Indigo Slam

Teri nodded without looking at him. 'Yes sir. Yes, it will be good to stay put.'

Winona twirled the little troll. 'Can I have my own room? I want my own room!'

Clark laughed. 'Well, we'll see.'

I stared at Teri, and Teri stared back. Her lips were a thin tight line and her eyes fluttered and she mouthed the words 'Well, we'll see' as if they'd had this conversation a thousand times, and she knew deep in her soul that it was just talk, that the money would never come, and they would move and move and move. Then she seemed to get the fluttering under control and said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee?'

I said, ' Clark, could I see you outside, please?'

Clark said, 'It's hard being a single parent, but these little guys are just such a help. Their mother would be so proud.' Maybe he hadn't heard me. Maybe he was so filled with wonderful plans and the intricacies of big deals that the words had just flown right past him. Or maybe he was high.

I leaned toward him. 'Markov.'

Clark 's eyes focused for the first time, and he stood. 'Well, kids, I'm sure Mr. Cole is very busy, so I'll see him out to his car. Everybody say good-bye.'

Teri and Winona said good-bye, and Clark followed me out to my car. The heat had risen and the sun was bright and hot and the grass on the front lawn looked wilted and spotty. A stocky Hispanic woman walked past on her way up to Melrose. She carried a shopping bag in one hand and used the other to shield her eyes from the sun.

She did not look at us. ' Clark, I know who you were and what you did. I was in Seattle. I spoke with Wilson Brownell and a U.S. Federal Marshal named Reed Jasper. I also met Andrei Markov. I did not tell Jasper where you were, or what name you were living under, though I think you should contact him.'

Clark Hewitt was shaking his head before I finished. 'I couldn't do that. I don't want anything to do with those people.'

'The Markovs suspect that there's some kind of connection between us, and they know I'm from Los Angeles. That means they might show up here, nosing around, and even if they don't they're still out there, waiting. Jasper wants to help.'

Clark raised a hand as if I were telling him about a great place to buy discount tires but he was about to tell me of an even better place, his discount-tire secret. 'Thank you, but everything is going to be fine. We're going to leave soon.'

'You should leave now, Clark. If you don't have the money, call Jasper. He'll help. So will I.'

Clark shook his head.

'Are you high?'

He blinked at me, then shook his head. 'Oh no. I don't do that.'

I took a breath and let it out. I wanted to shout at him to knock off the bullshit, but Winona and Teri were standing in the front door, watching us. I said, 'I know why you lost the job at Enright Printing. I spoke with Tre Michaels.'

He didn't answer. He was pale, with dark lines under his eyes, and he looked tired. His eyes seemed sad, and I thought he might cry. 'Are you going to tell?'

'Of course not.' Like we were six years old.

Clark Hewitt's eyes filled and he blinked fast. 'Please don't tell.'

My head hurt and my scalp felt tight and the tightness was moving down to my neck. 'Do your children know about any of this?'

He shrugged.

'Do they know what you were, and why you move around so much?'

Another shrug.

'They must know something, Clark. It was only three years ago. You changed their names.'

He looked at the ground. Talk about denial.

Charles appeared in the window, stuck out his tongue, and gave us the finger with both hands. He seemed to be looking more at his father, but maybe it was the angle. ' Clark, I can help you get into a substance abuse program. There are people at the county and at a couple of private places I know who can help. You've got these kids to think about.'

Clark glanced at Teri and Winona. He smiled at them like we were discussing the weather. 'We'll be fine. Everything is going to be okay real soon. I won't leave them again.'

I took out a card and wrote a name and number on it. 'I want you call this number and speak with a woman named Carol Hillegas. If you don't enroll in a program I'm going to call Children's Services. Do you see where I'm going with this?'

Clark took the card, but didn't look at it. 'I understand. I won't leave them again.'

' Clark.'

'Everything's going to be fine. I'll call and I promise I won't leave them again.' He reached into his pocket and came out with an enormous fold of cash. 'I want to apologize for the trouble, and I want to thank you again for taking care of my children. I think you deserve a bonus.'

I stared at him.

He fumbled with the bills, riffling through a roll of hundreds that was even larger than Teri's. 'It's the least I can do.'

Teri noticed Charles in the window and said something. Charles gave us the finger still harder, and started crying. Teri disappeared from the door, reappeared in the window, and grabbed Charles by the arm. He shoved her and ran, and she chased him. She was crying, too. Winona was still in the door, smiling and oblivious and waving. Her face was filled with light.

I said, 'Just call the goddamned number.'

Clark Hewitt was still fumbling with his bonus money when I crossed the street, climbed into my car, and drove away.

CHAPTER 12

Fourteen minutes after leaving the Hewitts, I carved my way through the trees along Woodrow Wilson Drive, then turned onto my little road and saw Joe Pike. Pike's Jeep was parked at the front of my house, and Pike was leaning against the rear hatch, as motionless as a tree or the house or the earth. I put my Corvette in the carport, and met him at the kitchen door. Pike said, 'Nice eye.' No hello, no hey, are you all right? ' Clark do that?' You can always count on your friends for humor.

'How long you been here?'

'I left my position when you and Haines came out of the house.' You see? He'd seen everything.

I let us in, put my overnight bag on the kitchen counter, took two Falstaffs out the fridge, gave one to Pike, then drank a long pull of mine.

I turned on the kitchen tap and cupped the water to my face. I drank most of what was left of the beer, then took a deep breath and let it out. I had pulled the drapes when I left, and the house was dim and still from the close air. Dim and still was good. When it was dark it was easier to pretend that there weren't three kids on the run from the Russian mob with a junkie for a father. Maybe that was why Pike never took off his dark glasses. Maybe it was easier when you couldn't see so much.

Pike said, 'What's wrong?'

'His name isn't Haines. It's Hewitt, and he isn't just your ordinary junkie. He's on the run from the Russian mob, he used to be in the federal witness protection program, and he doesn't have a clue that he or those children are in danger.'

Pike nodded. 'So where's the surprise?' You never know if he means it.

I opened the house, then poked around to see if anyone had been in while I was away. As I poked, I told Pike about Wilson Brownell and Reed Jasper and what Jasper had said about Clark. I described what had happened with the Markov brothers, and how I got the eye. When I told him about the Markovs, Pike's head swiveled about a quarter micron. 'He really Spetnaz?'