Now and Then

61.

Behind captain quirk’s desk in the kind of new offices of the Homicide Unit was a picture of a very young Ted Williams, in a Minneapolis Millers uniform. He was beautiful. Nineteen years old then, and it was all ahead of him.

“I need a safe house for Susan,” I said.

“And you think I’m a general contractor?” Quirk said.

“Three, four days,” I said, “keep her safe. At least four guys.”

“You and Hawk aren’t enough?”

“And Vinnie,” I said. “And a guy from LA named Chollo.”

“The four of you?” Quirk said. “Not enough?”

“We have something we have to do,” I said.

“Legal?”

“No.”

“So you want me to aid and abet you,” Quirk said, “in an illegal action, by protecting your girlfriend at taxpayers’ expense while you’re doing it.”

“Yeah.”

Quirk sat quietly for a moment. His thick hands rested motionless on his desk. His nails were manicured. His shirt was very white and very starched. He had on a dark blue tie with maroon stripes. A brown/black corduroy jacket hung neatly on a hanger on the coatrack in the corner.

“You get a Tommy point for balls,” Quirk said fi nally. I nodded. We sat.

“Susan know about this yet?” he said.

“No.”

“Because if you can’t get her covered you can’t do what you want to do,” Quirk said.

“That’s right.”

“So fi rst you gotta fi nd out if I’ll buy in,” Quirk said.

“Yes.”

“Got to do with the deal you’re working on with Epstein?”

“Yes.”

“So?”

“Don’t trust them,” I said.

“He’s pretty good,” Quirk said. “Don’t let the appearance fool you.”

“I know. It’s not him I don’t trust. I don’t know what his troops are like.”

Quirk nodded.

“Susan’s in real danger,” Quirk said. “You wouldn’t ask me if she weren’t.”

I nodded. Again we were quiet.

“I can’t assign people,” Quirk said.

I waited.

“But I can probably get a couple volunteers. Frank Belson will do it. Lee Farrell.”

“Need at least four,” I said.

Quirk shook his head.

“Settle for three,” he said.

“The third being. . . ?”

“Me,” Quirk said. “After offi ce hours.”

I nodded.

“Two guys, and you, make four anyway,” I said.

“’Specially if the other two are Belson and Farrell,” Quirk said.

“I owe you,” I said.

“You do, but I probably owe you, too,” Quirk said. “And I remember what you did for Frank when his wife was missing. You got a plan?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.”