Decapitated?
"Somebody making a point," Hawk said.
Quirk nodded.
"Who they making it to?" I said.
"Maybe you," Quirk said.
"What about Duda?" I said. "Any leads?"
"I'm not expecting to find him alive," Quirk said. "Unless he bailed out early… and far."
"Husak told us he was in Miami," I said.
"Maybe he got lucky," Quirk said. "He say where in Miami, or why?"
"Said he took a week off and went to Miami. Was due back this week."
"I'll call Miami," Quirk said, "ask them to check the resort hotels."
"I'd check some of the dumps along Miami Beach first," Hawk said.
"You don't think they're high-steppers?" Quirk said.
"You seen the office," Hawk said.
Quirk stood now and went to stand beside Hawk and look down at the street.
"He is fucking up traffic," Quirk said, "isn't he."
"Un-huh."
Quirk glanced at Hawk and turned slowly and looked at me. His back was to the window now.
"Being a veteran police investigator, and a deep student of human character, I'm going to hazard a guess. You went to see Boots."
"Incredible," Hawk said.
"Yeah, it is," Quirk said. "You hang him out a window?"
"Nope," Hawk said. "I put a gun to his head."
"Jesus Christ," Quirk said. "Boots Podolak?"
"That sort of how he felt," Hawk said.
"What'd he tell you?"
"Well, it got kind of confusing. An alarm went off and there were cops and all I got was to ask Tony Marcus about his daughter."
"Tony Marcus?" Quirk said.
"There's some connection," I said. "Between them."
"Tony and Boots?" Quirk said. "Christ! Just when you think you've seen everything."
21
WE HAD LUNCH with Tony Marcus in his restaurant. The three of us sat in the front booth, near the door. The deep snow outside made the interior of the room seem brighter than usual.
"Sit you here for show," Tony said to me. "Try to attract a few white folks."
"Ebony and Ivory," I said.
"Damn straight," Tony said. "What you want for lunch? Fried chicken's good."
"Can I get watermelon with that?" I said.
Hawk grinned. Tony gestured to the waitress.
"Tell Roy," he said. "Put together a nice-tasting plate for these gentlemen. And bring me a Jack Daniel's."
He looked at us. Hawk and I both shook our heads.
"Guess I'm drinking alone," Tony said.
The waitress went away. Ty Bop stood near the front door, simultaneously motionless and edgy. Junior loomed at the end of the bar.
"You might get a more, ah, diversified patronage," I said, "if Ty Bop weren't standing there like a scorpion on the nod."
"Ty Bop like a son to me," Tony said. "How you getting on with the Ukrainians?"
"Went up to see Boots Podolak," Hawk said.
Tony frowned and shook his head.
"Don't know the name," he said.
The waitress set his drink down near his elbow and went silently away. She had cornrows and a very successful backside.
"Tha's odd," Hawk said. "He knew yours."
"Lotta people know mine," Tony said.
He took an appreciative drink of his whisky.
"Boots say we should ask you 'bout your daughter," Hawk said.
Tony finished sipping his whisky and set the glass down carefully where it had been. Nothing appeared to change. But the air felt suddenly brittle.
"Daughter?" Tony said.
"I ask Boots was there something going on with you and him, and he say ask him 'bout his daughter."
"Why would he say that?"
"I was, ah, urgin' him strongly," Hawk said.
"Why you even talking to him?" Tony said.
"He hired the lawyers represented the Ukrainians," Hawk said.
"I got nothin' to do with them," Tony said.
" 'Cept for them trying to take away your business."
"They just nibblin' at the edges," Tony said.
The waitress with the cornrows came toward us from the kitchen with a large tray balanced at her shoulder. Tony looked up and saw her and waved her away. Without breaking stride she turned and walked back to the kitchen. I felt bad. I'd spotted ribs on the platter.
Hawk said, "I don't believe that, Tony."
Tony raised his glass and sipped some more whisky. He looked at Hawk silently for a time.
"With all due respect, Hawk," Tony said. "I don't actually give a fuck you believe me or you don't."
"You got a daughter?" Hawk said.
Tony looked at him silently.
"I ain't got nothing else to say, Hawk."
"This is silly," Hawk said. "I gonna find out, why not find it out from you."
"Known you a long time," Tony said to Hawk. "Paid you some money sometimes. Never had no problem with you."
"Now you do," Hawk said.
"You just missed dying once already in this thing," Tony said.
"What thing?" Hawk said.
Tony shook his head. By the door, Ty Bop was holding a long-barreled semiautomatic at his side. At the bar, Junior had produced a sawed-off shotgun. Two men came from the area where Tony had his office. Both had shotguns. The half a dozen or so diners in Ebony & Ivory sat frozen in their places, shoulders hunched, trying to be as small as they could be. Ready to hit the floor if the balloon went up. Hawk looked slowly around the room. Then he nodded to himself at the conclusion he reached, and stood and began to walk to the door. I followed him. In order for Hawk to open the door, Ty Bop would have to move a little. Hawk paid no attention. When he reached the door he opened it and Ty Bop took a half step out of the way. Hawk went through. I stopped for a moment and turned to Tony.
"This just isn't helping your diversity project," I said, and went out after Hawk.
Ty Bop closed the door behind me.
22
"WE'RE REALLY ON a roll," I said to Hawk. "Everybody we talk to is either dead or wants to kill us."
" 'Cept maybe Zippity Duda."
"What's your guess?" I said.
"Him, too," Hawk said.
Hawk drove as he did everything else, as if he were born to do it. And the Navigator moved through the snow-clogged traffic like a Porsche.
"Like to talk with them Ukrainians," Hawk said.
"They don't seem too welcoming," I said.
"Need a translator," Hawk said. "Like in Port City."
"I think Mei Ling, she was hot for you."
" 'Course she was," Hawk said.
"Also, she was Chinese," I said.
"I noticed that," Hawk said.
"So she probably wouldn't do well with Ukrainian."
"You honkies always thinking up reasons why us black folks can't do what we wants."
"Wants?" I said.
"Ah is working on my accent," Hawk said.
"No need," I said. "I know you're black."
"Maybe Susan know somebody at Harvard," Hawk said.
"Cops got a guy from Harvard," I said.
"How long he last," Hawk said.
"Twenty minutes," I said.
Hawk nodded silently. We were westbound on Mass. Ave now, approaching the Back Bay.
"Well, be nice to have a translator 'case we come across something to translate."
We crossed Columbus Ave, past the community center where the Hi Hat once stood. I remembered it as being upstairs. Symphony Sid had done his radio show from there. Illinois Jacquette had played there. Across Columbus, we went past the Savoy, where I'd listened to Wild Bill Davidson, and across Huntington Ave, and on past Symphony Hall.
"Ives," I said.
"Ives?" Hawk said.
"The spook," I said.
"What about him?"
We stopped for the light at Boylston Street. It was as law-abiding as Hawk ever got.
"He'll know somebody speaks Ukrainian," I said.
"And he going to help us out, why?" Hawk said.
"Because he thinks we're a couple of righteous guys?" "Sure he do," Hawk said.
The light changed. We crossed Boylston.
"I'll talk to him," I said.
At Beacon Street, Hawk turned left and after another block or so went up the ramp to Storrow Drive where we headed west past B.U. along the river.
"I gather we're not picking up Cecile," I said.