Poitras glared harder. "Someone ought to blow you right out of the water," he said.
"That may be true. But it'll have to be someone in better shape than you."
Poitras looked back at Susan. "Last chance," she said.
I knew that Poitras didn't want me going through the house.
"Okay," he said. "But I don't want you people harassing her. She came to me in desperation, and I don't want her upset."
"Really care about the kids, don't you, Mitch?" Susan said.
"You're goddamned right I do," Poitras said. "Somebody's got to."
Chapter 23
April came into the room. She had taken off the fatigue jacket and was dressed as I'd last seen her in the dark woods at the edge of Route 95, except that her clothes looked a little shabbier. She looked at Susan and said, "What are you doing here?"
"I've come to see you," Susan said.
"I'm not going back," April said.
"You don't have to go back," Susan said. "I only wish to know that you are all right and that you are in a situation that is supportive."
"Shit," April said. "That's teacher shit. Supportive."
"Your parents want you back," Susan said.
"I'll bet," April said.
"They do. They hired Mr. Spenser to find you. Doesn't that tell you something?"
"My father?"
"What about him?"
"He wants me back?"
“I don't think he knows what he wants," Susan said. "Part of him doesn't want you back. Part of him surely does. Unfortunately it's the negative part that shows."
"He don't want me back."
"He's confused," Susan said. "He's in pain. He doesn't know how to say what he feels."
"I know how he feels. He thinks I'm shit. He thinks I'm a whore. Well, fuck him, you know? I'm not going back."
"And your mother," Susan said.
"She's a wimp. She just sucks around him."
"Do you want to stay here then?"
"Yes."
.Why?" April shrugged. "Why not? It's a nice place. I've crashed in a lot worse, you know?"
"This is not a place for you, April. You don't have to go home. I can't force you and I wouldn't if I could. But not here."
"Why not?"
Susan looked straight at Poitras when she spoke. "Because this is an absolute pig of a man," she said.
April laughed, a harsh little sound, without humor. "So what?" she said.
Amy Gurwitz was sitting quietly on a hassock in front of an easy chair near the French doors. Her knees and ankles were together. Her hands were clasped in her lap. She was watching the activity as if it were a movie and she was enthralled.
Susan looked at me. She was stuck. So was I.
147 "We can take her by force, Suze," I said. "But what are we going to do with her?"
"She came here looking for some help," Poitras said. "I was the only one she could trust. So she came here. I'll step around that crack about me being a pig, and I'm giving it to you straight. She's welcome here as long as she wants. Just like Amy, and you can make whatever you want out of that with your dirty goddamned minds, all of you. But the kids know who they can count on, by God. So whyn't you and your goon get the hell out of here before you just make things worse."
"Is that G-O-O-N, rhymes with noon?" I said. "Or G-U-N-E, rhymes with prune?"
Susan was looking at Poitras and he back at her. Then he looked away. Another point for Susan. She had all the points but he seemed to have April. Was it time to play the porno hand. I didn't think April would care. Probably admire his artistic interests. We could bust Poitras, but what would Amy and April do then? Did April go back to Red, maybe take Amy along? I knew she wouldn't go home. They might very well be better off with Poitras than with Red.
"This is not over, Mitchell," Susan said. "I will not give in on this. I can't. I can't let you have access to children."
"Suze," I said, and made a time-out sign by putting one hand horizontally on top of the other one held vertical. "Time to go. I told April I wouldn't force her, and I won't."
Susan opened her mouth and closed it and looked at me once and then turned on her heel and walked out. I stood, smiled at Amy and April, and started toward the door.
"No thanks," I said to Poitras, "we'll find our way out. Nice seeing you again, April. Amy. Mitchell, I may stop by sometime and knock you on your ass again." Then I followed Susan.
Walking down Beacon Street, Susan was galvanic with fury. "How can we let him keep her. Them? How can we?"
"Hey, Suze," I said, "why nip a budding film career?"
"Goddamn it," Susan said, "it is not funny."
Chapter 24
"Where you parked?" I said.
"Commonwealth."
"Want a snack before we part?"
She nodded and we walked up toward Newbury Street.
"How does a slob like that get to be executive nitwit, or whatever he is, in the state education system?" I said.
"Knew someone, I suppose," Susan said. "There's all sorts of hiring regulations and elaborate interviewing procedures, and one call from practically anyone circumvents it. Half the jobs in the Commonwealth are bagged before they're advertised."
"Hard to imagine Poitras has a friend," I said.
"He has girls and dirty movies," Susan said.
I looked at her in the odd light, under the high mist. "Cynical," I said. "Beautiful but hard, like a diamond."
"It would be a way to make friends," Susan said.
"True," I said. "It would also be a way to put someone in your debt if you had supplied him with things that public servants aren't supposed to want." We turned down Newbury.
"How about the police?" Susan said.
"And what happens to April and Amy?"
Susan nodded. We crossed Fairfield. The rain was misting down now, steady but very fine. The temperature had risen.
"On the other hand," Susan said, "what happens to them in any case?"
"I was hoping you'd think of something," I said.
"Maybe there isn't anything to think of. We could get them back home. But that's where they learned to be what they are."
We crossed Exeter Street and went into the Bookstore Cafe. There were books, and there was blond woodwork, and a bar and tables, and in the back a balcony as well. I liked eating in there. It made me feel intellectual.
I had a tongue sandwich on rye and Susan had a salad. We split a bottle of Norman cider. Not everybody sells Norman cider by the bottle.
"Has a European feel," Susan said.
"That sounds terrific," I said. "Can I have one?"
Susan grinned at me. "How did you ever get to be so big without growing up?" she said.
"Iron self-control," I said.
For dessert we had one Linzer torte and two forks and I walked Susan to her car. Before she got in she leaned her forehead against mine. "We really do have to think of something to do about Poitras and those girls."
"Yes. ' She kissed me lightly on the mouth and climbed into the front seat of her big Ford Bronco.
"I never figured how you do that without giving me a flash of thigh."
She grinned again at me. "Iron self-control," she said, and started up the Bronco and drove off. I stood and watched the car as long as it stayed in sight, three blocks down Commonwealth and then a left turn onto Berkeley and out of sight across the intersection. I always felt a little sad when she left, or when I left. Even if it wasn't for long. Even if I'd see her tomorrow. Probably kept it fresh. Probably drive each other wacko if we were together all the time. Sure we would. Better to both have our own place and do our own stuff and be together when we chose to.
I walked back up Commonwealth toward Fairfield. Very sensible, I thought. Stay separate and together. I crossed Commonwealth and went down Fairfield in the bright soaking mist. It's the right way… except how come I miss her whenever I leave her? My car had a ticket on it. Crime doesn't pay. Justice never sleeps.