Triple Pursuit by Ralph McInerny Page B

staggered backward across the room into a rack
of records which continued to cascade down on him when he was prostrate on the floor. Austin left Jack’s office and the two men had not exchanged a civil word since. Was Jack’s son now to go the same route as his father?
    Austin had gotten out of the studio before anyone came running in response to the crashing records. Jack must have told some lie about what had happened, since the charge of assault Austin half feared his brother-in-law would bring against him did not materialize. But the rumors about Jack’s behavior continued.
    This precedent did not make the thought of speaking to Tim attractive, but he resolved to do something.
    â€œWhere have they been having drinks together?”
    Colleen gave him the name of a bar near Water Tower Place, the Willard.
    â€œAnd that’s all it has been so far, a tête-à-tête in a bar?”
    â€œI hope so.”
    One afternoon at four-thirty, Austin took up his station in the bar, off in a corner, sipping a martini. The Loop was being swept by November winds and he had felt carried along by them when he walked from his car to the bar. What he had really wanted was a cup of coffee, but this was not the kind of bar that expected such an order, certainly not at this time of day. It was ready for an invasion of tense and ambitious professional people wanting the supposed relaxation of a couple of quick drinks before they headed home. In the event, he ordered a second martini, finding a species of warmth in the icy drink. The place eventually became so crowded he began to fear his nephew could be there and he wouldn’t know it. So with his drink in hand he waded into the crowd. From its center he caught a glimpse of Tim and a young woman who lived up to Colleen’s description.
    What to do now? He had imagined a less hectic setting in which he
could pretend to happen upon Tim and by his presence set the stage for any further talking to that might be needed. In this noise, it was doubtful anything he said could even be heard. He was reassessing his plan when Tim turned and their eyes met. It was all there on his nephew’s face; no need to wonder if this were an innocent rendezvous. Whatever it was, Tim was ashamed of himself. People crowded between them and Austin lost sight of Tim and the young woman, but he had the sense that, in a way quite unplanned, he had fulfilled his mission.
    The following day, Colleen phoned to tell him that the ineffable Aggie had let it be known in the ladies’ room that she was involved with Colleen’s brother.
    â€œShe told you that?”
    â€œOh, no. Not directly. Of course, she counted on the story being told to me.”
    â€œIs she capable of shame?”
    Colleen laughed. “She is proud of what she is doing.”
    â€œYour brother isn’t.”
    â€œHave you talked to him?”
    â€œOur eyes met in that bar when he was with her.”
    â€œYou went there?”
    â€œWith a grandiose and impractical plan. Fortunately, it proved unnecessary. When our eyes met, it was plain as could be what he was up to and how he felt about my seeing him.”
    â€œHow long ago was that?”
    â€œThis is Friday? It was Wednesday night.”
    â€œBut Aggie claims the big event took place at her apartment Thursday.”
    This was bad. When he had hung up, he called Tim at his office and was told that he was away for several days. And then he called Jane.

    â€œTim’s out of town, Austin. Is there anything I can do?”
    â€œIt’s nothing important. Just tell him I called. Have you heard about the dance we oldsters are having at St. Hilary’s tomorrow night?”
    He entertained her with the story of it, leaving out the fact that her father-in-law was now regarded as the main attraction of the evening. If he could have thought of anything else to make his call seem less abrupt, he would have been delighted, but only that