Robert B. Parker - Widows Walk

When I got back to my office there were two calls on my answering machine. One was from Hawk asking if I still needed backup. The other was from a secretary at Kiley and Harbaugh. Mr. Kiley would like to have breakfast with me in the coffee shop of his building the next morning and could I call to confirm. I called Hawk at the Harbor Health Club and left a message with Henry that since everybody seemed to have skedaddled, and whatever was going on had stopped, I figured there was no further need to kill me and Hawk could therefore go back to his career of crime.

Then I called the secretary at Kiley and Harbaugh and confirmed, and, at 7:30 the next morning, I met him there. He was already seated when I came in. Dont have the bagels, Kiley said. Cranberry muffins. I went to the counter and got orange juice, coffee, and a cranberry muffin and brought it to Kileys table, and sat. Kiley didnt say anything.

I drank some juice. Kiley had a muffin, too, and some juice. Same breakfast I was having, except I was eating mine. I been practicing criminal law around here for most of my adult life, Kiley said. I drank some orange juice. I known you sort of here and there and roundabout for a long time, Kiley said.

I nodded and drank the rest of my orange juice. Everything I know about you says your word is good. For something, I said. I checked on you, cops, DA, lotta people. Kiley smiled. Some of them clients.

The consensus is that youre a hard-on, but I can trust you. I had mixed feelings about the consensus, but I had nothing to add. Before we talk, Kiley said, I need your word that it goes no further. I cant promise, Bobby, until I know what Im promising. Kiley looked at my face for a moment and pursed his lips. His cranberry muffin lay on his plate unmolested.

Its about my daughter, he said. I put a little milk in my coffee and stirred it. Ill protect your daughter, I said carefully, if I can. What makes you think she needs protection? Kiley said. Come on, Bobby. Yeah. Yeah.

That was dumb. Okay. You gimme your word? Ill do the best I can, I said. Your word? Yes. The kid you killed, Kiley said. Yeah. Yeah.

We represented him once. I raised my eyebrows. I could raise one at a time, but I saved that for women. Him and another guy, guy named Scanlan, got arrested on assault charges. They beat up a real estate appraiser. Cops caught them in progress, down back of South Station.

Why? Appraiser claims he didnt know them, had no idea why they assaulted him. Refused to press charges. Kiley was right about the cranberry muffins. So howd you get involved? I said. Guy called here, asked us to go down and see about them. We represented them maybe two hours.

They call you? No. Ann took it. She go down? Yes. What was the appraisers name? I said. Kiley took a piece of folded notepaper from his shirt pocket and read it. Bisbee, he said.

Thomas Bisbee. He handed me the paper. Who paid you? Thats bothersome, Kiley said. We got no record of anybody paying us. Any record of anybody being billed? No. That is bothersome, I said.

McGonigle didnt look like your kind of client any more than DeRosa did. Were criminal lawyers, Kiley said. Some of our clients are criminals. Usually criminals who can pay. True. Was McGonigle someone who could pay? He wasnt.

He was muscle. Just like Scanlan. Who were they working for? I said. I dont know. I got up and went to the serving counter and got more coffee for myself and a fresh cup for Kiley. So, I said when I came back, what do you want from me? I want to know how deep in she is, Kiley said.

You asked her? She wont talk to me about it. She says its a question of professional respect, that she wont allow me to treat her like a child. And you want me to find out what happened, I said. Goddamn it, shes my child. I nodded. I have a client, I said.

Im not asking you anything that would interfere with that. Im asking you while youre serving your client to keep an eye out. And let me know. Give me the name of the other guy she defended. Chuckie Scanlan. Chuck, I said.

You know him? No. Guy named Jack DeRosa claimed a guy named Chuck put him in touch with Mary Smith. Common name, Kiley said. I nodded. Where do I find him? Works in a liquor store on Broadway. Donovans.

Ann knows this guy, she knew DeRosa, and she is, or was, Marvin Conroys girlfriend. Yeah. I noticed that, too, Kiley said. Ann know where Conroy is? I said. She says she doesnt. We may be going in the same direction, I said.

Ill do what I can. And report to me. Anything I find out about Ann, Ill report to you first. Only, Kiley said. Bobby, what if shes in too far? Shes my only child, Spenser. Her mothers dead.

I cant promise, Bobby. I can walk away from this conversation and say nothing to anybody. But I cant promise you more than I can promise you. You going to talk with Chuckie Scanlan? Yes. And if that leads you someplace and Anns in it really deep? Then Ill talk to you, I said. Before you talk to anyone else? Yes.

And what? Kiley said. And well decide, I said.