absolutely right. I just had this odd feeling that seeing you face-to-face made more sense than calling you up."
"Fair enough. So what's your interest?"
Good question, and about the only answer I had was a weak one. "I don't like having guys murdered next door to my house, and I like it even less when I'm told to pipe down and pretend it didn't happen."
"Might make the most sense-pretend it didn't happen."
"Sometimes what I do doesn't make sense."
"True," Felix said, smiling. "And what would you like me to do?”
"Damned if I know," I said. "I thought maybe these feds are with the FBI or Department of Justice, something like that. If that's the case, then maybe you can find out if anybody down south in Boston has a dad or brother missing, somebody that fits the description."
He nodded confidently, as if a challenge had been issued and he was glad to pick it up. "Sure. Easy enough. You know, I don't like guys getting whacked in my adopted hometown either. Okay, let's say I do find out it's mob-related. Maybe a meet gone had, maybe somebody's been removed for gross stupidity or having sticky fingers. What then?"
"Then I do nothing," 1 said. "That kind of rough justice… well, not much point to me finding out any more.
"Then we'll go from there, won't we."
"Hah," Felix said. "Not sure why you're mentioning 'we,' I don't recall agreeing to ---"
Then the shower stopped, as did the singing. Then a pleasant, clear woman's voice came calling out, each syllable stretched for effect: "Felix ... will you come wash my back?"
I looked over at him and he was trying hard not to laugh.
"Sure, Mickey, in a minute!"
"Hurry up," the unseen woman said. 'Tm getting cold... "
I got up from the easy chair. "You go ahead, Felix. Looks like you've got some washroom duties to attend to."
He stood up and slapped me gently on the shoulder. "Well, we've all got our burdens to bear. Tell you what, I'll give you a ring tomorrow, let you know what I found out. And I'll keep it low-key. If nothing's there, I'll just say I went out last night and had a bad dinner. If there's anything else, I'll just make a lunch date with you. Sound okay?"
I headed for the door, not wanting to keep Felix from his appointed rounds any longer. "Sure, sounds great."
"Good," he said. "Now get the hell out of here so I can get scrubbing."
Outside, the sharp smell of the ocean seemed to settle around me like an old and comfortable blanket. Walking back to my Ford, I felt good. Felix was on the case, and Felix was quite smart, and quite deadly when he wanted to be. I'm sure he'd get the answer I was looking for soon enough. I had full confidence in his abilities.
It was a good feeling, one that was due to expire in less than twelve hours.
Chapter Four
The next morning the weather gods decided that winter would come back for a day or two along the New Hampshire seacoast, for the clouds were thick and dark and a stiff wind whipped up the ocean, causing whitecaps and little sprays of foam. A short walk up and back from the Lafayette House, bundled in a heavy coat that I had to retrieve from a storage closet, secured my morning newspapers, and I had a breakfast of tea and toast as I scanned the front pages and the editorial sections.
The New York Time s and the Boston Globe had the usual customary stories about world atrocities, and little flashpoints that seemed to pop up every now and then, mostly concerning rogue nations and weapons of mass destruction. Refugees were also on the move this spring, being bombed either by rebel movements or governments, the bombs and bullets and shrapnel still doing their bloody work, no matter whose slogans or dollars paid for them.
Closer to home, the Tyler Chronicle was taking a decidedly local approach, by the second in a four-part series on what was called “The Hidden Danger: Porn in New Hampshire’s Playground.” The stories in the series were prominently played on the front page and focused o the few
"Fair enough. So what's your interest?"
Good question, and about the only answer I had was a weak one. "I don't like having guys murdered next door to my house, and I like it even less when I'm told to pipe down and pretend it didn't happen."
"Might make the most sense-pretend it didn't happen."
"Sometimes what I do doesn't make sense."
"True," Felix said, smiling. "And what would you like me to do?”
"Damned if I know," I said. "I thought maybe these feds are with the FBI or Department of Justice, something like that. If that's the case, then maybe you can find out if anybody down south in Boston has a dad or brother missing, somebody that fits the description."
He nodded confidently, as if a challenge had been issued and he was glad to pick it up. "Sure. Easy enough. You know, I don't like guys getting whacked in my adopted hometown either. Okay, let's say I do find out it's mob-related. Maybe a meet gone had, maybe somebody's been removed for gross stupidity or having sticky fingers. What then?"
"Then I do nothing," 1 said. "That kind of rough justice… well, not much point to me finding out any more.
"Then we'll go from there, won't we."
"Hah," Felix said. "Not sure why you're mentioning 'we,' I don't recall agreeing to ---"
Then the shower stopped, as did the singing. Then a pleasant, clear woman's voice came calling out, each syllable stretched for effect: "Felix ... will you come wash my back?"
I looked over at him and he was trying hard not to laugh.
"Sure, Mickey, in a minute!"
"Hurry up," the unseen woman said. 'Tm getting cold... "
I got up from the easy chair. "You go ahead, Felix. Looks like you've got some washroom duties to attend to."
He stood up and slapped me gently on the shoulder. "Well, we've all got our burdens to bear. Tell you what, I'll give you a ring tomorrow, let you know what I found out. And I'll keep it low-key. If nothing's there, I'll just say I went out last night and had a bad dinner. If there's anything else, I'll just make a lunch date with you. Sound okay?"
I headed for the door, not wanting to keep Felix from his appointed rounds any longer. "Sure, sounds great."
"Good," he said. "Now get the hell out of here so I can get scrubbing."
Outside, the sharp smell of the ocean seemed to settle around me like an old and comfortable blanket. Walking back to my Ford, I felt good. Felix was on the case, and Felix was quite smart, and quite deadly when he wanted to be. I'm sure he'd get the answer I was looking for soon enough. I had full confidence in his abilities.
It was a good feeling, one that was due to expire in less than twelve hours.
Chapter Four
The next morning the weather gods decided that winter would come back for a day or two along the New Hampshire seacoast, for the clouds were thick and dark and a stiff wind whipped up the ocean, causing whitecaps and little sprays of foam. A short walk up and back from the Lafayette House, bundled in a heavy coat that I had to retrieve from a storage closet, secured my morning newspapers, and I had a breakfast of tea and toast as I scanned the front pages and the editorial sections.
The New York Time s and the Boston Globe had the usual customary stories about world atrocities, and little flashpoints that seemed to pop up every now and then, mostly concerning rogue nations and weapons of mass destruction. Refugees were also on the move this spring, being bombed either by rebel movements or governments, the bombs and bullets and shrapnel still doing their bloody work, no matter whose slogans or dollars paid for them.
Closer to home, the Tyler Chronicle was taking a decidedly local approach, by the second in a four-part series on what was called “The Hidden Danger: Porn in New Hampshire’s Playground.” The stories in the series were prominently played on the front page and focused o the few
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