forgot what walking hard-ons guys your age are.”
“Jesus, Bob; that’s not what I meant.”
“Of course it is,” Farrell corrected him. “I know how you young bucks think. Hormones
dominate your world. When you get to my age and you start having feelings for a woman,
it’s easier to keep your little head from controlling your big head. Don’t you remember
what your drill sergeant taught you?”
“My drill sergeant taught me a lot of things,” Kearns said. “Mostly four-letter words.”
“He should have taught you ‘If you get the urge to marry, quell it. It’s much cheaper
to simply find a woman you hate and buy her a house.’”
“I seem to remember something along those lines in our barracks discussions,” Kearns
said.
“After two divorces,” Farrell said, “I’ve come to believe in the wisdom of those sage
words. Most of the really important stuff a young man needs to know he can learn from
a drill sergeant.”
“I agree. And who said anything about marriage?”
“Look, Kevin,” Farrell said. “It’s not that I don’t think you’re good enough for Jennifer;
problem is, you don’t think you are. Besides” – he grinned – “if she turns out anything
like her mother, you’ll be glad you dodged her.”
“If you’re trying to console me, you’re failing,” Kearns said.
“Never mind,” Farrell cut him off. “Would you at least consider my proposal?”
“I already declined it.”
“Not yet, you haven’t. Trust me; you’ll dig this job.”
“All right, I’ll bite. Tell me about it.” Kearns sat back down on the bed. “But just
because I’m listening to your pitch doesn’t mean I’m going back in with you.”
“Fair enough. Do you remember last year when we had to go to federal court in San
Francisco?”
“How could I forget,” Kearns said. “I was afraid they were going to throw us in jail.
You kept saying, ‘Relax, Kevin’, which, coming from you, made me even more scared.”
“Very funny. Anyway, do you recall a pretty blond deputy DA from Alameda County who
was present in the courtroom? Looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine?”
“How could I forget her? Full of herself. Thought she was a real hard case. Great
legs but a ball-buster. Had a major problem with you, if I recall.”
“That’s the one.”
“What about her?” Kearns asked.
“Her name is Paige Callen. Somebody is stalking her. Attacked her on the beach in
Alameda today. Cops got nothing. Looks like a preplanned thing; very personal.”
“So how do you figure into this?”
“Her father is Iron Gene Callen,” Farrell said. “That name mean anything to you?”
“Should it?”
“Hell yes. He’s retired now, and a widower, but in his day, he was the most powerful
judge in Alameda County history. I’m talking old-school, political-machine powerful.
Reagan tapped him for a cabinet post and he refused.”
“Governor Reagan or President Reagan?”
“Both. He’s also richer than a pharaoh, owns half the real estate in Alameda and San
Leandro.”
“He’s your client?”
“Roger that,” Farrell said. “He wants me to track down the creep who’s stalking his
daughter. And he wants her protected while I’m doing it. That’s where you come in.”
Kearns squinted at Farrell. “No offense, but why does this Judge Callen guy want to
hire you? If he’s the big shot you claim, why not commission one of the large PI firms?”
“Valid question. I asked Judge Callen the same thing. He knows our track record. He
wants the job done by a private investigator with a history of this type of manhunt.
Someone who knows the territory. Someone discreet. Somebody who finishes what they
start.”
“Somebody not afraid to get his hands dirty?”
“That could be part of it,” Farrell admitted.
Kearns bit his lip. “He hired you because you bagged Vernon Slocum, didn’t he?”
“Yes,” Farrell said flatly. “He did.
“Jesus, Bob; that’s not what I meant.”
“Of course it is,” Farrell corrected him. “I know how you young bucks think. Hormones
dominate your world. When you get to my age and you start having feelings for a woman,
it’s easier to keep your little head from controlling your big head. Don’t you remember
what your drill sergeant taught you?”
“My drill sergeant taught me a lot of things,” Kearns said. “Mostly four-letter words.”
“He should have taught you ‘If you get the urge to marry, quell it. It’s much cheaper
to simply find a woman you hate and buy her a house.’”
“I seem to remember something along those lines in our barracks discussions,” Kearns
said.
“After two divorces,” Farrell said, “I’ve come to believe in the wisdom of those sage
words. Most of the really important stuff a young man needs to know he can learn from
a drill sergeant.”
“I agree. And who said anything about marriage?”
“Look, Kevin,” Farrell said. “It’s not that I don’t think you’re good enough for Jennifer;
problem is, you don’t think you are. Besides” – he grinned – “if she turns out anything
like her mother, you’ll be glad you dodged her.”
“If you’re trying to console me, you’re failing,” Kearns said.
“Never mind,” Farrell cut him off. “Would you at least consider my proposal?”
“I already declined it.”
“Not yet, you haven’t. Trust me; you’ll dig this job.”
“All right, I’ll bite. Tell me about it.” Kearns sat back down on the bed. “But just
because I’m listening to your pitch doesn’t mean I’m going back in with you.”
“Fair enough. Do you remember last year when we had to go to federal court in San
Francisco?”
“How could I forget,” Kearns said. “I was afraid they were going to throw us in jail.
You kept saying, ‘Relax, Kevin’, which, coming from you, made me even more scared.”
“Very funny. Anyway, do you recall a pretty blond deputy DA from Alameda County who
was present in the courtroom? Looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine?”
“How could I forget her? Full of herself. Thought she was a real hard case. Great
legs but a ball-buster. Had a major problem with you, if I recall.”
“That’s the one.”
“What about her?” Kearns asked.
“Her name is Paige Callen. Somebody is stalking her. Attacked her on the beach in
Alameda today. Cops got nothing. Looks like a preplanned thing; very personal.”
“So how do you figure into this?”
“Her father is Iron Gene Callen,” Farrell said. “That name mean anything to you?”
“Should it?”
“Hell yes. He’s retired now, and a widower, but in his day, he was the most powerful
judge in Alameda County history. I’m talking old-school, political-machine powerful.
Reagan tapped him for a cabinet post and he refused.”
“Governor Reagan or President Reagan?”
“Both. He’s also richer than a pharaoh, owns half the real estate in Alameda and San
Leandro.”
“He’s your client?”
“Roger that,” Farrell said. “He wants me to track down the creep who’s stalking his
daughter. And he wants her protected while I’m doing it. That’s where you come in.”
Kearns squinted at Farrell. “No offense, but why does this Judge Callen guy want to
hire you? If he’s the big shot you claim, why not commission one of the large PI firms?”
“Valid question. I asked Judge Callen the same thing. He knows our track record. He
wants the job done by a private investigator with a history of this type of manhunt.
Someone who knows the territory. Someone discreet. Somebody who finishes what they
start.”
“Somebody not afraid to get his hands dirty?”
“That could be part of it,” Farrell admitted.
Kearns bit his lip. “He hired you because you bagged Vernon Slocum, didn’t he?”
“Yes,” Farrell said flatly. “He did.
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