Stardust

Chapter 14

JILL looked at Hawk the way a mackerel eyes a minnow.

”Well,“ she said as Hawk walked across the Quiet Bar at the Charles. He had on black cowboy boots and an ankle-length black leather trench coat. The coat was open, the collar up, and a black turtleneck showed at the throat. His skin was maybe half a shade lighter than the leather coat, and his smooth head gleamed in the bar’s indirect lighting.

”You just wear those boots to be taller than me,“ I said.

”Taller than you anyway,“ Hawk said.

”Are not,“ I said.

”Better-looking, too,“ Hawk said.

”Aren’t you going to introduce us?“ Jill Joyce said. I did. Jill was sitting on a couch quietly, but as she looked at Hawk she seemed somehow to wiggle without moving.

”Well,“ she said, ”aren’t you something.“

”Un huh,“ Hawk said.

He sat on the couch beside Jill. The waitress appeared eagerly.

”Laphroig,“ Hawk said, ”straight, in a lowball glass.“

”Yes, sir,“ the waitress said and hurried off on her mission. She placed her order at the service end of the bar and glanced back at Hawk while she waited.

”Why didn’t you tell me about him,“ Jill said to me.

”I did. I told you he would look out for you while I was away and that he was almost as good as I was, and better than anyone else.“

”But you didn’t mention…“ Jill spread her hands in a voilá gesture at Hawk.

”She means you didn’t tell her about me being a sexual icon.“

”You’re right,“ I said. ”I didn’t tell her that.“

”Are you almost as good as he is?“ Jill said. Like most things she said, it was larded with innuendo.

”Better,“ Hawk said.

”Really?“ Jill’s eyes were wide and excited. ”The other day he knocked down a great tall man, bing! bing! just like that.“ Jill made two darling little punching movements.

”Just like that?“ Hawk said.

”More or less,“ I said.

The waitress brought Hawk’s scotch and another white wine for Jill. They had learned her habits here and seemed to have mastered the technique of keeping her glass filled.

”Can you do that?“ Jill asked. She smiled at him, a TV Guide cover smile, over the rim of her wineglass and drank a bit.

”Don’t know about bing! bing!“ Hawk said.

Jill reached over and squeezed Hawk’s biceps. A moment of genuine surprise popped for only a moment into her eyes before the flirty TV-star cuteness slipped back in place.

”Whooooa,“ she said. Hawk stared at me.

”Pay’s excellent,“ I said.

Hawk nodded.

”Good to remember that,“ he said.

Jill slugged back most of the rest of her wine.

”So here’s how it’s going to work,“ I said. ”Hawk will take care of you at work and to and from. Cambridge P.D. will have a car here from six at night to six in the morning. Hotel security will watch your room. They’ll be connected to the prowlies by radio.“

”Prowlies?“ Jill said. She was glancing toward the bar. The waitress started toward her with another glass of wine, and I could see the tension ease as Jill spotted her.

”Police car,“ I said.

The waitress put the wine down. Jill picked it up, took a genteel sip.

”You want to go out nights, or whatever, you arrange it with Hawk.“

”And will he go out with me?“

”That’s for you and him to work out.“

”Will you?“ Jill leaned toward Hawk as she spoke. The throat of her simple white blouse was open and as she leaned forward there was a clear line of cleavage.

”Sure,“ he said.

”And I, meanwhile, will chase down whoever has been annoying you and urge them to stop,“ I said.

”Can you find him?“

”Sure,“ I said.

”How?“

”You start looking,“ I said. ”And you ask people things, and then that leads you to somebody else and you ask them and they tell you something that hooks you into somebody, and so on.“

”But where on earth will you start?“

She had a little trouble with the separation between earth and will.

”I already have,“ I said. ”I started with your friend Rojack.“

She frowned. She took a drink. She frowned again. ”I told you I don’t know him.“

”Know his name though,“ I said.

” ‘Course I know his name.“

”He says you and he were an item.“

”He’s a creep,“ Jill said.

”Is there anything you’d like to add to that appraisal?“

Hawk sat quietly. Now and then he took a small taste of his scotch. He watched Jill’s behavior happily, as if he’d paid a modest admission fee and felt he’d gotten a bargain.

”I don’t want to talk about him,“ Jill said.

”You think he did it?“ I said.

Jill shook her head angrily.

”I’ll find it out anyway,“ I said. ”Wouldn’t it make sense to tell me what you know, and get it over with quicker?“

”I’m hungry,“ Jill said.

I slid the bowl of smokehouse almonds toward her. She took a handful and ate them silently, then drank some more wine. She had turned away from me as she did so and was eyeing Hawk.

”You married?“ she said. Hawk shook his head. ”Got anybody?“ Jill said.

”Lots,“ Hawk said.

”I mean anybody special,“ Jill said.

”They all special,“ Hawk said.

”You like white girls?“

Hawk looked at me again.

”Tell me ’bout that pay again?“ he said.

”Good. It’s good as hell,“ I said. ”And you get a free watermelon, too.“

Hawk nodded. Jill bored in on him. ”Do you?“

”Not stupid,“ Hawk said. ”Mostly I prefer not stupid.“

”Did Spenser tell you what I’ve been looking for ever since I got to Boston?“ She put an h in Boston.

”A noble black savage,“ Hawk said.

Jill shook her head. She was implacable. She probably didn’t listen to what I said or Hawk said or the byplay between us.

”I want something about this long,“ she said and made her two-foot measuring gesture again.

Hawk examined the distance between her hands seriously, then nodded thoughtfully.

”Could send over my little brother,“ he said.