Michael didn’t say anything, which was enough of an answer for Devlin.
“Anything I can help with?” Devlin asked.
Michael studied Devlin, taking in the man’s massive forearms and their lattice of tattoos. One of Devlin’s front teeth was gone, giving him the look of the barroom brawler he occasionally was.
“Maybe,” Michael said. He was beginning to form a plan.
Devlin had dropped by Mosconi’s office that afternoon bdcause he was between jobs. He’d just brought back a killer who’d jumped bail and fled to
Canada. Devlin was one of the bounty hunters that Michael used when the need arose.
Michael felt that Devlin was just the man to send to remind Jeffrey about his obligation. Michael thought that Devlin would be far more persuasive than he could be.
Leaning back in his desk chair, Michael explained the situation. Devlin tossed the Penthouse aside and stood up. He was six-foot-five and weighed two hundred and sixty-eight pounds. His rotund belly spilled over the large silver buckle of his belt. But underneath the layer of fat was a lot of muscle.
:’Sure, I can talk to him,” Devlin said.
‘Be nice,” Michael said. “Just be persuasive. Remember, he’s a doctor. I just don’t want him to forget about me.”
“I’m always nice,” Devlin said. “Considerate, well-groomed, well-mannered.
That’s my charm.”
Devlin left the office, glad to have something to do. He hated just sitting around. The only problem was that he wished the task was a bit more lucrative. But he looked forward to the ride out to Marblehead. Maybe he’d hit that Italian restaurant up there and then go and have a few beers at his favorite harbor bar.
Kelly’s house was a charming two-story colonial with mullioned windows. It was painted white with black shutters. The two chimneys on either end were surfaced with old brick. A two-car
garage was to the right of the house, a screened porch off the left.
Jeffrey stopped in the street across from the house and pulled up to the curb. He studied the house through the car window, hoping to nerve up enough to cross the street and ring the bell. He was surprised to see so many trees so close to downtown Boston. The house was nestled in a cozy stand of maples, oaks, and birches.
As he sat there, Jeffrey tried to think of what he would say. Never before had he gone to someone’s house looking for “sympathy and understanding.”
And there was always the concern of rejection despite her warmth on the phone. If he didn’t know she was waiting for him, he wouldn’t have been able to go through with it.
Marshaling his courage, he put the car in gear and turned into Kelly’s driveway. He went up to the front door, briefcase in hand. He felt ridiculous holding it-as a doctor, he wasn’t even used to carrying one-but he was afraid to leave so much cash in the car.
Kelly opened the door before he had a chance to ring the bell. She was dressed in black tights with a pink leotard and pink headband and warm-up leggings. “I go to an aerobics class most afternoons,” she explained, blushing slightly. Then she gave Jeffrey a big hug. Tears almost came to his eyes when he realized he couldn’t remember the last time someone had hugged him. It took him a moment to catch his balance and hug her back.
Still holding his arms, she leaned back so she could look up into his eyes.
Jeffrey was a good six inches taller than she was. “I’m so glad you came over,” she said. She held his gaze for a beat, then added: “Come in, come in!” She took him by the hand and led him inside, giving the door a kick closed with her stockinged foot.
Jeffrey found himself in a wide foyer with archways into a dining room on the right and a living room on the left. There was a small table supporting a silver tea service. At the end of the foyer, toward the back of the house, an elegant staircase curved up to the second floor.
“How about some tea?” Kelly offered.
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Jeffrey said.