I tried not to smile a smile that said, Of course I'm superior to you, and both of us know it, but I'm a good guy and am not going to hold it against you.
"Cops?" I said.
"Local police," Clive said. "And I have my own security consultant."
"Local police are the Columbia County Sheriff's Department," Penny said. "The deputy's name is Becker."
"I wish to hire you, sir, to put a stop to this," Clive said.
"To prevent the horse from being hurt?"
"That certainly."
"Usually I get only one end of the horse," I said.
Penny laughed.
Clive said, "Excuse me?"
"Daddy," Penny said, "he's saying sometimes he gets a client who's a horse's ass."
"Oh, of course. Guess I'm too worried to have a sense of humor."
"Sure," I said.
"Well, sir, are you interested or not?"
"Tell me a little more of how you see this working," I said. "Am I sleeping on a blanket in the horse's stall, with a knife in my teeth?"
He smiled to show that he really did have a sense of humor even though he was worried.
"No, no," he said. "I have some armed security in place. An agency in Atlanta. I would like you to look at the security and let me know what you think. But, primarily, I want you to find out who is doing this and, ah, arrest them, or shoot them, or whatever is the right thing."
"And what makes you think I'm the man for the job?" I said.
Penny smiled at me again. She thought my modesty was very becoming.
"The horse world is a small one, sir. You were involved in some sort of case over there in Alton a few years back, with Jumper Jack Nelson. I knew of it. I talked with the Alton Police, with someone in the South Carolina State Attorney's Office. My attorney looked into it. We talked with the FBI in Atlanta. We talked with a man named Hugh Dixon with whom I once did some business. We talked to a Massachusetts State Police captain named Healy, and a Boston police captain named Quirk."
"How the hell did you find Hugh Dixon?" I said.
"I have money, sir. My attorneys are resourceful."
"And I'm the man?"
"Yes, sir, you are."
"Fairly expensive," I said.
"What are your fees?" Clive said.
I told him.
"That will not be an issue," he said.
"And who is the outfit in Atlanta that's on the job now?" I said.
"Security South."
Meant nothing to me.
"The on-site supervisor is a man named Delroy. Jon Delroy."
That meant nothing to me either.
"Will Mr. Delroy be pleased to see me?"
"He'll cooperate," Clive said.
"No," Penny said. "I don't think he will be pleased to see you."
Clive looked at her.
"Well, it's the truth, Daddy. He will be absolutely goddamned livid."
Clive smiled. He couldn't help being condescending, but it was a genuine smile. He liked his daughter.
"Penny has been quiet during our interview, Mr. Spenser. But don't assume that it's habitual."
"Jon will have trouble with you bringing in someone over him," Penny said. "Mr. Spenser may as well know that now."
Clive nodded.
"He's not really 'over' Jon," Clive said. "But Jon may feel a bit compromised. That a problem to you, Mr. Spenser?"
"No."
"Really?" Penny said. "You think you can work with someone like that?"
"I'll win him over," I said.
"How?"
"Northern charm," I said.
"Isn't that an oxymoron?" she said.
"You're right," I said. "Maybe I'll just threaten him."
TWO
"LAMARR, GEORGIA?" SUSANsaid.
She was lying on top of me in her bed with her clothes off, her arms folded on my chest, and her face about six inches from my face. Pearl the Wonder Dog was lying somewhat grumpily on the rug at the foot of the bed, having been displaced, if only temporarily, by me.
"Just an old sweet song," I said.
"Don't sing. Do you know anything about racehorses?"
"Secretariat gave me a big lap once," I said.
"Anything less specialized?" Susan said.
"That's about it."
"And you are being brought
in over someone who has heretofore been in charge?"
"Yes."
"So you are going to Georgia without Pearl, or me, and you'll be gone for who knows how long, and you don't know what you're doing, and the people you're working with will resent you."
"Exactly," I said.
"And you're doing this because you love horses?"
"Because I hate starving," I said. "I've been doing pro bono for you and Hawk so long that I can't afford to buy a new knuckle knife."
"Too bad virtue is not, in fact, its own reward," Susan said.
"Or if it really were, the reward would need to be monetary."
"Well, perhaps we can visit."
"You and Pearl could come down," I said.
"Pearl does not, obviously, fly in a crate in the hold of some disgusting airplane," Susan said.
"It's an easy drive," I said. "One overnight stop."
Susan stared at me. Her eyes were so close they were out of focus as I looked up at her. They seemed bigger than human eyes could be and bottomless, like eternity.
"I cannot bear to drive long distances."
"Of course you can't," I said. "Maybe Paul would come up from New York, for a weekend, and take care of Pearl."
"That might work," Susan said. "Or Lee Farrell, or Hawk."
"And then you can come to Lamarr on an airplane and ball my brains out."