either. Mortality rested very lightly on him. As we passed Ty Bop, I pretended to shoot him, dropping my thumb on my forefinger. Junior smiled faintly. Ty Bop ignored me. He may not have even seen me as he stood, jittering in place by the big SUV, thinking long thoughts about shooting somebody.
"Kid gets any skinnier," I said to Hawk, "his gun will be shooting him."
"Don't be dissing Ty Bop," Hawk said. "Ain't many people can shoot better."
"Or more willingly," I said.
"Yeah," Hawk said. "Ty Bop like the work."
We stepped into the pavilion with Tony and Leonard and the four Marshport cops. As soon as we did, Boots stepped out of his Mercedes. With him was Fadeyushka Badyrka, the big Ukrainian gunboat that Hawk had declined to kill.
"We may be forming a lasting friendship with Fadeyushka," Hawk said.
"Remembering his name is a good start," I said.
It was early April and cool with the wind coming off the water. But Boots was dressed for deep January. He had on a fur-lined cap with earflaps that tied under the chin, and a heavy, dark woolen overcoat with a black mouton collar snuggled up under his mean chin. His hands were in his pockets. His narrow shoulders were hunched. He walked straight up to Hawk and stood about a foot away.
"Okay," he said, "tell me."
I was standing a little back from Hawk and Boots and Tony, trying to find a spot where I could be useful if the ball went up. It was hard to find a place where someone couldn't shoot me dead. But it almost always is, if you think about it. I did what I could. I noticed that Leonard was having the same locational problems. The cops at each corner of the pavilion were sort of an issue for both of us. There were a few people on the beach. Some were walking dogs or small children, or both. Some were picking up things. I was never quite clear on what it was that people collected on beaches. No one paid any attention to the group in the pavilion.
"I shot one of your people," Hawk said. "Not realizin' he under Tony's protection. Apologize for that. Told Tony and I'll tell you. Long as you and Tony got a deal goin', I honor it."
"What kind of deal you think Tony and I got," Boots said.
"Don't know," Hawk said, "don't care. Tony says your people are protected. That be my deal."
Fadeyushka was looking at Hawk. I was looking at Fadeyushka. So was the handsome guy with Tony.
"You agree with that?" Boots said to Tony.
Tony nodded.
"Speak up," Boots said.
"I agree," Tony said.
I knew Tony wanted to kick Boots right out into the traffic on Revere Beach Boulevard, but he didn't show it. He seemed almost respectful when he spoke to Boots. Which I knew to be a crock. Nobody respected Boots. People were afraid of him, and with good reason. But it had little to do with respect. I was pretty sure Boots didn't know about this distinction, and if he did know, he didn't care. Boots glanced at me for the first time.
"How about this jerk-off?" he said.
I nodded at Hawk.
"I'm with him," I said.
"And you do what he says?" Boots asked me.
"I do."
Boots sort of snorted. He turned to the big Ukrainian.
"You down with this?" he said.
"Down?" Fadeyushka said.
"Learn the fucking language," Boots said. "Are you fucking okay with it."
Fadeyushka looked straight at Hawk for a time.
"For now," he said. "I am down."
Some seagulls hopped near the pavilion, looking for food. The wind blew a hamburger wrapper past them. Two of them flew up and lighted on it and tore at it and found no sustenance, and turned away.
"Remember something valuable," Boots said to Hawk. "Do not fuck with me."
Hawk seemed to smile a little.
"Long as you down with Tony," Hawk said. "You down with me."
Boots looked hard at Hawk for another moment, then turned and walked to the car. Fadeyushka followed him and the cops peeled off behind them. The rest of us stood as the procession pulled away, leaving us alone with the wind and the seagulls.
32
CECILE HAD A condominium in a gated enclosure on Cambridge
"Kid gets any skinnier," I said to Hawk, "his gun will be shooting him."
"Don't be dissing Ty Bop," Hawk said. "Ain't many people can shoot better."
"Or more willingly," I said.
"Yeah," Hawk said. "Ty Bop like the work."
We stepped into the pavilion with Tony and Leonard and the four Marshport cops. As soon as we did, Boots stepped out of his Mercedes. With him was Fadeyushka Badyrka, the big Ukrainian gunboat that Hawk had declined to kill.
"We may be forming a lasting friendship with Fadeyushka," Hawk said.
"Remembering his name is a good start," I said.
It was early April and cool with the wind coming off the water. But Boots was dressed for deep January. He had on a fur-lined cap with earflaps that tied under the chin, and a heavy, dark woolen overcoat with a black mouton collar snuggled up under his mean chin. His hands were in his pockets. His narrow shoulders were hunched. He walked straight up to Hawk and stood about a foot away.
"Okay," he said, "tell me."
I was standing a little back from Hawk and Boots and Tony, trying to find a spot where I could be useful if the ball went up. It was hard to find a place where someone couldn't shoot me dead. But it almost always is, if you think about it. I did what I could. I noticed that Leonard was having the same locational problems. The cops at each corner of the pavilion were sort of an issue for both of us. There were a few people on the beach. Some were walking dogs or small children, or both. Some were picking up things. I was never quite clear on what it was that people collected on beaches. No one paid any attention to the group in the pavilion.
"I shot one of your people," Hawk said. "Not realizin' he under Tony's protection. Apologize for that. Told Tony and I'll tell you. Long as you and Tony got a deal goin', I honor it."
"What kind of deal you think Tony and I got," Boots said.
"Don't know," Hawk said, "don't care. Tony says your people are protected. That be my deal."
Fadeyushka was looking at Hawk. I was looking at Fadeyushka. So was the handsome guy with Tony.
"You agree with that?" Boots said to Tony.
Tony nodded.
"Speak up," Boots said.
"I agree," Tony said.
I knew Tony wanted to kick Boots right out into the traffic on Revere Beach Boulevard, but he didn't show it. He seemed almost respectful when he spoke to Boots. Which I knew to be a crock. Nobody respected Boots. People were afraid of him, and with good reason. But it had little to do with respect. I was pretty sure Boots didn't know about this distinction, and if he did know, he didn't care. Boots glanced at me for the first time.
"How about this jerk-off?" he said.
I nodded at Hawk.
"I'm with him," I said.
"And you do what he says?" Boots asked me.
"I do."
Boots sort of snorted. He turned to the big Ukrainian.
"You down with this?" he said.
"Down?" Fadeyushka said.
"Learn the fucking language," Boots said. "Are you fucking okay with it."
Fadeyushka looked straight at Hawk for a time.
"For now," he said. "I am down."
Some seagulls hopped near the pavilion, looking for food. The wind blew a hamburger wrapper past them. Two of them flew up and lighted on it and tore at it and found no sustenance, and turned away.
"Remember something valuable," Boots said to Hawk. "Do not fuck with me."
Hawk seemed to smile a little.
"Long as you down with Tony," Hawk said. "You down with me."
Boots looked hard at Hawk for another moment, then turned and walked to the car. Fadeyushka followed him and the cops peeled off behind them. The rest of us stood as the procession pulled away, leaving us alone with the wind and the seagulls.
32
CECILE HAD A condominium in a gated enclosure on Cambridge
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