Potshot

Hawk shook his head slowly.

"A sweet nature," he said. "A sweet fucking nature."

Chapter 44

WHEN WE GOT back to the house there was a silver Lexus parked in front and Chollo was sitting on the front porch with Morris Ta

"You remember Ro

"With pleasure," I said.

Bobby Horse paid no attention to Ro

"Hot," Ro

He was wearing a white linen suit with a flowered sport shirt open at the neck. His shoes were woven leather. He looked like an accountant on vacation. 't

"Yeah," I said, "but it's a dry heat."

Ro

"Morris wanted me to talk with you," Ro

"You always do what Morris wants?" I said.

"Yeah.''

I waited some more. Ro

"Morris wanted me to tell you things have changed a little," Ro

"Un-huh."

"Morris says he got no further interests out here."

"Which means?"

"Morris says if you want to take out the Dell, he'll give you a walk on that."

"Last I knew he was going to have somebody shoot me if I didn't leave things alone out here."

"Probably me," Ro

"Well isn't that nice," I said. "How about Mary Lou Buckman?"

"Morris got no interest in her."

"But he used to," I said.

Ro

"What happened?" I said.

Ro

"Morris didn't have anybody shoot Steve Buckman did he?"

"Nope."

"You sure?"

"I do Morris's shooting," Ro

"You know who did?"

"Maybe she did," Ro

"Why do you think so?"

"Wives shoot husbands a lot," Ro

"What's Morris's co

"Maybe they were bridge partners. Morris only tells me what I need to know."

"And his co

"Same answer," Ro

"So Morris sent you all the way out here just to tell me it was okay to do what I was going to do anyway?" I said.

"We had no way to know you was going to do it," Ro

"What the hell was I doing here, then?"

"Maybe shagging after Mrs. Buckman," Ro

"With half a dozen thugs?"

Ro

"Maybe to hold her down?" he said.

"I'll be damned, a romantic underneath it all."

Ro

"Morris says he'd like to make a financial contribution to the project," Ro

"Which project is that?" I said.

"Snuffing the Dell."

"How about Mary Lou?"

"Leave her on her own."

"You mean don't look after her?" I said.

"Let things develop," he said. "Stay focused on the Dell."

"How much of a financial contribution is Morris likely to make?" I said.

"You could pretty much name it," Ro

"But no manpower," I said.

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Morris figures you don't need it."

"How flattering," I said.

"Chollo and Bobby Horse are good," Ro

"You are too kind, senor," Chollo said.

Ro

Hawk registered nothing.

"You can tell?" I said.

"I can tell," Ro

"You know anything about Dean Walker?"

"Police chief out here, isn't he?"

"Know more than that?"

"Nope."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm alert," Ro

"What about Mark Ratliff?"

"Movie producer," Ro

"Anything else?"

"Nope."

"And how do you know about him?"

Ro

"I'm pretty alert myself," I said. "And I notice that Morris is hiring me to do what he said he'd kill me for a month ago."

"Things change," Ro

"But you wouldn't know why?"

"I wouldn't," Ro

"Why don't I believe you?" I said.

"Because you're a cynical and suspicious guy?" Ro

"That must be it," I said.

We sat. Hawk leaned. I tried to think of some clever way to trick Ro

"Tell Morris that I will decline his kind offer, and if anything happens to Mary Lou Buckman I will come to L.A. and fry his ass."

"I'll pass that on," Ro

He got up and headed for his car. Hawk watched him all the way. Chollo didn't move but I realized he was watching Ro

"Have a nice day," he said.

Then he got in the car and closed the door and backed it slowly out of the driveway.

Chapter 45

IT WAS BERNARD'S turn to cook breakfast. He valued presentation. He always put out a tablecloth and matching flatware. He put the juice in a pitcher and the milk in another. No cartons on the table. He served the meals from the counter instead of slopping the food out of the cooking pan at the table. Today he was serving apricot pancakes with syrup made from some sort of cactus pear.

"Bernard," Tedy Sapp said, "you sure you're straight?"

"Damned right I'm straight," Bernard said. "Anybody says I'm not I'll fight him."

Sapp gri

"When a gay guy calls you queer, it's not an insult," he said.

"You think I wouldn't fight you?" Bernard said.

"I think you would," Sapp said. "Just not for long."

Bernard put three pancakes on a di

"Well you just mess with me," he said. "We'll find out how long."

Sapp's grin grew wider.

He said, "I wouldn't mess with you Bernard."

Bernard put my pancakes down in front of me. They were carefully arranged on the plate so that they didn't overlap. I put just enough honey on and cut off a bite and ate it.

When I had swallowed, I said, "You can really cook for a straight guy, Bernard."

"Don't you start with me," he said.