Clark Hewitt was shaking his head before I finished. 'I couldn't do that. I don't want anything to do with those people.'

'The Markovs suspect that there's some kind of connection between us, and they know I'm from Los Angeles. That means they might show up here, nosing around, and even if they don't they're still out there, waiting. Jasper wants to help.'

Clark raised a hand as if I were telling him about a great place to buy discount tires but he was about to tell me of an even better place, his discount-tire secret. 'Thank you, but everything is going to be fine. We're going to leave soon.'

'You should leave now, Clark. If you don't have the money, call Jasper. He'll help. So will I.'

Clark shook his head.

'Are you high?'

He blinked at me, then shook his head. 'Oh no. I don't do that.'

I took a breath and let it out. I wanted to shout at him to knock off the bullshit, but Winona and Teri were standing in the front door, watching us. I said, 'I know why you lost the job at Enright Printing. I spoke with Tre Michaels.'

He didn't answer. He was pale, with dark lines under his eyes, and he looked tired. His eyes seemed sad, and I thought he might cry. 'Are you going to tell?'

'Of course not.' Like we were six years old.

Clark Hewitt's eyes filled and he blinked fast. 'Please don't tell.'

My head hurt and my scalp felt tight and the tightness was moving down to my neck. 'Do your children know about any of this?'

He shrugged.

'Do they know what you were, and why you move around so much?'

Another shrug.

'They must know something, Clark. It was only three years ago. You changed their names.'

He looked at the ground. Talk about denial.

Charles appeared in the window, stuck out his tongue, and gave us the finger with both hands. He seemed to be looking more at his father, but maybe it was the angle. ' Clark, I can help you get into a substance abuse program. There are people at the county and at a couple of private places I know who can help. You've got these kids to think about.'

Clark glanced at Teri and Winona. He smiled at them like we were discussing the weather. 'We'll be fine. Everything is going to be okay real soon. I won't leave them again.'

I took out a card and wrote a name and number on it. 'I want you call this number and speak with a woman named Carol Hillegas. If you don't enroll in a program I'm going to call Children's Services. Do you see where I'm going with this?'

Clark took the card, but didn't look at it. 'I understand. I won't leave them again.'

' Clark.'

'Everything's going to be fine. I'll call and I promise I won't leave them again.' He reached into his pocket and came out with an enormous fold of cash. 'I want to apologize for the trouble, and I want to thank you again for taking care of my children. I think you deserve a bonus.'

I stared at him.

He fumbled with the bills, riffling through a roll of hundreds that was even larger than Teri's. 'It's the least I can do.'

Teri noticed Charles in the window and said something. Charles gave us the finger still harder, and started crying. Teri disappeared from the door, reappeared in the window, and grabbed Charles by the arm. He shoved her and ran, and she chased him. She was crying, too. Winona was still in the door, smiling and oblivious and waving. Her face was filled with light.

I said, 'Just call the goddamned number.'

Clark Hewitt was still fumbling with his bonus money when I crossed the street, climbed into my car, and drove away.

CHAPTER 12

Fourteen minutes after leaving the Hewitts, I carved my way through the trees along Woodrow Wilson Drive, then turned onto my little road and saw Joe Pike. Pike's Jeep was parked at the front of my house, and Pike was leaning against the rear hatch, as motionless as a tree or the house or the earth. I put my Corvette in the carport, and met him at the kitchen door. Pike said, 'Nice eye.' No hello, no hey, are you all right? ' Clark do that?' You can always count on your friends for humor.

'How long you been here?'

'I left my position when you and Haines came out of the house.' You see? He'd seen everything.

I let us in, put my overnight bag on the kitchen counter, took two Falstaffs out the fridge, gave one to Pike, then drank a long pull of mine.

I turned on the kitchen tap and cupped the water to my face. I drank most of what was left of the beer, then took a deep breath and let it out. I had pulled the drapes when I left, and the house was dim and still from the close air. Dim and still was good. When it was dark it was easier to pretend that there weren't three kids on the run from the Russian mob with a junkie for a father. Maybe that was why Pike never took off his dark glasses. Maybe it was easier when you couldn't see so much.

Pike said, 'What's wrong?'

'His name isn't Haines. It's Hewitt, and he isn't just your ordinary junkie. He's on the run from the Russian mob, he used to be in the federal witness protection program, and he doesn't have a clue that he or those children are in danger.'

Pike nodded. 'So where's the surprise?' You never know if he means it.

I opened the house, then poked around to see if anyone had been in while I was away. As I poked, I told Pike about Wilson Brownell and Reed Jasper and what Jasper had said about Clark. I described what had happened with the Markov brothers, and how I got the eye. When I told him about the Markovs, Pike's head swiveled about a quarter micron. 'He really Spetnaz?'

'That's what he said.'

'People say anything.' You could tell Pike was interested.

'It's the new world order, Joe. Equal opportunity crime.'

Pike went to the glass doors and looked out. He slid back the glass and the silky mountain air rolled in. 'This isn't good.'

'No,' I said. 'It's not.'

'It won't matter what you told the Russians. They'll figure you've got a line on Clark, and they'll show up.'

'That's what I told Clark. I told him to leave town, or go back to the marshals. They're still willing to help.'

'Will he?'

'I don't know. I told him to call Carol Hillegas. He won't be worth a damn to those kids until he's clean, but who knows what he'll do?' We went out to the deck and stood at the rail and looked down at the canyon. 'Talking to Clark is like talking to your television. He doesn't see that his actions have consequences.'

Pike crossed his arms.

'Also, he told me that our services were no longer needed.'

The corner of Pike's mouth twitched. He'll never smile, but sometimes you'll get the twitch. 'Fired.'

'Well, yeah.'

Another twitch. 'How much money we make?'

Two hundred, less the cost of airfare and hotel. I'd say we're down about three hundred.'

Pike finished his beer.

'But we picked up some frequent flyer miles.'

Pike said, 'You thinking it was the feds or the Russians who went through your house?'

I thought about it, then shook my head. 'It's possible, but I don't think so. If these Russians had a line on Clark, they wouldn't've bothered with me up in Seattle, and the feds would've just knocked on the door. Besides that, I think I've been followed by a guy in a gray LeBaron, and I'm pretty sure the following started before those kids came to my office.' I told him about the black guy in the LeBaron.

'So maybe there's still someone stalking you.'

'Could be.' Always a pleasant thought. 'You want to stay for dinner?'

'No.'

Pike watched a car move along the canyon floor beneath us for a time, then left without another word. No so long, no see you later. Just left.

I finished the Falstaff, crimped the can, and tossed it in my can bag. Recycling. I unpacked, did laundry, and wandered through the house. I felt empty and unfinished, as if there were more to be done only I didn't yet know what to do. Maybe I was bored.