She nodded and scanned the notes she had taken. Then she closed the notebook and stood up.
"I'm inclined to believe him, too," she said. "Despite all the publicity, this isn't a winner for us. We don't prosecute and we're giving him a bye because he's a big star. We prosecute and don't convict, it's because we're incompetent, and probably giving him a bye as well. We prosecute and convict and he's sentenced appropriately, we're all soft on him because he's a star."
"Only way to win is to get him convicted of something he didn't do, or get him a sentence that won't stand on appeal," Quirk said.
Angela smiled.
"I'll consult with my colleagues," she said.
After she left, Quirk leaned back in his chair with his hands clasped behind his head, and looked at me for a while.
"Heard there was three people killed at a construction site in Somerville last night," he said. "Two of them killed with a knife. One with a .40 caliber handgun."
"World's going to hell in a handbasket," I said.
Quirk nodded.
"Guy shot to death was Stephano DeLauria, who is the husband of Jumbo Nelson's agent."
"Tough on Alice," I said.
Quirk nodded.
"He was a button man," Quirk said. "For an L.A. Mob."
"Really?" I said.
"Had a big rep, I'm told," Quirk said.
"Well," I said. "I feel bad for Alice."
Quirk looked at me some more.
"I'll bet you do," he said.
I stood.
"We done?" I said.
Quirk nodded.
"Nice job," he said.
I said, "Thanks," and left.
I had one more thing I had to do.
63
TOM LOPATA'S OFFICE was in a converted storefront in Malden Square. There were several desks. Tom sat at the one closest to the door. The others were unoccupied.
He stood when I came in, and I could see him flipping through his mental Rolodex until he matched my face with a name. Then he stuck out his hand.
"Hey," he said. "Mr. Spenser, excellent to see you."
I didn't shake hands with him.
"I've stopped by to tell you what I know," I said. "I'm not telling anyone else. But I want to be sure that you know that I know."
"Sure," he said, and sat down. "Sure. I'll help you any way I can."
He gestured toward a chair. I stayed on my feet.
"You drove your daughter in to hook up with Jumbo Nelson," I said. "We know that. What only you and I know is that you did it because you hoped it would help you sell a big policy to him and the movie company."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying you pimped your daughter to a notorious pig. For money, and it got her killed."
"It doesn't do the kid any good. And I won't tell your wife or your son. I won't tell the cops. I won't tell anybody. But I want you to wake up every morning of every day and know what you did," I said. "Every morning."
"This is crazy," he said. "There's no way you could know this. I didn't do anything wrong."
I looked at him.
"I didn't," he said.
I didn't answer.
"I spent my life, for crissake, feeding them and buying them stuff I couldn't afford, and sending them to schools I couldn't afford. My fucking son is at Harvard. All I wanted was for her to put in a good word for me, just once. Is that fucking evil?"
"Yeah," I said. "In fact, it is."
"Come on," he said. "That's bullshit. I didn't do nothing so bad."
"Think about it," I said. "Every day."
I left.
WHEN I GOT BACK to Boston I changed into sweats, put some clean clothes and a shaving kit in a gym bag, and went down to the Harbor Health Club. I lifted weights. I hit the speed bag. I hit the heavy bag until the sweat was all over me and soaking through my shirt. Then I went to the steam room and sat for a long time. When I came out, I showered and shaved and put on my clean clothes.
It was still raining when I came out of the club. But it seemed to me that it was getting a little lighter in the west. Over Cambridge. Where Susan lived.
After the rain lifted, the world would probably seem as freshly washed as I was. The cleanliness was almost certainly illusory, or at best short-lasting. But life is mostly metaphor, anyway.
I got in my car and drove west.
THE SPENSER NOVELS
Painted Ladies
The Professional
Rough Weather
Now & Then
Hundred-Dollar Baby
School Days
Cold Service
Bad Business
Back Story
Widow's Walk
Potshot
Hugger Mugger
Hush Money
Sudden Mischief
Small Vices
Chance
Thin Air
Walking Shadow
Paper Doll
Pastime
Stardust
Playmates
Crimson Joy
Pale Kings and Princes
Taming a Sea-Horse
A Catskill Eagle
Valediction
The Widening Gyre
Ceremony
A Savage Place
Early Autumn
Looking for Rachel Wallace
The Judas Goat
Promised Land
Mortal Stakes
God Save the Child
The Godwulf Manuscript
THE JESSE STONE NOVELS
Split Image
Night and Day
Stranger in Paradise
High Profile
Sea Change
Stone Cold
Death in Paradise
Trouble in Paradise
Night Passage
THE SUNNY RANDALL NOVELS
Spare Change
Blue Screen
Melancholy Baby
Shrink Rap
Perish Twice
THE VIRGIL COLE/EVERETT HITCH NOVELS
Blue-Eyed Devil
Brimstone
Resolution
Appaloosa
ALSO BY ROBERT B. PARKER
Double Play
Gunman's Rhapsody
All Our Yesterdays
A Year at the Races (with Joan H. Parker)
Perchance to Dream
Poodle Springs (with Raymond Chandler)
Love and Glory
Wilderness
Three Weeks in Spring (with Joan H. Parker)
Training with Weights (with John R. Marsh)
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Robert B Parker
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