The Professional Part 37

"Yeah," he said. "We talked."

"How'd she get hold of you?"

"She called," Tony said. "Talk with Arnold."

"How'd she know where to call?" I said.

"Her husband had a number," he said.

"So the cops must have stopped by," I said.

"They did," Tony said. "I'm used to cops. Didn't tell them nothing. They didn't know nothing. They went away."

"What did Beth want?"

"She say she saw me in her husband's office that day and she thought I was very 'interesting.' " Tony grinned. "Say she want to see me."

"And?"

"And I say sure," Tony said.

"So you did," I said.

"Yep. f.u.c.ked her about sixteen times."

"Nice for you," I said.

Tony grinned.

"She enthusiastic," he said.

"But you didn't elope," I said.

"Nope, after we been f.u.c.king for a week or so, she say she need a favor."

"I'm shocked," I said.

"Yeah, I was surprised it took a week," Tony said. "Said she wanted somebody to ace her old man and could I help."

"And you said?"

"No."

"How'd she take that?"

"Not well. She say after all we meant to each other. And I say, 'I got nothing against your old man.' And she said, 'But don't you love me?' And I say no. And we go on like that. And finally I have Arnold take her out and drive her home."

"Give her a referral?"

"h.e.l.l, no," Tony said. "I put some people down, will again. But I did it 'cause it needed to be done. Not 'cause some broad bops me for a week."

"She have any other candidates?" I said.

"To pull the trigger for her?" Tony said. "There must have been one."

"But you have no idea?" I said.

"None."

"You have any sense that Eisenhower was involved?"

"Nope."

"Or that he wasn't?" I said.

"Nope."

I nodded. We were quiet. Ty-Bop had stopped looking at the picture of Pearl and was now, as best I could determine, looking at nothing I could identify. Tony picked up his hat, put it on, stood, and b.u.t.toned up his coat.

"You owe me," he said.

"But who keeps track," I said.

"Me," Tony said.

He nodded at Ty-Bop, who went out of the office first. Tony followed. They didn't close the door behind them. But that was okay. It created sort of a welcoming image. I was a friendly guy. Might be good for business.

Chapter58.

VINNIE MORRIS WAS a middle-sized ordinary-looking guy who could shoot the tail off a buffalo nickel from fifty yards. We weren't exactly friends, but I'd known him since he walked behind Joe Broz, and while he wasn't all that much fun, he was good at what he did. He kept his word. And he didn't say much.

We were in my car, parked at a hydrant on Beacon Street beside the Public Garden, across the street from where Beth lived with Gary Eisenhower.

"Her name's Beth Jackson," I said. "We'll sit here and watch. If she comes out and gets in a car, we'll tail her. If she comes out and starts walking, you'll tail her."

"'Cause she knows you," Vinnie said.

"Yes."

Vinnie nodded.

"And that's it?" he said. "You want me to follow this broad around, tell you what I see?"

"Yep."

"I don't have to clip her?"

"No," I said.

"I don't like to clip no broad, I don't have to," Vinnie said.

"You won't have to," I said.

He looked at her picture.

"Nice head," he said.

"Yep."

"How long we gonna do this?" Vinnie said.

"Don't know."

"She takes a car and I just ride around with you," Vinnie said.

"Correct," I said.

"Okay," he said.

"You care why we're tailing her?" I said.

"Nope."

One of Vinnie's great charms was that he had no interest in any information he didn't need. We sat with Beth for several days. Mostly she walked. So mostly I stayed in the car and Vinnie hoofed it.

"She goes to Newbury Street," Vinnie said. "Meets different broads. They shop. They have lunch. Today it was in the cafe at Louis."

"Must be an adventure for you," I said.

"Yeah. I thought Louis was a men's store."

"All genders," I said.

"You buy stuff there?"

"Don't have my size," I said.

"Got my size," Vinnie said.

"See anything you like?" I said.

"Most of it looks kinda funny," Vinnie said.

"That's called stylish," I said.

"Not by me," Vinnie said.

"She spot you?"

Vinnie stared at me.

"n.o.body spots me, I don't want to be spotted," Vinnie said.

"I don't know what I was thinking," I said.

We did that for most of a week, with Vinnie doing all the legwork and me twaddling in the car. On a white, dripping, above-freezing Friday in late February, I called it quits.

"You stick with her till I call you off," I said to Vinnie. "Or you can't stand it anymore. You don't need me. She's obviously a walking girl."

"I won't get sick of it," Vinnie said. "I like looking at her a.s.s."

"Motivation is good," I said.

Vinnie got out of the car, and I drove home.

Chapter59.

GARY EISENHOWER came to see me. I was in my office with my feet up, listening to some Anita O'Day songs on my office computer and thinking lightly.

"Who's the broad singing," Gary said when he came in.

"Anita O'Day," I said.

"I need to talk," he said.

I turned Anita off and swiveled my full attention to him.

"Go," I said.

He sat in one of my client chairs.

"I . . ."