«I gotcha. You want the big pasta fazool… Hey, Mickey Ha Ha, it’s for you.»
«You’ll never rise in the ranks with that sort of insubordination, Little Joseph!» came the growling, approaching voice of the Hawk. «Commander Pinkus, is that you?»
«… Little Joseph? Mac, what the hell are you doing?… Never mind, we don’t have time—you’re being followed! Someone’s been following you ever since you got to Boston!»
«Why, Lieutenant Devereaux, you’re shaping up. I mean you’re really counting off the numbers like a master sergeant, no offense to your bars.»
«You know?»
«Well, it was pretty obvious after my adjutant reported what he overheard at the front desk.»
«But you said you didn’t know how it happened, that it wasn’t Hymie somebody-or-other’s modus operandi!»
«I didn’t know then, and it wasn’t the Hurricane’s M.O. I do know now and it still isn’t Hymie. This fella wasn’t hard to find; his door was open exactly an inch and a half.»
«For Christ’s sake, make sense!»
«I just did, and you’ve got to get off this line. We’re expecting another call.»
«From whom?»
«I thought you would have figured that out by now.»
«How?»
«You heard me ask if you were him—»
«‘He’—»
«What?»
«Never mind… Who?»
«Commander Pinkus, of course.»
«He’s on his way to the Ritz.»
«Not for a while, son. He and my adjutants are on a supply run.»
«Who the fuck is Little Joseph?… Sorry, Mother.»
«He’s kind of a sweet old guy,» answered the Hawk, lowering his voice to a near-whisper, «with the size and shape of a good night-patrol point, especially in hill country, but I’m afraid his age and his temperament don’t go with the job any longer… I wouldn’t care to tell him that, naturally. It could destroy his confidence, you can understand that, Lieutenant.»
«I don’t understand a goddamned thing! What job?»
«Those pricky-shit lace-pants in Dizzy City must really be crippled by the deficit,» continued the general rapidly, and so quietly Devereaux could barely hear him. «Son of a bitch, boy, that sort of thing never bothered any of us!»
«He’s from Washington?»
«I know, I know,» said the Hawk, with weary, if impatient, finality. «Commander Pinkus explained that it was vital we leave him room for deniability.»
«Deniability?»
«Bye, Sam.» The line went dead.
«What is it?» asked Redwing intensely, leaning forward in the backseat, her right hand firmly gripping Eleanor’s shoulder.
«Is the grand and great general all right, boyo?» cried Lafferty, accelerating the limousine and weaving in and out of the traffic toward Boston. «Shall I call Gilligan and the troops?»
«I don’t know, Paddy, I really don’t know. I don’t think so.»
«Don’t give me no crap, lad!»
«What do you know, Sam?» Jennifer asked, her question posed calmly, warmly, the consummate attorney. «Take your time and collect your thoughts.»
«Cut the friendly interrogation, please, because that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m trying to figure it out and it’s not easy, it’s just crazy.»
«Then get your act together, Counselor.»
«That’s better, Red… Mac’s obviously in control, and my guess is that he’s found the man who’s been following him—guess, hell, it’s a given; he’s too condescending for it to be anything else—and he’s learned that the surveillance is from Washington.»
«Oh, good Lord …!»
«Exactly my sentiments, Miss Indian On-and-Off Love Call. Certain segments of Dizzy City are climbing the wall, and that’s the worst news we could hear.»
«What segments, Counselor?»
«From what I can gather, Counselor, they’re very unhealthy. Their emissaries to Boston carry guns.»
«They wouldn’t dare!» cried Redwing.
«Shall we revisit Watergate or Iran-contra, or, to balance the agenda, half the elections in Chicago since 1920? There’s no ‘wouldn’t dare’ in those events. And even if there were, compare the bucks spread out to all of those historical connivances combined with one month of the Strategic Air Command. They’re infinitesimal, Indian lady, we’re talking megabillions! You think our benevolent battalions of defense contractors, along with their representatives from all over the country—suppliers from Long Island to Seattle—won’t push their panic buttons at even the prospect of denting all those profit sheets? Jesus, if one tenth of one percent of the defense budget is cut, they’re all howling for blood. This kind of thing could open up their vampire factories.»
«You’re assuming that the Wopotami brief has been put on the Supreme Court’s schedule for argument.»
«It doesn’t have to be put on any schedule, just word leaked that it’s even being considered, or worse, being held over for future possible argument.»
«That’s always the bellwether for later serious consideration,» broke in Redwing.
«You’ve got it. Either way, the money boys and their political hacks will mount a counterattack.»
«Wait a minute, Sam,» pleaded Redwing, one hand on Eleanor’s head, the other on Devereaux’s shoulder. «A counterattack in congressional terms would mean spokesmen, or advocates, making their case in the House and the Senate, not hit men!»
«Granted, but Congress isn’t in session, and I submit our current situation as Article A for evidence.»
«I see what you mean. The hit men are here. So one way or the other, word has been leaked… Oh, my God, they’ve got to silence all of us!»
Paddy Lafferty snapped out the cellular phone from its cradle, and with practiced fingers punched the numbers with his thumb. «The O’Brien Post, you are?» he shouted, and after less than a second, he spoke firmly. «Is Billy Gilligan there?… All right, all right, I’m glad for the fact that our telephone relays are workin’, now listen to me. When Billy G. gets there, have him lead a column of armed vehicles to the Four Asses Hotel on Boylston and pipe up every entrance! You got it, lad? It’s the great man we’re talkin’ about, and I’ll brook no mistakes. G’bye to ya, and get hoppin’!»
«Paddy, what have you done?»
«There are times, Sam boyo, when you charge ahead and look back afterwards. It’s a lesson we learned during ten glorious days in France.»
«We’re not in France and this isn’t World War Two, and if there’s any suggestion of immediate danger down at the hotel, Aaron will call in the police. Everything’s too murky, too unclear, but Mac and our very quick-thinking employer are in touch with each other… I repeat, Aaron is not a gung-ho mutant, nor is he indecisive. If he feels the police are necessary, they’ll be there.»
«I dunno, boyo. The police have certain restraints placed upon them—ask Billy Gilligan, he’ll tell you.»
«He’s already told me, Paddy, but we don’t know what Mac and Aaron are doing, and not knowing, we could be lousing them up. Now call off the hounds of Killarney!»
«He’s right, Mr. Lafferty,» interjected Jennifer from the backseat. «Mind you, I’m not opposed to protection in any form, and I’d be grateful if your friends were, shall we say, available. However, Sam has a point; we’re in the dark and perhaps we shouldn’t do anything until we reach the Ritz-Carlton and talk to Mr. Pinkus… I believe you said pretty much the same thing to Mr. Gilligan back at Nanny’s.»