"Sure."

He went out.

Peter strutted around the room, giving everyone more of the beam job. "I'm excited. I'm jazzed. I'm ready for action." He strode to the bar and picked up the phone. "This is Peter Alan Nelsen. Have my cars ready in five minutes." He hung up before whomever he had spoken to could answer, then he addressed the room. "Everybody get ready. We're going to see my kid."

I said, "Peter, I know you want to see your son, but going out there like this isn't the way to do it. The boy doesn't know you're here."

"I'll tell him."

"He doesn't even know that you're his father. He needs to be prepared."

Peter stopped grinning and frowned at me. "What are you talking about? What does he need to prepare for? I'm not some kinda test."

"Peter, think about it. The smart way is to take it slow. You don't want to screw it up with Toby before you begin."

The frown got deeper. "What are you saying? Are you telling me not to go?"

Dani said, "Maybe we should let them know. It's not polite to just barge in."

Peter said, "Goddamnit, what's the big deal? He's my son, isn't he? She's my ex-wife, isn't she? How come everybody's turning against me?"

Dani said, "Nobody's turning against you, Peter."

I said, "It's better if you wait. Let me set up a meeting with Karen."

Peter suddenly made the big smile again and came over and pounded me on the back. "You wanna set up a meeting, that's okay by me. Tell her Peter Alan Nelsen is back. Tell her I came three thousand miles to see my kid and I'm on my way. She's gonna be thrilled. The kid's going to be thrilled. Why wouldn't they?" He slapped me on the back again and then he told everybody he was going to take a leak and after that they would leave.

I said, "But, Peter."

He waved his hands. "Trust me on this. I know people. I know the human heart. It's why I'm me." Then he strode out of the room. Whistling.

I took a deep breath, let it out, then went over to where Dani was standing with the Nickster and T.J… The Nickster said, "Hey, the guy's happy. Why you wanna piss on his parade?" Dani just looked at me the way you look at someone when you want him to help you.

I said, "I'll call his ex-wife and let her know. There's a Howard Johnson's just off the freeway outside of Chelam. Neutral territory. Have him come there, to the restaurant. That's where she'll be."

Dani nodded. "I'll try."

I strode out of the room, too, but I wasn't whistling.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

I went down to the lobby and used a pay phone by the men's room to call Karen Lloyd at the bank. It was not a call that I wanted to make. "Yes?"

"It's me. Peter's in New York. He hired another detective who followed me to you. He knows where you live and he's coming out there now."

She took a deep breath, then let it out with a soft hiss. "My God. He's coming to Chelam now? Right now?"

"Yes."

"We can't just spring it on Toby like this. Toby doesn't know anything. He'll be terrified. I don't want Peter coming to the house."

"I've arranged for him to meet you at the Howard Johnson's. I'm leaving ahead of him so I'll be with you when he gets there."

"That sonofabitch. Can't you stop him?"

"I thought about shooting him, but that seemed a bit drastic."

"Not to me." She didn't say anything for a while. "Did you tell him about the DeLucas?"

"No. That's up to you, but he's going to know sooner or later."

"That bastard."

"Stay focused on DeLuca. We can talk to Peter. We can find a way to work it out."

She said, "Oh, that's shit," and then she hung up. She didn't sound as thrilled as Peter had said she'd be, but maybe that was just me.

When I got to the Ho Jo it was four minutes after three that afternoon, bright and clear and smelling of autumn. Karen Lloyd and Joe Pike were sitting at a table in the front of the bar. Karen was wearing a maple pant suit and pale red lip gloss and she seemed calm and contained, but it was the kind of calm you feel in a hospital waiting room. This early, they were the only two people in the bar.

Karen said, "Where is he?"

"A few minutes behind me. Did you meet Charlie?"

She gave me annoyed. "No. I said that I wouldn't, didn't I?" She was holding a tall glass with something clear in it. "I don't want to talk about that. All I can think about is Toby. I'll have to sit down with him tonight. I'll have to tell him about his father. It's all happening so fast." She made a little head shake and had some of the drink.

"You may not want to talk about Charlie, but we need to. He's your more serious problem."

"It doesn't feel that way."

"It will." I told her about Walter Lee Balcom and Angelette Silver. "Did Charlie call to find out why you didn't show up?"

"No."

"Did anyone who looked suspicious come into the bank, or watch you from a car, or follow you?"

"Of course not."

I looked at Pike. He shook his head.

Karen said, "You were watching?"

Pike nodded.

Even more annoyed. "I didn't see you. I didn't know you were spying."

Pike made a little head shrug.

Karen tapped at the table, then took more of the drink. Not a happy lady. Feeling the control slip away, but trying to make the best of it. "All right. But I would think that your going to see Charlie and my standing up to him finally convinced him that I'm serious."

Pike said, "It's not over."

Karen frowned at him. "He can't want to make a stink about this any more than I. If I get in trouble, he gets in trouble. Isn't that right?"

I said, "Guys like Charlie don't let it go."

She made the little head shake again and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I just can't deal with this. I've got Peter to think about. I've got Toby. My God, how am I going to tell him that yesterday he didn't have a father but today he does?"

Pike leaned forward. "Tell him you've got some good news."

Karen closed her eyes again and said, "Please."

Four minutes later, Peter arrived. At first I thought that maybe Rommel and his Panzers were pouring through the pass, but then I realized it was Peter. Two black presidential stretch limos followed T.J. riding point on a candy-apple-red Harley-Davidson cop house special, T.J. in a heavy buckskin coat and World War I aviator's goggles, circling the parking lot and revving his engine as the two presidentials skidded in. Peter Alan Nelsen climbed out from behind the wheel of the first limo and the Nickster climbed out of the second. The waitress and the bartender went to the windows to look. Karen looked at them looking and chewed at her lip.

Dani and a couple of scared-looking guys in formal black chauffeur suits got out of the back of the first limo. Everybody could have easily fit into one, but why have one when you can have two?

I watched Karen Lloyd -once- Karen Nelsen watch them and I touched her arm. "It's going to be fine."

"Of course it's going to be fine." She took a sip of her drink.

Peter came in first, with Dani beside him and Nick and T.J. sort of behind. Karen folded her hands neatly on the table in front of her and watched Peter the way you watch someone in the next yard, sort of detached. For a moment they looked at each other across the room, then Peter walked over and stopped at the edge of the table. "Hi, Karen."

"Hello, Peter." Her face was without expression and she did not stand up.

I said, "This is Dani. That's Nick and T.J."

Everybody nodded and said howareyas. When Karen looked at Dani, Dani's big thighs jumped.

Peter sat down and Dani pulled up a chair from the next table. Nick and T.J. went to the bar. Peter looked at Joe Pike and said, "Who's this?"

"Joe Pike. He has the agency with me. Remember?"