which, you knows I don't get drunk."

"I had forgotten that for a moment," I said.

A dele said, "Hello."

I said, "You seem to be warming to your protectors."

"I am," Adele said.

"It's probably some variation of the Stockholm syndrome."

"Cecile called," Hawk said. "I told her to come over."

"She get a nibble?"

"Think so."

"When?" I said.

"Tonight."

"I think you're back on duty," I said.

"Pretty soon," Hawk said.

A dele watched us as we talked, and glanced now and then at Vinnie as he nurtured his sausage and peppers.

"Can you tell me who Cecile is?" Adele said.

"What you're going to do?"

"Cecile is a friend of Hawk's," I said."The rest is a little murky."

"Will it be dangerous?"

Hawk grinned.

"Not for us," he said.

The doorbell rang and Hawk went to let Cecile in.

"I've got a date," she said as she came into the living room.

"Of course you do," I said.

"What a relief," she said.

Cecile knew Vinnie. I introduced her to Adele.

"I need a drink," Cecile said.

"Martini?"

"Rocks," she said, "with a twist of orange if you've got it." I made her the martini.

"This has been fun," she said, "like, you know, cops and robbers, an adventure. And I always knew that Hawk and you were around."

"Protect and serve," I said.

"Well, now I'm scared. I don't want to play anymore."

"No need. Tell us the deal."

"I go to an apartment on Park Drive," Cecile said, "and ring the bell for Griffin in two-B."

"That's it?"

"Yes. When someone answers I give my name on the intercom. He buzzes me in and I go up to apartment two-B."

"Any instructions when you get up there?"

"None," Cecile said. "I assume I disrobe."

"Maybe I should go too," Vinnie said.

"Vinnie will stay with Adele," I said. "Hawk and I will come along."

"Do I have to go?"

"You have to say your name so he'll buzz you in," I said. "Then Hawk can take you away."

"And you'll go up?"

"Knock, knock," I said. "Who's there."

"What if he's watching, or he sees you through the peephole and he won't let you in."

"He's gotta come out sometime," I said.

Cecile shook her head.

"I've gotten this far," Cecile said. "I need to get you in there."

"We'll be with you," I said.

She looked at Hawk. He nodded. "Okay," she said. "What's the plan."

We got to the Fenway at 6:30 and drove slowly down Park Drive past 137 so Cecile could get a look at it. Then we went on around to Boylston Street and parked in the parking lot of a supermarket a block over from Park Drive. It was 6:45. Cecile's appointment was at seven.

"One more time," I said. "You and Hawk will walk down Jersey Street. Hawk will stay around the corner out of sight and you'll continue on down toward the apartment. I'll walk up Kilmarnock Street and approach the apartment from that direction. Give me a little head start so I get there a little before you do. I'll stand on the front steps fumbling for my keys. You come up, pay me no attention, and ring the bell. The minute Hawk sees you ring the bell he starts down toward us. Your date upstairs can't be watching out the window because he's answering your ring. You get buzzed in and I go in with you, because I've lost my keys. I linger a moment to let Hawk in, you start slowly toward the elevator. Hawk comes in and goes up the stairs."

"What if there aren't any stairs?"

"We'll improvise" I said. "But I've been in some of these buildings. They have stairs that circle the elevator."

"Whatever the setup," Hawk said, "you won't be alone for a second."

Cecile nodded.

"Still scared," she said.

"Don't blame you," I said.

"Easier than cracking thoraxes," Hawk said. Cecile made a try at a smile.

"Not for the crack-er," she said.

"So Hawk goes up the stairs," I said. "I get in the elevator with you. Hawk lingers in the stairwell at the top just out of sight and checks around the corner to see if there's a peephole. If there isn't, he walks down and stands beside the door. We go up. We get out on the second floor. You get out. I get out. You start down toward two-B. I look and if I see Hawk I know there's no peephole and I scoot down and stand on the other side of the door. If I don't see Hawk I stay in the elevator with the door open so it can't move and wait as you walk down and ring the bell. When the door opens Hawk and I run down the hall and barge in. You'll never be out of our sight."

"Okay," she said. I looked at her.

"You be all right?" I said.

She nodded. I looked at Hawk.

"Cecile's looking a little tense," I said. "Do people of African heritage get pale?"

"Only through miscegenation," Hawk said. He patted her thigh and we got out of the car.