Read Online Bad Business by Robert B. Parker - Free Book Online Page B

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    â€œI can surf that fucking Internet,” he said. “I can find out a lot.”
    â€œGot no budget for you,” I said.
    â€œThat could change,” Elmer said. “There’s a lot of money floating around over there.”
    â€œAt Kinergy?”
    â€œYeah. Stock almost doubled last year in a bear market,” Elmer said. “Anything you need? You know? Be nice to get a foot in that door.”
    I thanked Elmer for his help and promised that I wouldn’t forget him, which was probably true. We shook hands. Elmer walked me three steps to the door. We shook hands again. And I left.

19
    P earl and I ran from the Hatch Shell up to the BU Bridge and back. We were sitting now together on a bench near the Shell looking at the river. I was getting my breathing back under control. Pearl, as far as I could tell, had not elevated her heart rate. A young woman with good gluteus maximus was stretching her hamstrings at the next bench. As she did she looked at Pearl and smiled.
    When she finished stretching she straightened and said, “May I pat?”
    â€œSure,” I said. “Either one of us.”
    The young woman smiled and scratched Pearl behind her left ear.
    â€œWeimaraner,” she said. “Right?”
    â€œGerman shorthaired pointer,” I said.
    â€œYou sure?” the young woman said.
    â€œPretty sure,” I said.
    â€œHow old?”
    â€œTwo.”
    â€œWhat’s her name?”
    â€œPearl,” I said.
    â€œHow’d you train her to sit like that?” the young woman said.
    â€œShe likes to sit like that.”
    The young woman smiled vaguely, said, “Goodbye, Pearl,” and jogged off.
    â€œGreat way to meet chicks,” I said to Pearl.
    She leaned over and gave me a large slobber near my nose. I wiped my face with my sleeve. What had begun as a no-brainer of a divorce tail was showing every sign of turning into a hairball. Marlene had hired me. But apparently Francis and O’Neill had been hired under false pretenses, by Gavin the security guy. Why did he want a tail on Marlene Rowley and Ellen Eisen? Did he care who they were sleeping with? If they were sleeping with? He wanted a report on everyone they saw. That sounded like more than an adultery issue.
    Pearl spotted two ducks floating in the water fifty feet off shore. Her body tensed. She began to quiver. But she stayed where she was, sitting on the bench beside me.
    â€œCan’t bear to leave me,” I said. “Can you.”
    She gave me another big slobber on my face that could have meant yes, but could have meant no just as easily. The two ducks flew off. Pearl watched them go.
    No wonder Bernie Eisen had been confused when I’d brought up the tail on Mrs. Eisen. And no wonder Gavin had cut it short. Why had Gavin used private guys rather than his own people? Obviously, he didn’t want it known. Why had he used these two minor leaguers forthe job? Because they would need the money bad enough not to question the cash-only arrangement, where they had no phone or address for him. What was he after? He was the director of security for a major company. But if he was acting on behalf of his employer, he was certainly being covert about it.
    On the other hand, if he wasn’t, where was the money coming from? The Templeton Group might work cheap, and Elmer O’Neill might work cheap, but even cheap, eighteen hours a day, each, is a lot of cash. Security directors, even big leaguers like Gavin, normally didn’t make that kind of money. I looked at Pearl, who was still watching the river, alert to any possibility that the ducks might return.
    â€œSo, suppose he is working for the company,” I said.
    She shifted her big gold-colored eyes at me for a minute, and then went back to the duck watch. What would the company be after with these women, and why would they want to keep it quiet? Most companies would probably try to cover up the fact