Part 9 (1/2)

”And you wouldn't take the bribe.”

”Yeah.”

”Well, that's d.a.m.ned white of you, Spenser, I must say. n.o.ble, sort of.”

”You should probably try to avoid using the word 'white' as an accolade,” I said.

”What? Oh h.e.l.l, Spenser, it's just a d.a.m.ned phrase. So is the Negro a body guard?”

”Not exactly,” I said. ”I thought it might be useful while I was with you to see if anybody was watching us. Apparently not.”

”How can you tell.”

”Because if there were someone, you wouldn't see Hawk.”

”That's his name?”

”Uh huh. So give me an example of how you kidded these women.”

”Boy, you don't give up, do you. Suzy Q got herself a good one.”

”Suzy Q?”

Sterling shrugged and laughed and made his little dismissive hand motion.

”I'm glad she got a good one,” he said. ”She deserves it.”

”You touch any of these woman?” I said.

”h.e.l.l no.”

”They work for you?”

”Haven't we already gone over this ground?” Sterling said.

”I was hoping to find out something this time over,” I said.

Sterling grinned at me and sipped his Chartreuse and tipped his head back in pleasure at the taste.

”They work for you?” I said.

”As I mentioned,” Sterling said and took any sting out of it by grinning broadly, ”these are volunteers. I directed them, in the sense that I was in charge of the whole bubble bath, but none of them was”-he made air quote marks with his fingertips-”working for me.”

”So you didn't touch them. You made no s.e.xual innuendoes at them. You didn't use your position of power to create a s.e.xually hostile environment?” Sterling laughed happily.

”Whoa,” he said. ”A 's.e.xually hostile environment'? Holy moley.”

”So why did four women suddenly get it into their heads to bring charges against you?” I said.

He got a leather cigar case out of his inside jacket pocket and opened it and offered me one. I shook my head. He took out a long dark cigar and put the case away. With a small pocket knife he trimmed the cigar, put it in his mouth, and lit it carefully, turning it slowly to get the ignition even. When it was going right, he took a big inhale, let the smoke out slowly.

”Maybe it was that time of month,” Sterling said, ”and they were cranky.”

Again the big infectious grin to take any sting out of his words.

”Do you suppose they threatened you because they know they've got no case?”

”You figure it was the four women who sent the sluggers?” I said.

”Or her husband,” Sterling said, looking at the end of his cigar, admiring the glow. ”He used to be a criminal lawyer, I heard. He'd probably know somebody.”

” 'Her,' meaning Jeanette Ronan,” I said.

”Sure.”

”Why her rather than, say, Olivia Hanson, or Marcia Albright, or Penny Putnam?”

”By golly, Miss Molly,” Sterling said, ”you are a detective, aren't you?”

I thought about getting up and going home. I could almost see myself standing and walking off down Newbury Street. I knew if I really could have seen myself walking away I would have looked happy. But I wasn't walking away. I was sitting here trying not to inhale the smoke that spiraled my way from his large cigar.

”How come you focused on Jeanette?” I said. ”She's the one with the husband,” Sterling said. ”I mean, the other three are currently single, I believe.”

He had described them originally, I thought, as the wives of rich husbands. I filed that for future consideration.

”These bad buys actually rough you up?” Sterling said.

”No.”

”But they threatened to.”

”Yes.”

”And they didn't say who they were, ah, representing?”

”No.”

”It's got to be Ronan.”

”We'll see,” I said. Sterling glanced over at Hawk across the street.

”Why doesn't he join us?” Sterling said.

”I thought you might be more at ease talking alone.”

”You're a considerate pilgrim, aren't you.”